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Australia's last Western Front soldier passes on

"He didn't involve himself for many years in veteran activities mainly because he wanted to shut himself away from the horrors of war he had experienced."

Bill Gaynor, president of the Western Australian Returned and Services League

Peter Casserly, Australia's oldest World War I veteran who survived bloody battles on the Western Front, has died aged 107.

Veterans Affairs Minister De-Anne Kelly expressed her sorrow after Casserly died in his sleep late on Friday in a nursing home in the Western Australia state capital, Perth.

"World War I saw many fine young Australians, like Mr. Casserly, put aside their own lives for a time -- some for all time -- to fight for the ideals that this nation holds dear," Kelly said in a statement yesterday.

Australia now has only two known surviving World War I veterans, both of whom are over 100 years old.

Casserly enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in March 1917, lying about his age to join the 5th Railway Section which later became the 2nd and 16th Australian Light Railway Operating Company.

He said in an interview that he told his mother of the move in a message in a bottle that he dropped over the side of his troops-carrying ship.

The bottle washed up on a beach in the southwestern Australian town of Esperance and was mailed to his mother 700km away in Perth.

During his time with the company, it supported the British and Australian forces on the Western Front and was involved in many significant battles, including those in Ypres, Armentieres and Amiens.

In an interview last year, he said he was involved transporting troops to the front.

"They had no idea of how terrible it was," he said.

"I used to look at their young faces and think of their mothers," he added. "Next day most of them would just be blood and bandages."

Prime Minister John Howard called Casserly's death "a very significant moment, not only for the veterans' community but for the entire country."

"The death of the last surviving link with protracted battles that in themselves claimed more than 45,000 lives of the 60,000 Australians who died in World War I. It is an important, significant passing," he said.

Casserly was the last Australian World War I veteran to have served on the Western Front.

In 1993, Casserly was part of the Australian government commemorative mission party to the Western Front in which a group of World War I veterans returned to the places they served.

Bill Gaynor, president of veterans group the Western Australia Returned and Services League, said Casserly was a reluctant member of the veteran community.

"He didn't involve himself for many years in veteran activities mainly because he wanted to shut himself away from the horrors of war he had experienced," Gaynor said. "After a great life he has finally passed away. He'll be well remembered as a person who was very humble."

Casserly is survived by his son Peter, seven grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.

Arrangements were being made for a state funeral, but no date was immediately set.
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