Florence Green

Florence Green
Florence Beatrice Green
Birth name Florence Beatrice Patterson
Born (1901-02-19)19 February 1901
Edmonton, London, UK
Died (2012-02-04)4 February 2012
(aged 110 years and 350 days)
North Lynn, West Norfolk, UK
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch Women's Royal Air Force
Years of service 1918–1919
Battles/wars World War I

Florence Beatrice Green (née Patterson; 19 February 1901 – 4 February 2012)[1] was an English woman who was the last known surviving veteran of the First World War from any country. She was a member of the Women's Royal Air Force.

Biography

Florence Green was born at Edmonton, London, to Frederick and Sarah (née Neal) Patterson. She joined the Women's Royal Air Force in September 1918 at the age of 17,[2][3] where she served as an officers' mess steward.[4] She worked in the officers' mess at RAF Marham and was also based at Narborough airfield.[4][5]

In 1920 she moved to King's Lynn. She married Walter Green (1893-1975), who was a station worker and a veteran of both World Wars; Walter died in 1975 after 55 years of marriage.[6] They had three children: May (born 1921), Bob (born 1926), and June Evetts (born 1935). She lived in King's Lynn with May until November 2011, when she moved into a care home. In January 2010, she was publicly identified as the oldest living female veteran of the First World War.[4]

On 19 February 2011 she celebrated her 110th birthday, becoming a supercentenarian—one of just 10 living in the United Kingdom, all women. With the death of Claude Choules on 5 May 2011, Green became the last known living veteran of the First World War.[7] On 20 July 2011, the Gerontology Research Group verified her age, and listed her as an official supercentenarian.[8]

It was reported that when asked what it felt like being 110, she replied, "Not much different to being 109." At the time of her death, Green had three children, four grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.[5][9] Before her death on 4 February 2012, aged 110 years and 350 days, she was West Norfolk's oldest resident, the second-oldest person in Norfolk, and the sixth-oldest in the United Kingdom.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Norfolk first world war veteran dies aged 110". Eastern Daily Press. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  2. ↑ "Florence Green celebrates 109". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  3. ↑ "Service Record: Patterson, Florence Beatrice". Kew, UK: The National Archives. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Beal, Claire (15 January 2010). "At 108, Florence is Britain's oldest war vet". Lynn News. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
  5. 1 2 Britten, Nick (16 January 2010). "108-year-old woman emerges as Britain's oldest first World War veteran". The Daily Telegraph. London, UK: Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
  6. ↑ Florence Green BBC profile
  7. ↑ "Last WWI combat veteran Claude Choules dies aged 110". BBC News. 5 May 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  8. ↑ Tom Peck and Rob Hastings (20 February 2011). "Florence, the last Great War veteran in Britain, turns 110". The Independent. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  9. ↑ Brain, Louise (20 February 2009). "108 - and she's still as sharp as a needle!". Lynn News. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
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