London, July 26 (Xinhua) The last surviving British soldier to fight in the World War I Harry Patch died at the age of 111, the defence ministry has said.
Patch had been unwell for some time and passed away peacefully at a care home, the ministry said Saturday.
His death comes one week after another survivor of the conflict and the world’s oldest man, Henry Allingham, died aged 113.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II paid her tribute to Patch saying: “We will never forget the bravery and enormous sacrifice of his generation.”
Prince Charles said: “The Great War is a chapter in our history we must never forget, so many sacrifices were made, so many young lives lost.”
“So today nothing could give me greater pride than paying tribute to Harry Patch,” he added.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: “I know that the whole nation will unite today (Saturday) to honour the memory, and to take pride in the generation that fought the Great War.”
The defence ministry said Patch’s funeral would be held in Wells Cathedral.
