And so it is that the 'last of the Mahicans', British world war veterans, has now kicked the bucket. Last July 18, 2009 when his compatriot Henry Allingham died at 113, it was Harry Patch who remained as the last British survivor of World War 1; but barely two weeks later, he also turned cold. Harry Patch "quietly slipped away" on Saturday morning at the Fletcher House care home in Wells, southwest England, aged 111 years. Born in southwest England in 1898, Patch was a teenage apprentice plumber when he was called up for military service in 1916. After training he was sent to the trenches as a machine-gunner in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. When the war ended in 1918, Harry returned to work as a plumber, got married, raised a family but didn't start talking about his war experiences until he turned 100 year. One of his most memorable recollections of the World War battles was the 1917 battle of Passchendaele in which he was wounded; according to Harry Patch's account, it was "mud, mud and more mud mixed together with blood. Anyone who tells you that in the trenches they weren't scared, he's a damned liar: you were scared all the time." During World War II, Harry volunteered for the fire service and helped in rescue and firefighting after each German bombing raids. He outlived three wives and both of his sons. Aptly described as the last of the titans, there are no other known British, French or German veterans of WWI still alive; however there is one United States of America known veteran still kicking it at 108, - Frank Buckles of Charles Town, West Virginia. Harry Patch's funeral will be held in Wells Cathedral, South West England. Icheoku says, now rest the tired old bones, soldier!Saturday, July 25, 2009
HARRY PATCH, FINALLY MAKES HIS EXIT!
And so it is that the 'last of the Mahicans', British world war veterans, has now kicked the bucket. Last July 18, 2009 when his compatriot Henry Allingham died at 113, it was Harry Patch who remained as the last British survivor of World War 1; but barely two weeks later, he also turned cold. Harry Patch "quietly slipped away" on Saturday morning at the Fletcher House care home in Wells, southwest England, aged 111 years. Born in southwest England in 1898, Patch was a teenage apprentice plumber when he was called up for military service in 1916. After training he was sent to the trenches as a machine-gunner in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. When the war ended in 1918, Harry returned to work as a plumber, got married, raised a family but didn't start talking about his war experiences until he turned 100 year. One of his most memorable recollections of the World War battles was the 1917 battle of Passchendaele in which he was wounded; according to Harry Patch's account, it was "mud, mud and more mud mixed together with blood. Anyone who tells you that in the trenches they weren't scared, he's a damned liar: you were scared all the time." During World War II, Harry volunteered for the fire service and helped in rescue and firefighting after each German bombing raids. He outlived three wives and both of his sons. Aptly described as the last of the titans, there are no other known British, French or German veterans of WWI still alive; however there is one United States of America known veteran still kicking it at 108, - Frank Buckles of Charles Town, West Virginia. Harry Patch's funeral will be held in Wells Cathedral, South West England. Icheoku says, now rest the tired old bones, soldier!
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Christy 'Apena' Essien-Igbokwe , the wife of Jegede Shokoya of the New Masquerade and Nigeria's lady of songs is dead; she was 51years old. Although her family claimed that "brief Illness" killed her like so many Nigerians; Icheoku retorts that it was most likely AKwa Ibom voodoo and remote control that was used to arrest her. It is on record that she had fallen out with the governor of her native Akwa Ibiom State and have been having a relentless war for political turf with the governor? So who knows whether she was sacrificed to Ekpe cult or even Alusi-Okija as an offal; afterall African science is still very much alive and portent. May her soul rest in peace.
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