In May, we posted about the death of Claude Choules at 110.  Choules was the last surviving veteran of World War I.   Yesterday, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that the ex-Royal Navy Largs Bay, a Bay class landing ship dock, would be commissioned as HMAS Choules.   The Largs Bay served with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) from 2006 to 2011 until she was sold to Australia earlier this year.   Mr. Choules, like the ship named in his honor, served in both the Australian and the Royal navies.

Ex RN ship to be named after last WWI vet

One wonders how Mr. Choules might has responded to the honor. As reported by the BBC,” … despite his military record, Mr Choules became a pacifist. He was known to have disagreed with the celebration of Australia’s most important war memorial holiday, Anzac Day, and refused to march in the annual commemoration parades.”