Bertie Felstead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bertie Felstead
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| Born | October 28, 1894 London, England |
| Died | July 22, 2001 (aged 106) Gloucester, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 British Army |
| Unit | Royal Welch Fusiliers |
| Battles/wars | First World War
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Bertie Felstead (born October 28, 1894 – died July 22, 2001) was a British soldier. He was a veteran of the First World War. Near the end of his life, many believed he was the last soldier alive who had been part of the famous Christmas truce of 1914.
Early Life and War Service
Bertie Felstead was born in London, England, in October 1894. When the First World War began in 1914, he was called to serve. He joined the 15th (London Welsh) Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Soon after, he traveled to the battlefields in France.
The Christmas Truce
On Christmas Day in 1914, Bertie Felstead took part in a special event. This was the famous Christmas Truce. Soldiers from both sides, British and German, stopped fighting. They sang Christmas songs together. They even played a game of football in no-man's-land. Bertie's battalion was in trenches near a village west of Lille, France, when this amazing truce happened.
Injury and Later Life
In 1916, Bertie Felstead was injured during the Battle of the Somme. Because of his injury, he was discharged from the army. After the war, he worked as a civilian. He first worked at RAF Uxbridge, an air force base. Later, he worked for the General Electric Company.
Legacy
Bertie Felstead passed away in July 2001. He was 106 years old. He died at a home for older people in Gloucester, England. After his death, many news reports said he was the last surviving soldier of the Christmas Truce.
However, it was later found that another soldier, Alfred Anderson, was also a part of the truce and was still alive. Alfred Anderson lived until November 21, 2005, passing away at the age of 109. The very last known World War I veteran who fought in the trenches was Harry Patch. He was from England and died on July 25, 2009, at 111 years old. The last World War I veteran of any kind from any country was Florence Green. She died on February 4, 2012, when she was 110.
