MPs want state funeral for last First World War veteran

[Batgirl]

By George Jones, Political Editor and Duncan Gardham
(Filed: 17/02/2006)

A campaign to secure a state funeral for the last surviving British veteran of the First World War has received the backing of the Government.

A cross-party group of MPs led by Iain Duncan Smith, a former leader of the Conservative Party, have held "positive" talks with Don Touhig, the defence minister responsible for veterans, on the proposal to commemorate the death of the last veteran still living in the United Kingdom.

Mr Duncan Smith said he believed there were about 10 First World War veterans still alive in Britain and several more overseas. But it had been agreed that the commemoration would be linked to the death of the last one resident in this country and would symbolise the passing of a generation that endured the horrors of the trenches on the Western Front.

A state funeral would be dependent on the agreement of the veteran's family or relatives. If they did not want such an occasion, there would be fall-back plans for a national memorial service.

British casualties between 1914 and 1918 have been estimated at 703,000 killed and 1.6 million injured.

A Commons motion tabled by Mr Duncan Smith calling for a state funeral has been signed by 90 MPs, including Sir Menzies Campbell, the acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, and Nick Brown, a former Labour Cabinet minister.

Mr Duncan Smith said yesterday that he understood the Royal Family had not raised any objections and Mr Touhig and his officials had been "very co-operative" when he raised the issue with them at a recent meeting.

If the event went ahead, it would involve a lying in state, a procession and a service attended by the Queen, other members of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister and other political leaders.

He said it should be a "national day of mourning and celebration". It would also be the first time that an ordinary person - other than a member of the Royal Family or a great national figure such as Sir Winston Churchill would have been honoured in such a fashion.

"The 20th century is the history of the common man, with two world wars where people made great sacrifices," said Mr Duncan Smith, a former officer in the Scots Guards, whose father, W G G "Smithy" Duncan Smith was a Battle of Britain pilot in the Second World War.

A funeral service was held early last month for the last surviving First World War prisoner of war, Harold Lawton, who was 106.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said Mr Touhig was now consulting widely on how to commemorate the last veteran. "The minister was supportive of the idea that we should honour their generation when the last veteran dies. They made a great sacrifice and it is only right that they should be honoured," the MoD spokesman said.

Denis Goodwin, the chairman of the First World War Veterans' Association, said he had been contacted in recent months by survivors from the war who had not come forward before. They include Alice Baker, the only known surviving woman, who served with the Royal Flying Corps.

Mr Goodwin added: "I would support anything that brings attention to the debt our generation owes to these old soldiers. There were five million servicemen who fought in the First World War and practically every family in the land was touched by tragedy."

Mr Goodwin said he would also like a more lasting tribute, such as a national holiday, which would help schoolchildren to remember the war in the future.

Jeremy Lillies of the Royal British Legion said: "We are in favour of marking the passing of the last veteran in some way. We would like to acknowledge the sacrifice made by a whole generation and if a state funeral for the last individual was felt to be the most appropriate way we would support that."

Telegraph

[SGRock]

Its good to see the government backing this idea. Here we are with protesters yelling at the funerals of our recent KIA's.

[USMCRET6391]

I think it's a great idea, if I was Brit I'd be petitioning Parliament.

[Grimmy]

This is one of the reasons why "there will always be an England". I know y'all are the U.K. now but the sentiment still stands, I think.

As long as a people honor those that have stood up in times of crisis past, there'll be those that'll stand up to crisis present. And that ensures there'll be something to stand up for in the future.