Alan Eardley
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,500
- Location
- Midlands, UK
There was recently a meeting of Britain's three remaining active service veterans of WW1. Mr. Harry Patch (109) was a machine gunner with the DCLI and ws wounded at Passchendeale in 1917. He now lives in Wells and I once had the pleasure of meeting him. Mr. Henry Allingham (111) served as an aircraft mechanic in the RNAS and fought in the Battle of Jutland in 1916. William Stone (only 106) joined the RN as a stoker in 1918 and didn't see action but more than made up for it by taking part in the Dunkirk evacuation and D-Day landings in WW2.
The venerable fellows and their families were hosted to lunch by the fun-loving Mr. Stone at the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institute home where he lives. They seem to have had a very good time - I love the quote from Mr. Stone's daughter, Anne, who comments that it was good for them to meet casually, adding that they usually only meet at Buckingham Palace! Nice, that...
I could show you the photographs in Freemasonry Today, but you'd have to know the right handshake...
Alan
The venerable fellows and their families were hosted to lunch by the fun-loving Mr. Stone at the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institute home where he lives. They seem to have had a very good time - I love the quote from Mr. Stone's daughter, Anne, who comments that it was good for them to meet casually, adding that they usually only meet at Buckingham Palace! Nice, that...
I could show you the photographs in Freemasonry Today, but you'd have to know the right handshake...
Alan
