Crowds turned out today to mark the “end of an era” at the funeral service of late First World War veteran and world’s oldest man Henry Allingham.
Crowds turned out today to mark the "end of an era" at the funeral service of
First World War veteran and the world's oldest man Henry Allingham.
A full military service was held for Mr Allingham, who died in his sleep aged 113 on July 18th at St Dunstan's care home for blind ex-service personnel in Ovingdean, near Brighton, East Sussex.
Many of his relatives travelled from the United States to join royal, political and military dignitaries to honour Mr Allingham, the last founder member of the RAF and the final survivor of the Battle of Jutland.
Guests included Veterans' Minister Kevan Jones, incoming Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, Commander-in-Chief Fleet of the Royal Navy Admiral Sir Trevor Soar and the Duchess of Gloucester, as patron of the First World War Veterans' Association.
Mr Allingham's funeral cortege left St Dunstan's at around 11.15am, making its way slowly along the A259 and into Brighton city centre to St Nicholas Church for the service.
A quarter peal of Grandsire Caters was rung, half muffled, by local bell ringers and Royal Navy and Royal Air Force Guild of Ringers.
His coffin was carried into the church by three Royal Navy and three RAF personnel to reflect the war veteran's service with both.
His medals, including the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, were carried by his great-grandsons, Michael Gray and Brent Gray, both petty officers in the United States Navy.
Outside the Anglican St Nicholas Church, tributes were paid to Mr Allingham, saying his death represented the passing of a brave generation.
Born in Clapton on June 6th, 1896, Mr Allingham was raised by his mother and his grandparents after his father died at the age of 29 from TB when he was aged three.
He joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1915 following the death of his mother and, after completing his training, he was drafted to the RNAS Air Station at Great Yarmouth as an aircraft mechanic.
In May 1916, he was ordered aboard
HMT Kingfisher as it set out to join the British Battle Fleet to help launch a Sopwith Schneider seaplane to look for the German battle fleet. It was night-time when the
Kingfishermet up with the fleet and Mr Allingham witnessed the ensuing Battle of Jutland. The following year he was sent to France with 12 Squadron RNAS to support the Royal Flying Corps.
His job as a mechanic was to service the aircraft and recover parts from downed planes. Pilots would often ask their mechanics to fly with them, and Mr Allingham would sit behind his pilot and drop bombs or operate the Lewis machine gun.
He saw service in Flanders at the Somme and Ypres with No 12 Sqn until November, and then moved to the Aircraft Depot at Dunkirk where he stayed until the end of the war.
On April 1st, 1918, the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps merged to form the RAF, and Mr Allingham was transferred to the newly-formed RAF as Rigger Aero, Aircraft Mechanic Second Class.
He completed his service as part of the Army occupation of Germany. Returning to England, he married his wife Dorothy and left the RAF in April 1919.
During the Second World War, Mr Allingham was in a reserved occupation and was involved in providing counter-measures to the new German magnetic mines.
Mr Allingham retired to Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the early 1960s and his wife died from leukaemia in 1970. In his later years he became an ambassador for his generation, touring schools and attending war-based events to remind people of the past sacrifices.
He was awarded two Legion d'Honneurs, France's highest military honour, the first in 2003 and an upgraded version earlier this year, presented to him in London by the French Ambassador to Britain.
He has a string of accolades to his name, including the HM Armed Forces Veterans' Badge. He was also made a freeman of St Omer and Brighton and Hove and became the first honorary lifetime member of the Royal Naval Association.
After losing his sight as a result of macular degeneration, an age-related condition, Mr Allingham moved from Eastbourne to St Dunstan's near Brighton to see out his final days.
He continued to keep a busy diary of events throughout his later years, and became something of a figurehead for the sacrifices of the Great War generation.
Mr Allingham met the Queen on three occasions, the most recent being on July 11th last year at an event at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire for the 90th Anniversary of the RAF.
Earlier this year he marked his 113th birthday with a party held by the Royal Navy on board HMS President in London, attended by family members, most of whom live in the United States.
Days later he was officially recognised as the world's oldest man after the previous record holder, Tomoji Tanabe, died at his home in southern Japan aged 113.
He is survived by six grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, 21 great, great grandchildren and one great, great, great grandchild.
PA