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| WWI veteran Patch dies aged 111 | WWI veteran Patch dies aged 111 |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The last British survivor of the World War I trenches, Harry Patch, has died at the age of 111. | The last British survivor of the World War I trenches, Harry Patch, has died at the age of 111. |
| Mr Patch was conscripted into the Army aged 18 and fought in the Battle of Passchendaele at Ypres in 1917 in which more than 70,000 British soldiers died. | Mr Patch was conscripted into the Army aged 18 and fought in the Battle of Passchendaele at Ypres in 1917 in which more than 70,000 British soldiers died. |
| He was raised in Combe Down, near Bath, and had been living at a care home in Wells, Somerset. | |
| The sole British survivor of World War I is now seaman Claude Choules who is aged 108 and lives in Australia. | |
| 'Great man' | |
| Henry Allingham, who served in the Royal Navy and the RAF in WWI, died at the age of 113 a week ago. | Henry Allingham, who served in the Royal Navy and the RAF in WWI, died at the age of 113 a week ago. |
| Mr Patch's biographer Richard Van Emden said he passed away at 0850 BST on Saturday morning. | |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "I had the honour of meeting Harry, and I share his family's grief at the passing of a great man. | |
| Mr Patch's biographer Richard Emden said he passed away at 0850 BST on Saturday morning | |
| "I know that the whole nation will unite today to honour the memory, and to take pride in the generation that fought the Great War. | |
| "The noblest of all the generations has left us, but they will never be forgotten. We say today with still greater force - 'We will remember them'." | |
| 'True gentleman' | |
| Mr Patch served as a private at the Third Battle of Ypres - known as Passchendaele - from June to September 1917 when he was seriously injured by a shell explosion which killed three of his friends. | Mr Patch served as a private at the Third Battle of Ypres - known as Passchendaele - from June to September 1917 when he was seriously injured by a shell explosion which killed three of his friends. |
| His friend Lesley Ross said she felt great affection towards him. | His friend Lesley Ross said she felt great affection towards him. |
| "Extremely modest, dignified gentleman, with a slightly wicked sense of humour and considerate to everybody he met. Very polite and I would sum him up as a true gentleman," she said. | "Extremely modest, dignified gentleman, with a slightly wicked sense of humour and considerate to everybody he met. Very polite and I would sum him up as a true gentleman," she said. |
| The Fletcher House care home said in a statement it extended its deepest sympathies to Mr Patch's family and friends. | |
| Mr Patch was conscripted into the Army aged 18 | |
| Andrew Larpent, chief executive of Somerset Care, said Mr Patch died peacefully in his bed having been unwell for some time. | Andrew Larpent, chief executive of Somerset Care, said Mr Patch died peacefully in his bed having been unwell for some time. |
| "His friends and his family have been here. He just quietly slipped away at 9am this morning," he said. | "His friends and his family have been here. He just quietly slipped away at 9am this morning," he said. |
| "It was how he would have wanted it, without having to be moved to hospitals but here, peacefully with his friends and carers." | "It was how he would have wanted it, without having to be moved to hospitals but here, peacefully with his friends and carers." |