text: The second-oldest British survivor of World War I turns 108
  
  June 18, 2006 
  
  The second oldest British veteran of the First World War turned 108 on Saturday, June 17th. He celebrated this at his retirement home in Wells, in the south-west of England. 
  Harry Patch was called up to fight in 1917 at the age of 18, whilst he was a plumber's apprentice in Bath. Several days later he was in Belgium, participating in the Third Battle of Ypres, in Belgium, a battle which would kill 70000 soldiers in three months alone. Patch left the combat zone on September 22 after he was hit by a piece of shrapnel from a shell that had killed three of his companions. 
  "I always remember September 22. That was the day three of my friends were killed," he said. "It was mud, more mud, and even more mud, and the lot was mixed with blood," he remembers. Patch is still convinced that the war was useless.
tokens: The second - oldest British survivor of World War I turns 108 June 18 , 2006 The second oldest British veteran of the First World War turned 108 on Saturday , June 17th . He celebrated this at his retirement home in Wells , in the south - west of England . Harry Patch was called up to fight in 1917 at the age of 18 , whilst he was a plumber 's apprentice in Bath . Several days later he was in Belgium , participating in the Third Battle of Ypres , in Belgium , a battle which would kill 70000 soldiers in three months alone . Patch left the combat zone on September 22 after he was hit by a piece of shrapnel from a shell that had killed three of his companions . " I always remember September 22 . That was the day three of my friends were killed , " he said . " It was mud , more mud , and even more mud , and the lot was mixed with blood , " he remembers . Patch is still convinced that the war was useless .
nps.text: The second-oldest British survivor
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nps.text: World War I
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nps.text: The second oldest British veteran
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nps.text: the First World War
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nps.text: Saturday, June 17th
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nps.text: He
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nps.text: his retirement home
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nps.text: Wells
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nps.text: the south-west
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nps.text: England
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nps.text: Harry Patch
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nps.text: the age of 18
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nps.text: he
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nps.text: a plumber's apprentice
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nps.text: Bath
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nps.text: he
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nps.text: Belgium
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nps.text: the Third Battle of Ypres
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nps.text: Belgium
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nps.text: a battle
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nps.text: 70000 soldiers
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nps.text: three months
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nps.text: Patch
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nps.text: the combat zone
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nps.text: September 22
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nps.text: he
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nps.text: a piece
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nps.text: shrapnel
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nps.text: a shell
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nps.text: his companions
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nps.text: I
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nps.text: the day
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nps.text: my friends
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nps.text: he
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nps.text: mud
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nps.text: more mud
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nps.text: even more mud
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nps.text: the lot
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nps.text: blood
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nps.text: he
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nps.text: Patch
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nps.text: the war
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