"AUX ENFANTS - NE FAITES PA LA GUERRE."

In an interview with Le Monde, he said:

“Aux enfants, je leur dis et je leur répète: ne faites pas la guerre."

(To the children, I say and repeat: do not make war.”)



 Harry patch died in 2009 - He was 111

Along with Claude Choules (who is an Australian citizen) he was Britain’s last veteran to fight, and was honored as the last before the "discovery" of Florence Green, who now holds that position. Patch was born in June of 1898. He served between 1916 and 1918. Helped build the University of Bristol. His death was marked by church bells across the country, a song from Radiohead, a poem from Carol Ann Duffy, as well as comments from the Queen, Prince Charles, and then-Prime Minister Brown.

  Patch spoke with a hypnotic, often solemn, distinctly West Country accent (where "ye" is still used!). If whiskey was ever made with a plunge pot, that’s how it would sound. He often leaned his head on his hands atop his cane when he spoke. In interview after interview he repeated: “War is the deliberate and condoned slaughter of human beings." He would say this to anyone who would listen—to a group of children gathered around him after he received his honorary degree from Bristol, to the camera crew that followed him to Passchendaele, and many others. In his autobiography, it’s phrased, “War is organized murder and nothing else.” Read the story at: 

http://www.theawl.com/2011/05/the-last-two-veterans-of-wwi#more 

Little known facts about executions of deserters

Harry Patch introduces the issue of shell shock,

compassionately calling for pardons to be issued.

Author 

Harry Patch

Books about shell-shock and it's treatments
http://www.historicalnovels.info/WWI-Europe-Warfare.html

also see this current recommend from

George Simmers Great War Fiction
http://greatwarfiction.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/bleakly-hall/

Claude Choules Died Today - He Was 110
Thought to be the last living combat veteran of WWI, Claude Choules signed up 

for the Royal Navy when he was just fourteen and watched
the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet in 1918.
Correspondent Nick Bryant was among the last people to interview
Mr Choules about his experiences.You can listen to the BBC interview Here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9475000/9475670.stm