Christophe

List updated. Ch.

The 4 last "Poilus" : - Louis de Cazenave (16-10-1897). - Lazare Ponticelli (07-12-1897). - Jean Grelaud (26-10-1898). - Ren? Riffaud (19-12-1898). Ren? Riffaud should be the only Poilu able to attend the commemoration ceremony of today at the Arc de Triomphe, with Jacques Chirac. Ch.

For those interested, and French speaking, here the complete news from AFP : "DRAGUIGNAN, 10 nov 2006 (AFP) - 14h03 D?c?s ? 111 ans du doyen des poilus, la veille du 11 novembre Le doyen des cinq derniers poilus fran?ais de la Premi?re guerre mondiale, Maurice Floquet, est d?c?d? dans la nuit de jeudi ? vendredi ? l'?ge de 111 ans, a-t-on appris aupr?s de la correspondante du minist?re de la D?fense ? Montauroux (Var), o? il vivait depuis 26 ans. Maurice Floquet, qui aurait f?t? ses 112 ans ? No?l, ?tait alit? depuis quelques jours au domicile de l'une de ses filles ? Montauroux, village de l'arri?re-pays varois, a pr?cis? ? l'AFP Christiane Chicherio, correspondante du minist?re de la D?fense, charg?e dans ce village de 4.000 habitants des relations avec la famille Floquet. "M. Floquet est fatigu?, il ne peut recevoir aucune visite pour le moment. Ses deux filles, Jeannine et Simonne, sont ? ses c?t?s", avait expliqu? mardi ? l'AFP Mme Chicherio, sans vouloir donner davantage de pr?cision. N? le 25 d?cembre 1894, Maurice Floquet a ?t? mobilis? en septembre 1914, ? 19 ans, et incorpor? au 26?me r?giment d'infanterie. Il a pris part aux premiers combats dans la Somme o? il a ?t? bless?. Le 25 septembre 1915, il a ?t? bless? une deuxi?me fois, lors d'une attaque dans la Marne. Gri?vement touch? ? la t?te et au bras gauche par des ?clats de grenade, il a ?t? tr?pan? ? deux reprises, y perdant l'usage d'une oreille et devant subir plusieurs greffes. Apr?s une longue hospitalisation, il a termin? la guerre dans une usine d'armement ? Sochaux (Doubs). Rendu ? la vie civile en septembre 1919, il a exploit? un garage en Haute-Marne, jusqu'? sa retraite en 1952. Il s'est ensuite install? dans le Var, o? r?side l'une de ses filles. Quand il a re?u les insignes d'officier le 24 mars 2005, 87 ans apr?s l'armistice, il n'avait eu qu'une phrase: "Je suis ?mu". L'an pass? avant les c?r?monies du 11 novembre, sa fille Jeannine avait confi?: "il n'a aucune rancoeur, je ne l'ai jamais entendu critiquer les Allemands". Depuis 2005, selon sa fille Jeannine, il ne voulait "plus qu'on parle de lui", ni de la Grande Guerre. ? 2006 AFP." Ch.

Only 4 "Poilus" still alive ! Maurice Floquet, France's oldest "Poilu" of World War I, one of France's last surviving veterans of the First World War, has died at the age of 111, the French National Veterans' Office said. He died during the night from Thursday to Friday, just before the commemorations of 11th November. Maurice No?l Floquet (born December 25, 1894) was, at the age of 111, believed to be France's longest-lived soldier ever. Moreover, Maurice is France's oldest living man and France's oldest verified man ever (France's oldest person was a woman, Jeanne Calment, who, at 122 when she died, still remains the oldest verified person ever). Maurice was in the artillery during World War I. He was wounded on several occasions. The first of these wounds came at the Somme during hand-to-hand fighting with bayonets. The second wound occurred at Beausejour part of the Neuve Chapelle; a lump of rock pierced Maurice's throat and obstructed his breathing. By all accounts it was an enemy soldier who removed the rock and so saved Maurice's life. A year later, and back on the front line, Maurice was again wounded in the head and left arm when a grenade exploded. (The hole in Maurice's head was patched up by a nurse who found a piece of someone else's cartilage!) To this day Maurice still had a German bullet lodged in his arm. After the war, Maurice married and became a tractor repairman. He worked his garden until he was more than 100 years old and he still used to ride an exercise bike for 20 minutes a day in the backyard of his apartment - an unusual feat for a supercentenarian. On December 25, 2004 (his 110th birthday), he was promoted by president Jacques Chirac to the rank of officer in the L?gion d'honneur. By all accounts Maurice enjoyed watching sports on TV and didn't like to wear his eye glasses. He was allowed one full glass of red wine every day -- and champagne on special occasions. Ch. Pic : AFP

No one tring to answer this question ? Ch.

