Last woman veteran of the Great War dies

4:52pm Saturday 30th August 2008

A WOMAN from Lewisham believed to be the last female First World War veteran has died aged 109.

British-born Gladys Powers died at her home in British Columbia, Canada, on August 14, the Ministry of Defence said.

She served with the Women's RAF after joining the Women's Auxiliary Corps aged just 15.

All but a few of the service records of the women who served during World War One were destroyed during the Blitz in 1940, making it impossible to formally confirm her time in the military.

After the Great War Gladys emigrated to Canada with her first husband, Canadian soldier Ed Luxford.

She remarried three times and outlived all of her former husbands.

Mrs Powers' death brings the total number of remaining British First World War veterans to three.