Funeral Cars Gather to Pay Tribute to Last “Tommy”
In the UK, a “Tommy” refers to a veteran of the First World War. Earlier this month, thousands of people gathered in funeral cars to say goodbye to the last surviving Tommy – Harry Patch.
Mr. Patch died at the age of 111. He did not want a state funeral after his passing. He was a retired plumber who was living at the Fletcher House care facility for 13 years before passing away. Crowds lined the streets as the hearse carrying his body and the funeral cars behind made their way through town. Fire trucks from various facilities around the area also followed the procession of funeral cars.
Mr. Patch did not want a state funeral. Instead, his service was held at Somerset’s Wells Cathedral. Hundreds of people waited outside the beautiful church hoping to get a ticket that would allow them inside. More than a thousand tickets were allocated to the public. The ones who did not get a ticket happily waited outside to watch the service on a big screen television that was set up for that purpose.
Andy Tams, one of the people in attendance, had this to say about his reason for being there: “I have a lot of interest in the war so I felt it right to come along and pay our respects and say goodbye.” He went on to say that “Harry Patch represented the end of an era. It is a part of Britain that is now lost.”
Filed Under: Funeral Cars
About the Author: 