±«Óãtv

Harry Patch was the last surviving British Soldier to have fought in the trenches of the First World War.Harry Patch was born at Combe Down, near Bath, on 17 June 1898. He was the last surviving British soldier to have fought in the trenches during the First World War. Harry was called up in October 1916. He fought at Passchendaele as part of a Lewis machine gun team where he was seriously injured by shrapnel from a shell that killed his three closest friends. Harry didn't speak of his horrific experiences in the trenches until his later years. At that point he became internationally known for his opposition to war and public commitment to peace and reconciliation.

Commissioned by the Western Daily Press, the portrait was painted by Somerset-born artist Bill Leyshon.
On loan to the Somerset County Museums Service collection, on public display in the Bishop's Palace, Wells.

Harry Patch was the last surviving British Soldier to have fought in the trenches of the First World War.