Bill Stone (Royal Navy sailor)
He witnessed the entire span of the 20th century's warfare, training for the First World War and serving at sea through the Second.
1900–2009 (age 109)·English Legion d'honneur recipient·Birthday: September 23·The Lost Generation
Biography
Bill Stone's life was a remarkable voyage through modern history. He joined the Royal Navy in 1918, a teenager training as the Great War was ending, narrowly missing its combat. That training, however, set the course for a long naval career. He remained in the service, and when the world plunged into war again in 1939, Stone was there. Serving as a chief stoker on HMS vessels, including the cruiser HMS Newfoundland, he experienced the brutal reality of the Atlantic and Arctic convoys. Surviving the war, he lived to an extraordinary age, becoming one of the last tangible links to the generation that served in both world wars. In his final years, he was a living memorial, receiving honors like the Légion d'honneur and reminding a new century of the sacrifices of the past.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Bill was born in 1900, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bill Was Born
The biggest hits of 1900
Bill's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1900Born
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1905Started school
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Became a teenager
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1916Could drive
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Could vote
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Turned 21
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1930Turned 30
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1940Turned 40
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 50
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 60
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 70
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 80
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
2009Died at 109
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
Key Achievements
- Was one of the last five surviving British veterans of the First World War and one of the last two surviving seamen from that war globally.
- Served actively in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, participating in Arctic convoys and the D-Day landings support.
- Awarded the French Légion d'honneur in recognition of his service in both world wars.
- Lived to be 108 years old, becoming a celebrated public figure and a link to history in his later years.
Did You Know?
He attributed his longevity to a daily regimen of cod liver oil, three glasses of whiskey, and 'plenty of wild women.'
At the age of 107, he traveled to London to attend the 90th anniversary service of the Armistice at Westminster Abbey.
He met Queen Elizabeth II on several occasions and was a guest at Buckingham Palace.
“I've had a good life and I've got no regrets.”
