 Lazare Ponticelli ( born Lazzaro Ponticelli , 24 December 1897 , later mistranscribed as 7 December – 12 March 2008 ) , Knight of Vittorio Veneto , was at 110 , the last surviving officially recognized veteran of the First World War from France and the last poilu of its trenches to die . Born in Italy , he travelled on his own to the French front in 1915 and fought in the trenches until 1918. kwietniu 1918 , when he was captured by the Germans. He was taken to a prisoner of war camp in Germany until 1919, when he was repatriated.