Claude Stanley Choules Long-lived Date of Birth: 03.03.1901 Country: USA

1. Biography of Claude Stanley Choules
2. Early Life and Military Service
3. Life in Australia
4. World War II and Later Life

Biography of Claude Stanley Choules

Claude Stanley Choules, the last surviving veteran of the First World War and the last witness of the scuttling of the German High Seas Fleet in Scapa Flow on June 21, 1919, was not only a remarkable military figure but also a long-lived individual. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living veteran of both World Wars, the last First World War sailor, the oldest person in Australia, and the third oldest veteran in the world. Choules was also the seventh oldest person in the world.

Early Life and Military Service

Claude Stanley Choules was born on March 3, 1901, in Pershore, Worcestershire. He grew up in the neighboring village of Wyre Piddle. At the age of 14, in April 1915, Claude began his training on the ship 'Mercury' until he joined the Royal Navy in October 1916. He served on board the warship 'Circe', based in Plymouth. In 1917, he transferred to the battleship 'Revenge', which was the flagship of the First Battle Squadron. During his service, Choules witnessed the actions against German airships, witnessed the German Imperial Fleet's surrender in the Firth of Forth in 1918, ten days after the armistice, and personally witnessed the scuttling of the German Fleet in Scapa Flow.

Life in Australia

In 1926, Choules relocated to Australia along with 11 other senior sailors from the Royal Navy to serve as instructors at a naval base on Flinders Island. He enjoyed the Australian way of life and accepted a transfer to the Royal Australian Navy. Interestingly, he was the same age as the Royal Australian Navy, which was founded on March 1, 1901. In 1931, Choules retired from active service but remained in the naval reserve. A year later, he returned to the navy as a Chief Petty Officer, serving as an instructor in anti-torpedo and anti-submarine operations.

World War II and Later Life

During World War II, Choules was responsible for the torpedo defense of the ship 'Fremantle'. He was tasked with organizing the destruction of the ship and its associated oil storage tanks in case of a potential Japanese invasion. He also dealt with the first German mine washed ashore near Esperance, Western Australia. After the war, Choules remained in the Royal Australian Navy and transferred to the naval police force, serving until 1956.

Claude Choules and his wife Ethel were married for 80 years, and Ethel passed away at the age of 98. Despite spending half his life in the military, Choules avoided commemorations of Armistice Day, as he was against glorifying war. In 2009, his autobiography 'The Last of the Last' was published. In April 2010, his daughter Daphne Choules-Edinger announced that her father's health was declining, and he could no longer give interviews due to his loss of vision and hearing. In March 2011, he celebrated his 110th birthday. Choules appeared in the BBC documentaries 'The Last Tommy' and 'Harry Patch – The Last Tommy' in 2005 and 2009 respectively. Claude Stanley Choules passed away on May 5, 2011, leaving behind three children, 11 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.