Henry Allingham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Allingham
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Allingham at age 110 in 2006
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| Birth name | Henry William Allingham |
| Born | 6 June 1896 Clapton, County of London, England |
| Died | 18 July 2009 (aged 113 years, 42 days) Ovingdean, East Sussex, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | August 1915 – 16 April 1919 |
| Rank | Rigger Aero, Aircraft Mechanic First Class, Oldest living man (19 June 2009 – 18 July 2009) |
| Unit | Royal Naval Air Service, RNAS Great Yarmouth No. 12 Squadron RNAS Aircraft Depot, Dunkirk |
| Battles/wars | First World War |
| Awards | Freedom of the town of Eastbourne Freedom of the Town of Saint-Omer<2>Freeman of Brighton and Hove Officer Légion d'honneur British War Medal Victory Medal Gold Medal of Saint-Omer |
| Spouse(s) |
Dorothy Cator
(m. 1918; |
| Children | 2 |
| Other work | Ford Motor Company |
Henry William Allingham (born 6 June 1896 – died 18 July 2009) was an amazing English man who lived to be 113 years old! He was the longest-living man ever recorded from the United Kingdom. Henry was also a veteran of the First World War, and for about a month, he was the oldest living man in the entire world. He was also one of the oldest military veterans ever.
Henry Allingham was the oldest person to have served in any of the British Armed Forces. He was also one of the last surviving veterans of the First World War. He was the very last person alive who had fought in the Battle of Jutland. He was also the last surviving member of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and the last founding member of the Royal Air Force (RAF). From 2001, he became a public face for First World War veterans. He often appeared in public to make sure that people remembered the brave actions and sacrifices made during the war. He received many awards for his service and for living such a long life.
Contents
Henry Allingham: A Long Life of Service
Early Years
Henry Allingham was born on 6 June 1896 in Clapton, London. When he was just 14 months old, his father, Henry Thomas Allingham, passed away at age 29 due to an illness. Henry lived with his mother, Amy Jane Allingham, who worked as a laundry forewoman, and his grandparents.
In 1905, his mother remarried, and the family moved to Clapham, London. Henry went to a school run by the London County Council and later attended the Regent Street Polytechnic. He remembered seeing soldiers return from the Second Boer War and even watched the famous cricketer W. G. Grace play. After school, Henry first trained to make surgical instruments, but he found it boring. So, he left to work for a company that built car bodies.
World War I Hero
In August 1914, Henry wanted to join the war as a messenger, but his mother was very ill and asked him to stay and care for her. After his mother died in 1915, Henry joined the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). He became an Air Mechanic Second Class on 21 September 1915. He trained in Chingford and Sheerness, Kent.
After his training, Henry was sent to the RNAS Air Station in Great Yarmouth. There, he worked on maintaining aircraft. On 13 April 1916, King George V visited the air station. Henry was disappointed that he just missed a chance to speak to the King.
Henry also worked in Bacton, Norfolk, helping with night-flying and supporting patrols against enemy submarines. These patrols could last for days, and his job involved lifting seaplanes in and out of the water using a special crane.
During the preparations for the Battle of Jutland, Henry was ordered to join the naval ship HMT Kingfisher. This ship carried a Sopwith Schneider seaplane used to look for the German fleet. Henry helped launch this aircraft. Even though Kingfisher wasn't directly in the battle, Henry was the last known survivor of that battle. He remembered "seeing shells ricocheting across the sea."
In September 1917, Henry, now an Air Mechanic First Class, was sent to the Western Front. He joined No. 12 Squadron RNAS, which trained other RNAS squadrons. He was later moved to the aircraft depot in Dunkirk, France, where he repaired and recovered aircraft for the rest of the war. He recalled being attacked by bombs from the air and shells from land and sea.
On 1 April 1918, the RNAS and the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) joined together to form the Royal Air Force (RAF). Henry became a Rigger Aero, Aircraft Mechanic Second Class in the RAF. He still felt like a navy man at the time. He returned home in February 1919 and was officially discharged on 16 April 1919. In his later years, Henry was recognized as the last surviving founding member of the RAF. He said it was "a shock as well as a privilege" to be the only person left from when the RAF was created.
Life Between the Wars
Career and Family
After his military service, Henry Allingham worked as an engineer for most of his life. He designed new car bodies for the Ford Motor Company at their Dagenham plant, starting in 1934.
Henry met Dorothy Cator in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, in 1918. They got married that same year. They moved to Eastbourne, Sussex, in 1961 and were married until Dorothy passed away in 1970. They had two daughters, Betty (born 1921) and Jean (1923–2001). Jean moved to the United States and died in 2001. At the time of his death, Henry thought Betty had also passed away, but she was still alive at 88. Henry had 7 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, 14 great-great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-great-grandchild.
Second World War Contribution
During the Second World War, Henry Allingham worked on important projects because his job was considered essential. One of his most important contributions was designing a way to stop German magnetic mines. During his Christmas lunch in 1939, he was called to help create a system to clear the mines and open the port of Harwich, Essex. He successfully completed the task in just nine days.
