His Early Life
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Allingham was born in 1896 in London. When he was 14 months old, his father, Henry Thomas Allingham, died of tuberculosis. Henry is recorded in the 1901 census with his widowed mother Amy Jane Allingham, a laundress forewoman, living with her parents and brother at 23 Verulam Avenue, Walthamstow. His mother remarried in 1905; and in 1907 the family moved. Henry and his mother are recorded in the 1911 Census living at 21 Heyford Avenue, Lambeth, while his stepfather was lodging away from home working as a wheelwright. Henry attended a London County Council school before attending the Regent Street Polytechnic. Allingham remembered seeing the City Imperial Volunteers return from the Second Boer War. On leaving school, Allingham started work as a trainee surgical instrument maker at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. He did not find this job very interesting, and so left to work for a coach-builder.
Role in the war
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In 1914, Henry Allingham was desperate to go to war, but his severely ill mother managed to talk him out of going, instead staying at home and looking after her. However, after his mother died in 1915, Allingham went to the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). He became an Air Mechanic Second Class on 21 September 1915, and was posted to Chingford; before completing his training at Sheerness, Kent.
After graduating from training, Allingham was posted to an RNAS Air Station in Great Yarmouth, where he worked in aircraft maintenance. On 13 April 1916, King George V (the ruling monarch at the time) visited the air station for an inspection of the building and its aircraft. Allingham later reported disappointment at barely missing an opportunity to speak with the king.
Allingham also worked in Norfolk , further up the coast, where night-flying was conducted and was later involved in supporting anti-submarine patrols. A typical patrol would last two or three days and would involve the manual labour of hoisting a seaplane in and out of the water.
While Britain was preparing for the Battle of Jutland; Allingham was ordered to join the naval trawler HMT Kingfisher. Allingham's responsibilities included helping to launch a patrol plane, used to spot German Submarines. Although the Kingfisher was not directly involved in the battle , Allingham still rightfully claimed to be the last known survivor of that battle and could recall "seeing shells ricocheting across the sea."
In September 1917, Allingham, by then an Air Mechanic First Class was posted to the Western Front to join the Twelfth Squadron of the RNAS. This unit acted as a training squadron for other RNAS squadrons based on the Western Front. There is also some evidence that the squadron was involved in combat operations. When Allingham arrived at their base, both the Royal Flying Corps and the RNAS were involved in the Ypres offensive. In November 1917, he was posted to the aircraft depot at Dunkirk, France; where he remained for the rest of the war, on aircraft repair and recovery duties. He recalls being bombed from the air and shelled from both the land and the sea.
During the last few years of his life, Allingham was recognized as the last surviving founding member of the RAF. Speaking with Dennis Goodwin of the First World War Veterans' Association, Allingham was quoted to have said, "It is a shock as well as a privilege to think that I am the only man alive from that original reorganisation when the RAF was formed."
After graduating from training, Allingham was posted to an RNAS Air Station in Great Yarmouth, where he worked in aircraft maintenance. On 13 April 1916, King George V (the ruling monarch at the time) visited the air station for an inspection of the building and its aircraft. Allingham later reported disappointment at barely missing an opportunity to speak with the king.
Allingham also worked in Norfolk , further up the coast, where night-flying was conducted and was later involved in supporting anti-submarine patrols. A typical patrol would last two or three days and would involve the manual labour of hoisting a seaplane in and out of the water.
While Britain was preparing for the Battle of Jutland; Allingham was ordered to join the naval trawler HMT Kingfisher. Allingham's responsibilities included helping to launch a patrol plane, used to spot German Submarines. Although the Kingfisher was not directly involved in the battle , Allingham still rightfully claimed to be the last known survivor of that battle and could recall "seeing shells ricocheting across the sea."
In September 1917, Allingham, by then an Air Mechanic First Class was posted to the Western Front to join the Twelfth Squadron of the RNAS. This unit acted as a training squadron for other RNAS squadrons based on the Western Front. There is also some evidence that the squadron was involved in combat operations. When Allingham arrived at their base, both the Royal Flying Corps and the RNAS were involved in the Ypres offensive. In November 1917, he was posted to the aircraft depot at Dunkirk, France; where he remained for the rest of the war, on aircraft repair and recovery duties. He recalls being bombed from the air and shelled from both the land and the sea.
During the last few years of his life, Allingham was recognized as the last surviving founding member of the RAF. Speaking with Dennis Goodwin of the First World War Veterans' Association, Allingham was quoted to have said, "It is a shock as well as a privilege to think that I am the only man alive from that original reorganisation when the RAF was formed."
Life post-war and death
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After Denis Goodwin (of the First World War Veterans' Association) tracked him down in 2001, Allingham took a prominent role in telling his story so that later generations would not forget. On 16 October 2003, he helped launch the 2003 Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal with model Nell McAndrew aboard the cruiser HMS Belfast.
A ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London on 4 August 2004, marked the 90th anniversary of Britain's entry into the First World War. Allingham attended, together with three other First World War veterans, William Stone, Fred Lloyd and John Oborne.
Allingham also marched past the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday in 2005 and laid wreaths at memorials in Saint-Omer on Armistice Day. That was the last time a First World War veteran marched past the Cenotaph and it marked the end of an era. No First World War veterans were present at the Cenotaph for the 2006 Remembrance Sunday Parade.
