The Wikipedia site says that Gladys Powers served in the WAAF, as a waitress. The WAAF was not formed until Jun 1939. However you are right in that the WRAF was formed on 1 Apr 1918 at the same time as the RAF. They worked as drivers, mechanics etc The WAAC was formed in 1917 to relieve men from the so-called "soft jobs" which included waiting, so I suspect that Wikipedia has confused its initials. I do not know what the Canadian official definition of a WW l Veteran is, but it will, I am sure, be similar to the US interpretation. David ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Wilson" <hugo@actrix.gen.nz> To: <greatwar@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, April 06, 2007 9:40 AM Subject: Re: [GREATWAR] Surviving WWI Veterans > Hi All: > > The original definition quoted of a WWI veteran was on "active duty by > 11 November 1918", the Armistice date (from the American Secretary of > Veterans' Affairs). I take that as meaning that provided they have joined > (attested) and started service with the Army or Navy by 11-11-18 they > qualify as a veteran. Veterans who joined in 1918 could still be in > training, and being the youngest this could include many of those > surviving. > > Thus the Canadian veterans quoted would be eligible even if they were > found to be under age in Canada or Britain and discharged (?) Likewise > the woman who was in the WRAF, which existed 1918-20, see: > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Royal_Air_Force > > And soldiers who served in (say) Canada only on training or > administrative duties would qualify, though they would usually be older > than those who went overseas, hence less likely to be the last survivors. > > NB: France requires (from the Wikidepia reference) three months of > "combat service", while Italy requires six months of "service". France > offers > the last veteran a State Funeral, though French veterans (like Canadian > veterans) may not appreciate such a lottery! > > The distinctions about where soldiers served also affect eligibility for > medals; a member of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force got to > Britain, but because of sickness not to France, so received the British > War Medal but not the Victory Medal > > Yours, John Wilson (New Zealand) >> > >> > The Secretary asks members of the general public who know of a >> > surviving >> > World War I veteran to contact VA. To qualify as a World War I >> > veteran, >> > someone must have been on active duty between April 6, 1917 and Nov. >> > 11, >> > 1918. VA is also looking for surviving Americans who served in the >> > armed forces of allied nations. >> >> It is true that the Canadian Parliament unanimously voted for a > State Funeral for the ;last surviving veteran, but however they have > declined it.. A petition is being organised >> The Wikipedia site quotes two surviving Canadian War veterans, >> one > of whom is Gladys Powers of the WAAF. She did not serve in the WAAF, > which > was not formed until 1939. but served in the WAAC which was formed in > 1917. > However I do not think that she is recognised as a surviving veteran. The > other was Percy Dwight Wilson who enlisted in 1916 at the age of 15 in > 69th > Battery C.F.A., and was shipped to France where his true age was > discovered > and he was returned to Canada. He later re-enlisted but again his true > age > was discovered and he was discharged >> There is also John Babcock who at the age of 15 1/2 enlisted in > 69th Battery C.F.A. He was shipped to England where his true age was > discovered and he was transferred to the "Boy's Battalion" to await his > coming of age but the war ended before that happened. There was another > who > died quite recently on 21 Feb 2007 Lloyd Clement enlisted in 1916 at > the > age of 16, He served in the 93rd and 109th Bn, and although in France by > Jull 1917 did not serve in the front line. >> > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > GREATWAR-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message