Later Life and Recognition
After the Second World War, Henry continued to work for Ford until he retired in 1961. In 2001, the First World War Veterans' Association found him, and Henry began sharing his story. He wanted to make sure that future generations would never forget the sacrifices made during the war.
On 4 August 2004, Henry attended a ceremony at The Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, marking 90 years since Britain entered the First World War. He was there with three other First World War veterans. Henry also marched past the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday in 2005. This was the last time a First World War veteran marched there, marking the end of an era.
As the last surviving member of the RNAS and the last founding member of the RAF, Henry was a special guest when the British Air Services Memorial was unveiled in Saint-Omer, France, on 11 September 2004. He received the Gold Medal of Saint-Omer.
In November 2005, Henry had his holographic portrait taken for a special archive. A copy of this portrait was given to London's floating naval museum, HMS Belfast, for an exhibition called Ghosts of Jutland.
On 21 April 2006, Henry was given the freedom of his home town of Eastbourne. He lived on his own until May 2006. A month before his 110th birthday, with his eyesight failing, he moved to Blind Veterans UK, a charity for blind ex-service people, near Brighton. Other than his poor eyesight, he was in good health.
Henry continued to attend important events. In April 2007, he visited a school to answer students' questions about the First World War. He was honored at the Pride of Britain Awards in October 2007. Between his 110th and 111th birthdays, Henry made over 60 public appearances!
On his 111th birthday, a Royal Marines band played for him on board HMS Victory. When asked how it felt, Henry said, "I'm pleased to be seeing another tomorrow. I'm happy to be alive and I'm looking forward to the celebrations. I never imagined I'd get to 111."
On 1 April 2008, the 90th anniversary of the RAF, Henry was a guest of honor at RAF Odiham. He was the only surviving founding member of the RAF. He celebrated his 112th birthday at RAF Cranwell, where he watched a special flypast. In June 2008, he even got a guided tour of a Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft!
On 23 September 2008, Henry launched a book about his life. On 11 November 2008, the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War, Henry laid a wreath at The Cenotaph in London with other veterans. On 18 November 2008, he was made a Scout, 100 years after he first joined as a boy.
Henry celebrated his 113th birthday on HMS President, hosted by the Royal Navy. He received a signed birthday card from the First Sea Lord. When asked the secret to his long life, Henry said, "I don't know, but I would say, be as good as you possibly can."
Oldest Living Man
Henry Allingham was the oldest living man in England for several years. Guinness World Records officially recognized him in January 2007. On 8 February 2007, he became the oldest known living veteran of the First World War and the third-oldest living man in the world.
He became the longest-lived member of the British Armed Forces on 2 November 2007. After the death of Tomoji Tanabe on 19 June 2009, Henry Allingham became the oldest living man in the world. He was also the first British man ever to reach the verified age of 113.
Henry Allingham passed away peacefully in his sleep on 18 July 2009, at the age of 113 years and 42 days.
Awards and Honors
War Medals
Henry Allingham received four medals. Two were from the First World War: the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. These were replacement medals because his originals were destroyed during the Blitz in the Second World War.
He also received the Gold Medal of Saint-Omer on 11 September 2004. In 2003, he was awarded France's highest military honor, the Légion d'honneur, and was promoted to a higher rank within it in 2009.
Other Honors
Henry also received several other awards and honorary memberships. These included the Pride of Britain award and an honorary membership in the Fleet Air Arm Association.
Even though he wasn't formally trained, the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) recognized him with a Chartered Engineer award in December 2008. In May 2009, he received an honorary doctorate in engineering from Southampton Solent University for his contributions during two world wars and his charity work for veterans.
Death and Funeral
Henry Allingham died peacefully in his sleep on 18 July 2009, at his care home in Ovingdean, near Brighton. He was 113 years and 42 days old. After his death, Walter Breuning became the world's oldest man.
Henry's funeral was held at St Nicholas' Church, Brighton, on 30 July 2009, with full military honors. His coffin was carried by Royal Navy sailors and RAF airmen. The service included bell ringing by members of the RAF and Royal Navy. Important guests attended, including the Duchess of Gloucester, representing the Queen, and senior military officers. Henry's surviving daughter, Betty Hankin, also attended.
The funeral featured a flypast of five replica First World War aircraft. British and French buglers played the Last Post and Reveille, and a bell was rung 113 times, once for each year of his life.
The Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, wrote a poem called "Last Post" to honor Henry Allingham and Harry Patch, another veteran who died shortly after Henry. A tree was planted and a plaque unveiled in Eastbourne on 22 May 2010 to remember Henry's time living there.
See also
In Spanish: Henry Allingham para niños
- List of British supercentenarians
- Florence Green, last surviving veteran of the World War I Women's Royal Air Force
- List of the oldest people by country
- List of the verified oldest people
- List of last surviving World War I veterans
