Last 'Tommy' laid to rest

WELLS, England, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Two German soldiers served as pallbearers Thursday as the last British veteran of the World War I war in the trenches was laid to rest.

Harry Patch, who served as an Army private in the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917, went public about his experiences in the last decade of his long life and then insisted the war was a tragic waste. He died last week at age 111.

The anti-war anthem, "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," was sung at his service in Wells Cathedral, The Independent reported.

"Harry believed that the world could be repaired, his hope remains a poignant and urgent message for our time as British servicemen once again face death and injury on foreign fields," John Clarke, the dean of the cathedral, said in a eulogy.

French, Belgian and British soldiers also helped carry Patch's coffin. His great-nephew, David Tucker, followed with his medals.

The Duchess of Cornwall, representing the royal family, and Gen. Richard Dannatt, head of the General Staff, were among the mourners.

Patch returned to plumbing after the war and served as a fire watcher in World War II. He outlived his wife and sons.