"How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for numerology?"

There was a fairly lively competition to be the one who fired the last shot. Some gunners got awfully foxy with their ballistics tables and watches to see the explosion of a shell took place in the last second of the thing....

http://unnamedharald.hubpages.com/hub/World-War-One-The-Last-Morning

The last signature was not placed on the treaty until 5:20 am on the morning of the 11th, though negotiations had been taking place for a couple of days prior. Pershing apparently knew that it had been signed by 6am, but swore he was following Foch's orders to keep up the pressure on the German's - the last advance was scheduled for 10:30. Some commanders want that last bit of glory, too - did Jackson really not know that the treaty with Britain had been signed when he had his glory moment in New Orleans?

I don't think it was numerology but some weird (and perverse) sense of poetic symmetry that made them choose the time - the date was not a known quantity until the document was actually signed, so choosing the 'eleventh hour' of the 'eleventh day' was more likely a result of the symmetry of the month and day rather than some predetermined thing.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7696021.stm

There's a short clip there of the granddaughters of the last British man to die, visiting his grave.

for the link and the correction (reading fail on my part *blush*) !

Did you see the More 4 short with Gemma Arterton, Sophie Okonedo, and Sean Bean reciting poems by Wilfred Owen and Rupert Brooke? Very nicely done - Okonedo does one of the better recitations of The Soldier that I've heard; it can sound so trite when poorly done. Wasn't too impressed with Arterton, but Bean always recites well. I do love the Trench poets . . .

Here's the Guardian clip:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/video/2012/nov/11/sean-bean-first-world-war-poetry-video

but had forgotten. Yes, Sean Bean is pretty much perfect for Owen's poetry.