How many British WW2 Veterans are still around ?

[Ron Goldstein]

Hi

I started off by just wanting to know how many Veterans post on this site.

With this in mind I started scanning the member's list, found just Brian & myself and finally gave up out of sheer boredom.

I did notice however, that as of today, there were 6,410 members listed of whom only 522 were "active" and I again wondered what the criteria was for being defined as active.

I then started thinking on a broader scale.

How many British WW2 Veterans were still around ?....... perhaps someone will let me know ?

You might very well wonder what these thoughts are leading up to.... I hasten to explain.

Whenever discussion on this site turns to denigrating the reputation of former WW2 personalities the effect is usually the same as dropping a large package of active chemicals into a dormant volcano.

Within minutes it is in full eruption and the molten lava flowing down the sides bears a remarkable resemblence to a well known and respected Veteran whos nom-de-plume descibes his wartime role.

Down the other side an equally hot eruption issues from a similarly disgusted Veteran who, just like Sapper (sod it !....I've just blown our cover !) is loth to understand why the role models of his youth are now being hung out to dry in the interests of revisionalism and sensationalism.

My long overdue point is this.

Veterans on this site form a microscopic percentage of the total membership.

As Brian has already intimated, we won't be here for long although in my case, if I can't take my computer I'm not going !

We both respect everyone's right to have their own opinions as to the ultimate value of the Churchills and Montgomeries of this world, cede us in turn our own right to register our evaluations based on the WW2 period in which we spent our youth.

Regards to all

Ron

[sapper]

I like it Ron....
As to the question of how many Vets are still about, generally around here? They are departing at a huge rate. The very youngest of us is 83, as am I in April. All my dearest friends that I used to chat to on the phone have long departed. I am now completely on my own.

My best mate Richard Harris "First Suffolks" died recently. We were great mates having served in the renowned Eighth Brigade together. Richard and myself contributed to some Authors books in the interest of factual writing!

When I was younger, I was one of the founders of the Normandy Veterans Association in Poole and Bournemouth and of the Dorset Branch. I was also a founder of the Poole and Bournemouth Market Garden Association (Arnhem)

Sadly, through frailty, and the loss of many members, all those Associations have now closed down.

It seems to me that in this district, I am all that is left. That in itself is an oddity, for I am very severely war disabled. Yet I have survived. There must be a Guardian Angel up there somewhere looking after me.

I don't know about you Ron? but I looked a this dieing bit. They dig a damned great big hole and shove you in. OR they stick you in a bloody hot oven till you are burnt to a crisp.... None of it appeals So I decided not to take part in any of it.
Cheers
sapper

[51highland]

The old humour still burns brightly.!!!!! Best wishes to you good people.

[von Poop]

One question I can answer after some digging in the rather long options list, is that 'Active Member' is currently defined as somebody who visited in the last 90 days.

I found these statistics for the US on their solid looking VA data pages
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
http://www1.va.gov/vetdata/docs/4X6_...sharepoint.pdf
http://www1.va.gov/vetdata/docs/Pamphlet_2-1-08.pdf

Veterans Demographics

Projected U.S. Veterans Population: 23,532,000 {Female 1,745,000 7%}

Projected Number of Living WW II Veterans (as of 9/30/2007): 2,795,000
Number of WW II Veterans Pass Away Per Day: 1,000
Percentage of Veteran Population 65 or Older: 39%
Veteran Population by Race:

White 80.04%
Black 10.90%
Native American Indian 0.79%

Hispanic 5.55%
Asian/Pacific Islander 1.41%

Other 1.30%

In 2007, the median age of all living veterans was 60
years old, 61 for men and 47 for women. Median ages
by period of service: Gulf War, 37 years old; Vietnam
War, 60; Korean War, 76; and WW II 84.

A British/commonwealth figure is proving a little more elusive, I'm guessing the Legion would have some sort of idea but there doesn't seem to be clear data on their site. A direct question to them may be required.

Cheers,
Adam.

[Ron Goldstein]

Adam

Thanks for that , didn't like the "WWII 84" quote simply because that's exactly where I'm at at this moment in time

Like yourself I found the Americans a bit more forthcoming than the British so perhaps we'll leave the question open for the time being.

Cheers

Ron

[von Poop]

Some demographic projections from Australia (Including other British & Commonwealth veterans who have settled there)
From: Review of Veterans' Entitlements: Report. Chapter 8

8.7: Of approximately 993,000 Australian armed services personnel who served in World War II, about 953,600 survived the war. Of those alive at the war’s end, about 203,700 were still alive at the end of June 2002. The corresponding approximate figures for Korea are 9900 still living out of 17,900 and for Vietnam 51,400 out of 58,400.

The hunt for a British figure continues, as far as web-searching goes the pitch is somewhat queered by the understandable fascination with the handful of surviving WW1 vets and the sheer diversity of Veteran related charities and organisations.
The significant Government department seems to currently be the 'Veterans Policy Unit' who have published much dense research into veteran demographics but none of it is anywhere near as clearly presented as the US/Australian stuff... so far.

[the_historian]

Keep comin' here, Ron and Brian. The rest of us can learn a lot through your experiences.
Ron, my old man was 78 Div. too- 34th Heavy Wireless Section, L of C Sigs, 36th Inf. Bde., and a fellow Ham was in the 8th Argylls.

[sapper]

Great lads every one! Surely there are other Vets besides Ron and myself?
Sapper

[von Poop]

I do hope nobody's forgetting Gerry on purpose .

There are 9 'declared' Veterans of the war registered with the site, and a few others (that I know of) who are not listed in that public group.

Cheers,
Adam.

[Ron Goldstein]

Adam

I don't know what made me think that Gerry was only on the "sister" site, I've just been to check and now realise that he spreads his talents on both sites ............... my apologies for the oversight Gerry !.

Ron