Henry John Patch,also known as 'Harry' ,recieved a medal today at the Cleveland Bridge fire station for his four-year dedication with the Auxiliary Fire Service during the 2nd World War. He is 110 years old,and whether you agree with the War or not,without men like 'Harry',now and back then,we would not be able to have the freedom that we have today.He did not want to fight,and tries always NOT to remember,only doing so to show the great respect for the many friends he lost back then.Here's to you Harry                                                                                                                                                                                

Nice find HG.. the auxiliaries can be overlooked sometimes.   Well done Harry                                                                                                                                                                              

Good post HarleyG. Makes me fume when people say that the home guard were territorials.....Sorry but when the home guard were formed the territorials were already signed up and fighting! Grrrrrrrrrrr. Rant over and thread successfully hijacked!.........   We all to often forget the work that went on here while the forces were away ( and continues to this day)   I fear most of the youth of today could barely wipe thier own arses let alone command , fly , fight or have even a scrap of the pride and sense of duty lads and lasses in thier 20's had back then. God help us if it ever comes around again......   I'm going now before I turn into Alf Garnett!                                                                                                                                                                             

just read the pizza delivery men shot in NI have been branded 'collaborator's' by the real IRA at one stage the killer's stood over the soldir's an delivered a second volley all caught on camera! sick bastard's ive seen Harry on lots of documentur's bright eyed at his age brill!

Found this Tribute HG had heard it on Radio earlier. Really nice of The French people to remember these old Soldiers   Harry Patch, the last surviving British veteran of the trenches of World War I, has been made an Officer of the French Legion of Honour. The 110-year-old, who returned to Bath in 1918, was awarded the medal by the French Ambassador at his nursing home in Wells, Somerset. The British veteran already received the Chevalier of the Order award in 1998. Receiving the award, Mr Patch said it was a great honour. 'Greatly appreciated' He said he was delighted to be appointed a Knight of the Legion of Honour 10 years ago, along with 350 other veterans from World War I.   At the ceremony, he said: "Now, but two of us remain at our post and the people of France, through their president, have honoured us once more by appointing us as Officers of the Legion of Honour. "Ambassador, I greatly appreciate the way your people respect the memory of those who fell, irrespective of the uniform they wore. "I will wear this medal with great pride and when I eventually rejoin my mates it will be displayed in my regimental museum as a permanent reminder of the kindness of the people of France." Mr Patch, who grew up in Coombe Down, near Bath, never spoke in public about World War I until he turned 100. Veterans Minister Kevan Jones said the UK owed a great deal to the men and women like Mr Patch. "He served with such distinction during wars to protect our liberty. "I welcome this award which pays tribute to him for the huge contribution he has made. We are justly proud of his service and thank the French government for this honour," he added.                                                                                                                                                                              

Thank you Mick,great to have the info in black and white.I am good friends with Harrys niece,and will get first hand video footage,and piccies of the day!!!                                                                                                                                                                              

all he thinks about is his mates he lost ,he was part of a vicker's machine gun team they were walking back from the trenches when a shell killed his crew leaving him alive,ive heard him recounting the day in documenturys ,very moving.                                                                                                                                                                             

He is a real hero, those wars were not about politics unlike many today, it was about protecting everyone from facism, not taking down psychos we originally armed and trained.

Go Harry, thanks for what you did and sacraficed for us.
                                                                                                                                                                             

"God help us if it ever comes around again......"   I'd be up for it!  Can't beat a good scrap.                                                                                                                                                                             

 in the ist war they had 'pal's' regiment's we could have the BM battalion!!who's gonna be captain Blackadder?                                                                                                                                                                             

I wouldn't Geoff,do you know how many Old Veterans wonder what it was all for ? It's a different world to what is was back then,well done for all our lads and lasses that fight for a cause they believe in today                                                                                                                                                                              

Seriously ... what is fighting ever for?                                                                                                                                                                             

It tends to make the rich richer and a lot of the poor very Dead                                                                                                                                                                             

No can do on the captain blackadder TM, maybe manage a baldrick tho                                                                                                                                                                              

Ooh,nice piccie Mick                                                                                                                                                                               

youve scored mick!!                                                                                                                                                                             

Stop hijackin thread about one of the oldest TRUE Hero's of this once Great Nation A Man that deserves are total respect and unending gratatude                                                                                                                                                                             

well said Mick   We can't even begin to realise the horrors Harry and his comrades must have gone through, and no doubt those memories will have lived with him every single day since.   People like Harry never complain, they just 'get on with it', I wonder if todays  Great Nation  is how they hoped it would turn out... I'll bet its not.                                                                                                                                                                                   

spect he had still has a sense of humour like most soldier's, nobody's disrespected him! unlike the stupid 'muslim's'present at the Afghan troops homecomng!!                                                                                                                                                                             

Exactly TM.. don't get me started..   especially on a thread dedicated to Harry.