No Ordinary Moments

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I have just had the chance to read a book called Kitchener's Last Volunteer, its' the life story of Henry Allingham the oldest surviving veteran of the first Great War. What an amazing life.


Henry Allingham was born on the 6th June 1896 he is 112 years old as in fact the oldest man in the UK, the oldest surviving World War I British veteran, a founding member of the Royal Air Force and the last known survivor of the Battle of Jutland.

In August 2005 he led the nation in the Lord's Prayer at the Cenotaph in London to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the outbreak of World War 1. In 2003 he was awarded The Legion d'Honneur, France's highest decoration established by Napoleon Bonaparte in May 1802 for gallantry in action or distinguished service in military or civilian life.


Henry joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1915 as an aircraft mechanic and acted as an observer and gunner searching for U-boats, Zeppelins and mines over the North Sea. In May 1916 he was ordered aboard HMT Kingfisher as it set out to join the British Battle Fleet, to help launch a Sopwith Schneider seaplane to look for the German Battle Fleet. It was night when the Kingfisher met up with the fleet and Henry witnessed the ensuing 'Battle of Jutland'; he recalls "seeing shells ricocheting across the sea". The Battle of Jutland was the greatest naval battle of the First World War and, although the Royal Navy lost more ships, it was considered a British victory as the Royal Navy retained command of the seas and maintained the blockade of Germany, which ultimately brought Germany to its knees.


What i want us all to think about is the following, just think of the amazing inventions Henry has seen with his own eyes..............., cars, rockets, ships, planes, just think of all the powerful speeches Henry has heard with his own ears, consider all the events that have taken place in that 112 years, Wars, The Titanic, Hiroshima, Cold Wars, Blockade of Berlin, the great people in that period, Baldwin, Churchill, Sir Edmund Hilary, Ali, Einstein, Ghandi, Martin Luther King and now Obhama......... Every minute of every day history is taking place.

Will you see as much as Henry in your life, are you aware of what is going on around you now, are you partcipating in the greatest event we ever get given..... your own life...!!

Or are you wishing every day away as if it didn't matter....... you see your only here for a flicker in a span of time, will you die as if you have never lived!!!

At 112 years of age there are no ordinary moments, every second of every day is valuable to Henry, remember you may not get to 112,

Have no regrets in life, say what you need to say, to whom you need to say it to, do what you want to do , when you want to do it, be the person you want to become. more importantly. DO IT NOW


Kitcheners Last Volunteer
Written By Henry Allingham and Dennis Goodwin