Who was the last person to die in WWI?
World War I was one of the largest conflicts in human history, as it involved more than 65 million soldiers from over 30 countries.
However, the war claimed the lives of about 10 million combatants and 7 million civilians, while leaving millions more wounded or missing.
The war ended with an armistice, or a truce, that was signed by Germany and the Allies at 5:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918.
However, the armistice would not take effect until 11:00 a.m., six hours later. This meant that the fighting continued until the last minute, and some soldiers died even after the armistice was signed.
But who was the last person to die in WWI? This is not an easy question to answer, as different sources may give different names and dates.
However, based on the available evidence, we can identify some of the candidates for this tragic distinction.
Henry Gunther
Henry Gunther was an American soldier who served in the 313th Infantry Regiment of the 79th Division.
He was born on June 6, 1895 in Baltimore, Maryland, to a German-American family.
He worked as a bookkeeper and clerk at the National Bank of Baltimore before he was drafted in September 1917.
Gunther was promoted to sergeant, but he was demoted to private after he wrote a letter to a friend advising him to avoid being drafted.
The letter was intercepted by the military censors, who considered it unpatriotic and disloyal.
Gunther was ashamed of his demotion and wanted to prove himself as a soldier.
On November 11, 1918, Gunther's unit was near the village of Chaumont-devant-Damvillers in France, where they encountered a roadblock of two German machine guns.
Despite being ordered to stay put by his friend and sergeant Ernest Powell, Gunther got up and charged at the Germans with his bayonet.
The Germans, who knew that the war was about to end, tried to wave him away and avoid shooting him. But Gunther kept advancing and fired his rifle.
The Germans had no choice but to shoot back and kill him. Gunther fell dead at 10:59 a.m., one minute before the armistice came into effect.
Gunther was recognized by General John Pershing as the last American soldier to die in WWI.
He was posthumously restored to his rank of sergeant and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery.
He is buried at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France.
George Lawrence Price
George Lawrence Price was a Canadian soldier who served in the 28th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.
He was born on December 15, 1892 in Falmouth, Nova Scotia. He worked as a farm laborer before he enlisted in October 1917.
Price's unit was part of the advance into Belgium on November 11, 1918. They reached the town of Mons, where they met some resistance from the Germans. Price and four other soldiers were sent to scout a canal near Ville-sur-Haine.
As they crossed a bridge over the canal, they spotted two German soldiers on the other side.
They chased them into a house, where they captured them and took their weapons. Price then left the house and walked along the street.
He was shot by a German sniper from a window across the street. He collapsed into the arms of Art Goodmurphy, a fellow soldier who tried to save him.
Price died at 10:58 a.m., two minutes before the armistice came into effect.
Price was recognized by some sources as the last soldier of the British Empire to be killed in WWI.
He is buried at St Symphorien Military Cemetery in Belgium, near where he died.
Augustin Trébuchon
Augustin Trébuchon was a French soldier who served in the 415th Infantry Regiment of the French Army.
He was born on May 30, 1878 in Lozère, France. He worked as a shepherd before he joined the army in August 1914.
Trébuchon's unit was part of the attack on the village of Vrigne-Meuse on November 11, 1918.
They faced heavy fire from the Germans who were defending a bridge over the Meuse river.
Trébuchon was carrying a message to his comrades when he was hit by a bullet in the head.
He died at 10:45 a.m., fifteen minutes before the armistice came into effect.
Trébuchon was recognized by some sources as the last French soldier to die in WWI.
He is buried at Vrigne-Meuse, where a monument honors his memory.
Other candidates
There are other soldiers who may have died in WWI after the armistice was signed, but their exact time of death is uncertain or disputed. Some of them are:
Charles Edwin Prowse, a British soldier who died of wounds at 11:02 a.m. on November 11, 1918.
Thomas William Chisholm, a British soldier who died of wounds at 11:10 a.m. on November 11, 1918.
George Edwin Ellison, a British soldier who was killed by a sniper at 9:30 a.m. on November 11, 1918.
Jules Andre Peugeot, a French soldier who was killed by a German patrol at 10:45 p.m. on August 2, 1914.
Albert Mayer, a German soldier who was killed by a French patrol at 10:40 p.m. on August 2, 1914.
The last person to die in WWI may never be known for sure, as different sources may have different criteria and evidence.
However, we can honor the memory of all those who gave their lives in the war, and hope that such a tragedy will never happen again.
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