Geoffrey Dearmer; Poet Chronicled World War I Battles

Geoffrey Dearmer, 103, the last surviving poet of World War I. A lieutenant in Britain’s Royal Fusiliers, Dearmer fought at Gallipoli and the Somme. He chronicled those battles in haunting poetry in “The Sentinel” and “The Somme.” Although the war took the lives of his younger brother and mother, Dearmer never gave in to bitterness. When his brother fell at Gallipoli, Dearmer wrote: “Your blood shall help to purify the world.” He was known as an optimist with a strong faith in God. In his later years, Dearmer became a BBC radio editor of children’s programs and a censor of plays. His 100th birthday was celebrated with a new edition of his works titled “A Pilgrim’s Song.” On Sunday in Kent, England.