He is Toktar Ongarbayevich Aubakirov, another cosmonaut of Kazakhstan. Ch.

Younger Talgat Musabaev (pic dated 1995-1998), with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Ch.

Ch.

Hi Ed, Is this point really stated in the boook mentioned by Igor (I don't have it... ) ? Cheers. Ch.

Hi Christian, Ed is right about the ribbon. And on his site, Igor says : "Comes on generic ribbon, often used by Afghan medal recipients for all occasions. /See "State Awards of Afghanistan", p.40/". The ribbon, as the colours of the medal, match well... because these are the colors of the Afghan flag !!! Cheers. Ch.

Thanks Peter, I have noticed this... but have no clue what they are . Ch.

No comment from the experts on this one ? Ch.

An original way to reach the Museum, with Valparaiso in the background... Ch. Pic : ? Christophe ? ChR Collection

The interior courtyard of the Museum. Ch. Pic : ? Christophe ? ChR Collection

Awards on a Chilean Admiral's uniform (I don't remember whose uniform it is...). A nice "fruit salad"... Sorry for the flash. Ch. Pic : ? Christophe ? ChR Collection

Room Arturo Prat Arturo Prat (1848-1879) was the captain of the corvette "Esmeralda", one of the ships that blockaded Iquique during the War against Spain. On the morning of the 21 May 1879, the chilean ships confronted the peruvian ships "Huascar" and "Independencia". Commander Prat boardered the "Huascar", dying in action on the deck. He is considered as the greatest hero in the Naval History of Chile. At the center of the room, on the ceiling is the large chilean flag hoisted by the "Esmeralda" in the combat of Papudo. Ch. Pic : ? Christophe ? ChR Collection

Jorge Montt. Ch. Pic : ? Christophe ? ChR Collection

Orders and medals of Jorge Montt ?lvarez (1847 -1922) , Vice-Admiral of the Chilean Navy and President of Chile from 1891 to 1896. Ch. Pic : ? Christophe ? ChR Collection

Orders and Medals of Admiral Amengual. Ch. Pic : ? Christophe ? ChR Collection

Orders and Medals of Admiral Luis Goni. Ch. Pic : ? Christophe ? ChR Collection

Medal of the 100 Years of National Independance (1910 ? - Argentina). Ch. Pic : ? Christophe ? ChR Collection

The Crypt to the Loor of Chile This room has the characteristic of a shrine, with the paitings of 27 heroes of the War of the Pacific. Many oif them heroically died on the naval combat of Iquique, and others survived. Ch. Pic : ? Christophe ? ChR Collection

The Naval and Maritime Museum (Museo Naval y Maritimo) occupies since 1967 part of a building that was the Naval school. The building was inaugurated in March, 1893, as the seat of the Naval School, by the President of the Republic of Chile, Admiral Jorge Montt. Are several rooms dedicated to General Bernardo O'Higgins, Founder of the Homeland, who created the first National Fleet; the events of the war with Spain; the cript "Loor of Chile", with evidences and relevant figures of the War of the Pacific; the great room dedicated to the most prominent chilean naval hero, Commander Arturo Prat; several other Admirals.... There are, of course, many many orders and medals displayed, hence my visit... and this thread for a discovery tour of not so often seen awards. Ch. Pic : ? Christophe ? ChR Collection

Paul Schmitt, in Echoes of War, mentions three Orders of Glory 3rd Class with SN in excess of 800.00. They all are awarded for WW2 actions. The highest SN is 807.879. Ch.

And the newest generation of visitors : school children... A lot of them were there... Ch. Pic : ? Christophe ? ChR Collection