Бірінші және Екінші дүниежүзілік соғыстардың соңғы қатысушысы У.Ф. Стоун

English Legion d'honneur recipient

William Frederick Stone (23 September 1900 – 10 January 2009) was one of the last five surviving First World War veterans who served in the United Kingdom's armed forces and one of the last two surviving seamen worldwide, along with Claude Choules. They were also the last two to have also served in the Second World War, although Stone saw action only in the Second World War as he was still in training when the First World War ended. Stone was born in Ledstone, Kingsbridge, Devon and enlisted in the Royal Navy on his 18th birthday. He served on board shortly after the end of the First World War, before serving on a number of ships including At the beginning of the Second World War Stone was serving on the minesweeper HMS Salamander before moving onto the light cruiser in 1941. After the war, he ran his own barber's shop. In his later years Stone was present at many memorial services including the 90th anniversary commemorations at the Cenotaph in London. He died on 10 January 2009.

Stone was born in Ledstone, Devon, as the tenth of fourteen children, and enlisted into the Royal Navy on his 18th birthday.

The first record of his naval service describes him as being 5 feet (2 m) tall, with a chest, brown hair and blue eyes, and his prior occupation as stationary engine driver. He trained as a Stoker in Plymouth, and could remember the dancing in the streets on Armistice Day. By the outbreak of the Second World War he was Chief Stoker of the HMS Salamander. On her he participated in the evacuation of Dunkirk, with Salamander making five shuttle trips and picking up over a 1,000 men from the beaches. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 21 December 1943 for his service on this occasion. He served with the occupation forces in north Germany, and was a Stoker Chief Petty Officer when he left the navy in 1945. Anne married Michael J Davidson in Kensington, London in 1967. The couple had two children: Christopher and Susan.

Following the end of the Second World War in 1945, Stone left the Navy and ran his own barber's shop, where he also sold cigarettes and smoking tobacco. He retired in 1968 at the age of sixty seven. By 1986 Lily's health began to decline, diagnosed with critical arthritis, the couple temporarily moved into Primley House in Paignton, before a more permanent move to Watlington in Oxfordshire, to be near their daughter, Anne, son in law Michael and their grandchildren, Christopher and Susan who lived in Buckinghamshire. As the years passed by, Lily became more crippled by her arthritis eventually being confined to a wheelchair, however Bill said that "mentally she was always bright. I was happy that she was able to stay at home and that I was able to look after her. At that time we had a cottage hospital – Watlington Hospital – where eventually she used to go each month to give us both a rest." Oxfordshire and move into a retirement facility in Sindlesham, a suburb of Winnersh, which lies between Reading and Wokingham, in 2007. Stone's son in law, Michael Davidson issued a statement about his father in law's condition:

"He had a fall and developed a small infection, so doctors gave him antibiotics which seem to be working. He is obviously being observed very closely because of his age, but we have no reason to believe his condition will worsen"

On 11 November 2008, Stone along with fellow veterans, Henry Allingham and Harry Patch laid commemorative wreaths at the Cenotaph in London to mark the ninetieth anniversary of the end of the First World War. Stone died on 10 January 2009 at Lord Harris Court Care Home in Sindlesham in Berkshire. His daughter described him as a "very determined character [ ] a man of great faith and his recipe for long life was: 'Clean living, contented mind and trust in God.' His motto: 'Keep going.'" In September 2009, memoirs detailing Stone's experience of the two world wars were published.

Stone received many medals in his 27 year career in the Navy. These included campaign medals and commemorative medals issued on anniversaries and commemorations. and should not be worn on formal occasions. However it is usual to wear official medals on the left chest lapel and have unofficial medals form a second row underneath. Bill Stone wore his medals in this manner.