Henry Allingham, World’s oldest man owes his longevity to ‘cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women’; now dead

LONDON - World’s oldest man Henry Allingham attributes his longevity to “cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women”.

The Brit who has spent 113 years and 14 days on this earth, is presently living at St Dunstan’s care home for blind ex-service personnel, in Ovingdean, near Brighton.

The supercentenarian-who has seen three different centuries, six monarchs, two world wars-is the last surviving founder of the Royal Air Force.

Before him, a Japanese retired civil engineer named Tomoji Tanabe, who had died peacefully in his sleep overnight, was the world’s oldest man. He was 113 years’ and 274 days’ old and had more than 50 great-grandchildren.

However, unlike Allingham, Tanabe had foregone alcohol and cigarettes all his life.

A St Dunstan’s spokesman said that Allingham greeted the news that he had become the oldest man on Earth by simply returning to bed after breakfast for a celebratory nap.

He reportedly dislikes taking about wars.

According to the Independent, he expresses his abhorrence for conflicts by saying: “War’s stupid. Nobody wins.”

He said in a recent interview: “Like so many, I have tried to forget my time in the war. In the last few years I have met other veterans, and we never spoke one word of the war, not one.”

Regarding the key to a long and prosperous existence, Allingham says: “I don’t know if there is a secret, but keeping within your capacity is vital.”

Allingham was born on 6 June 1896 in Clacton, east London, and his father died when he was a baby.

One-hundred-and-thirteen years later his dynasty includes six grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, 14 great-great-grandchildren and one great-great-great-grandchild. (ANI)

Update: Henry Allingham died today - July 18th 2009.