Netherwood "Ned" Hughes (12 June 1900 – 4 April 2009) was one of the last two Tommies who served the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, along with Harry Patch, although Patch was the only one to have seen action. Hughes was also one of three British veterans still living in the country, with Patch and Henry Allingham being the other two. The

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

has not confirmed his war service, but many First World War service records were destroyed in

the Blitz The Blitz (English: "flash") was a Nazi Germany, German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, for eight months, from 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941, during the Second World War. Towards the end of the Battle of Britain in 1940, a co ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. However, the World War I Veterans Association invited him to the

Cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty grave, tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere or have been lost. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although t ...

for the 90th Anniversary of the

Armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...

in November 2008. He did not attend as his family felt that the journey would be too much for him. He was born in

Great Harwood Great Harwood is a town in the Hyndburn district of Lancashire, England, located north east of Blackburn and adjacent to the Ribble Valley. Great Harwood is part of the "Three Towns" conurbation along with the towns of Clayton-le-Moors and Ris ...

, the fourth of seven children born to optician John Hughes and his wife Robina. He had three brothers: Charlie, Henry, and Sidney, who served in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

on HMS Albion. Hughes spent most of his working life as a mechanic and driver and, in June 1918, he was called up, like every other driver in Great Britain, to perform that role in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

. While he was still in training the war ended, and he returned home to drive in a mill. He later became a bus driver. Hughes married twice, but never had any children, although in his final years he was frequently visited by his nephews and nieces and their families at his care home, Woodlands Home for the Elderly in Clayton-le-Moors, where he spent most of his time in the grounds, smoking his pipe. When receiving a

birthday card A birthday card is a greeting card given or sent to a person to celebrate their birthday. Similar to a ''birthday cake'', birthday card traditions vary by culture but the origin of birthday cards is unclear. The advent of computing and introductio ...

from the Queen each year since his 100th birthday, he commented: "She has the same frock on". In his final few weeks, Ned's health deteriorated and he had difficulty speaking for a week before his death, according to his niece, Ann Hutton. He died of natural causes on 4 April 2009, aged 108, at Woodlands. Speaking to the ''Accrington Observer'', Mrs Hutton said, "It’s not the family’s wishes for a military funeral. We don’t want bugles and whistles, we just want a simple family affair. He couldn’t stand any fuss on his birthdays."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Netherwood 1900 births 2009 deaths British Army personnel of World War I British men centenarians People from Great Harwood Manchester Regiment soldiers Military personnel from Lancashire

See also

References