The Last of the Last The Final Survivor of the First World War Synopsis
In 2009, aged 108, Claude Choules became the last man alive on active service before the 1918 Armistice and the last who served in both world wars. Claude learned life's lessons during a rural childhood in England and later in the Royal Navy as a boy sailor, before graduating to become an explosives expert in the Australian navy. In his 80s, Claude began working on his memoirs with the help of his daughters and now provides a riveting account of his lifetime that vividly mirrors how the last century unfolded. Claude has the insight of an ordinary man thrust to the forefront of international furore. He is opposed to the glorification of war, but his charming anecdotes honour a generation called upon to serve not once but twice.
Claude Choules was born on 3 March 1901 in Pershore, Worcestershire, and emigrated to Australia in 1926. Married to Ethel for 76 years until her death in 2003, Claude has 3 children, 11 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-granddaughters. He lives in Perth, Australia.
