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| France's oldest WW1 veteran dies | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| One of the last two surviving French World War I veterans has died aged 110. | One of the last two surviving French World War I veterans has died aged 110. |
| Louis de Cazenave, who fought in the Battle of the Somme in 1916, died in his sleep at his home in Brioude, central France, his son, Louis, said. | Louis de Cazenave, who fought in the Battle of the Somme in 1916, died in his sleep at his home in Brioude, central France, his son, Louis, said. |
| Mr de Cazenave's death means the last French WWI veteran is now Lazare Ponticelli, also aged 110. | Mr de Cazenave's death means the last French WWI veteran is now Lazare Ponticelli, also aged 110. |
| President Nicolas Sarkozy sent the "nation's condolences" to Mr de Cazenave's family and paid tribute to all those who were killed in the war. | President Nicolas Sarkozy sent the "nation's condolences" to Mr de Cazenave's family and paid tribute to all those who were killed in the war. |
| Peaceful end | Peaceful end |
| Mr de Cazenave, born on 16 October 1897 signed up in 1916 and served with a number of different infantry and artillery regiments, including the fifth Senegalese battalion. | Mr de Cazenave, born on 16 October 1897 signed up in 1916 and served with a number of different infantry and artillery regiments, including the fifth Senegalese battalion. |
| This generation has only one remaining representative today President Nicolas Sarkozy | This generation has only one remaining representative today President Nicolas Sarkozy |
| After the end of the war he returned to civilian life and became a railwayman. He married and had three sons before retiring at the age of 41. | |
| "He died as he wanted to, at home," his son said. "He had stopped speaking yesterday, he had a peaceful death. He didn't suffer at all." | "He died as he wanted to, at home," his son said. "He had stopped speaking yesterday, he had a peaceful death. He didn't suffer at all." |
| Mr de Cazenave will be buried on Tuesday in a simple ceremony in Brioude. | Mr de Cazenave will be buried on Tuesday in a simple ceremony in Brioude. |
| Mr Sarkozy said his death was an occasion "for all of us to think of the 1.4m French who sacrificed their lives during this conflict, for the 4.5m wounded, for the 8.5m mobilised". | Mr Sarkozy said his death was an occasion "for all of us to think of the 1.4m French who sacrificed their lives during this conflict, for the 4.5m wounded, for the 8.5m mobilised". |
| "This generation has only one remaining representative today," he said in a statement. | "This generation has only one remaining representative today," he said in a statement. |