As the last surviving member of the RNAS, and the last living founding member of the RAF, Allingham was an honoured guest when the British Air Services Memorial was unveiled at Saint-Omer on 11 September 2004. During the ceremony Allingham was given the Gold Medal of Saint-Omer, which marked the award of the Freedom of the Town.The group of RAF technical trainees that joined him at this ceremony continued to visit Allingham at his retirement home in Eastbourne, demonstrating the bond of respect that these men had for Allingham.
On 1 April 2008, the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Royal Air Force, Allingham was guest of honour at the celebratory events at RAF Odiham in Hampshire. By then, Allingham was the only surviving founder member of the RAF.
On 23 September 2008, Allingham launched a book about his life, co-written by Denis Goodwin, with an event at the RAF Club in London. On 11 November 2008, marking the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War, together with Harry Patch and Bill Stone, Allingham laid a commemorative wreath for the Act of Remembrance at The Cenotaph in London. Allingham was invested as a Scout on 18 November 2008, 100 years after he first joined as a youth. He said he was only able to spend six weeks with his local group as a boy.
When asked the secret of his long life, Allingham said, "I don't know, but I would say, be as good as you possibly can." Allingham credited "cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women – and a good sense of humour" for his longevity.
Allingham overtook George Frederick Ives as the longest lived member of the British Armed Forces on 1 November 2007. He was therefore the longest lived British First World War veteran to date. At his death, he was the oldest living veteran of the First World War.
On 8 February 2007, he became the oldest known living veteran of the First World War, as well as the third-oldest living man in the world. On 13 February 2007, he became the UK's second-oldest living person. On 18 July 2009, Allingham died of natural causes aged 113 years and 42 days.
As the number of First World War veterans dwindled, calls grew to give the last remaining veteran a state funeral. The calls resulted in Her Majesty's Government approving on 27 June 2006 a National Memorial Service at Westminster Abbey to take place after the death of the last known British First World War veteran. Before this was announced Allingham often said that he tried not to think about the prospect, but has also been quoted as saying "I don't mind — as long as it's not me." Allingham received a letter from Member of Parliament Tom Watson on 14 July 2006 explaining the reasoning for a national memorial service rather than a state funeral, as the intention was to commemorate the entire generation that fought in the war rather than single out an individual.
A ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London on 4 August 2004, marked the 90th anniversary of Britain's entry into the First World War. Allingham attended, together with three other First World War veterans, William Stone, Fred Lloyd and John Oborne.
Allingham also marched past the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday in 2005 and laid wreaths at memorials in Saint-Omer on Armistice Day. That was the last time a First World War veteran marched past the Cenotaph and it marked the end of an era. No First World War veterans were present at the Cenotaph for the 2006 Remembrance Sunday Parade.
As the last surviving member of the RNAS, and the last living founding member of the RAF, Allingham was an honoured guest when the British Air Services Memorial was unveiled at Saint-Omer on 11 September 2004. During the ceremony Allingham was given the Gold Medal of Saint-Omer, which marked the award of the Freedom of the Town.The group of RAF technical trainees that joined him at this ceremony continued to visit Allingham at his retirement home in Eastbourne, demonstrating the bond of respect that these men had for Allingham.
On 1 April 2008, the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Royal Air Force, Allingham was guest of honour at the celebratory events at RAF Odiham in Hampshire. By then, Allingham was the only surviving founder member of the RAF.
On 23 September 2008, Allingham launched a book about his life, co-written by Denis Goodwin, with an event at the RAF Club in London. On 11 November 2008, marking the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War, together with Harry Patch and Bill Stone, Allingham laid a commemorative wreath for the Act of Remembrance at The Cenotaph in London. Allingham was invested as a Scout on 18 November 2008, 100 years after he first joined as a youth. He said he was only able to spend six weeks with his local group as a boy.
When asked the secret of his long life, Allingham said, "I don't know, but I would say, be as good as you possibly can." Allingham credited "cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women – and a good sense of humour" for his longevity.
Allingham overtook George Frederick Ives as the longest lived member of the British Armed Forces on 1 November 2007. He was therefore the longest lived British First World War veteran to date. At his death, he was the oldest living veteran of the First World War.
On 8 February 2007, he became the oldest known living veteran of the First World War, as well as the third-oldest living man in the world. On 13 February 2007, he became the UK's second-oldest living person. On 18 July 2009, Allingham died of natural causes aged 113 years and 42 days.
As the number of First World War veterans dwindled, calls grew to give the last remaining veteran a state funeral. The calls resulted in Her Majesty's Government approving on 27 June 2006 a National Memorial Service at Westminster Abbey to take place after the death of the last known British First World War veteran. Before this was announced Allingham often said that he tried not to think about the prospect, but has also been quoted as saying "I don't mind — as long as it's not me." Allingham received a letter from Member of Parliament Tom Watson on 14 July 2006 explaining the reasoning for a national memorial service rather than a state funeral, as the intention was to commemorate the entire generation that fought in the war rather than single out an individual.
Awards
llingham was awarded four medals, two of which were medals from the First World War. The Gold Medal of Saint-Omer was awarded to Allingham on 11 September 2004. He was also awarded France's highest military honour, the Légion d'honneur. The remaining two medals are British Campaign Medals from the First World War: the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.