Rest in peace Mr James Easton.

He was NZ’s 3rd oldest living person at the time.

He is the 3rd oldest man ever from NZ after Arthur Bates (110) and Ronald Hermanns (109).

I’m also trying to clarify whether or not he was Australasia (or Oceania’s) oldest living war veteran.

He certainly held that record for NZ.

His funeral tributes say he was captured after the fall of Singapore and spent 3 1/2 years as a prisoner of war, weighing just 47kg when he was liberated.

A great story of survival and resilience as he lived for anither 80 years.

I think he must have been, the 3 older men from Australia don't seem to have been war veterans.

Yes … it now appears that Australia’s oldest living war veteran is Colin Wagener who will turn 108 (health permitting) in December.

He was the country's oldest man since May 14, 2023 (2 years, 126 days), the longest time since Howard Buss (August 7, 2016–January 25, 2019) and the oldest to die holding that position since Ronald Hermanns, who died at 109 years, 341 days on August 30, 2021. He is the 37th oldest person in the country's history, and the oldest Aucklander in history.
His successor is the 14th oldest man in the country's history.
He was the oldest living European male emigrant. Does anyone know who he is now?
He is the oldest Scottish emigrant in history, and the 12th British emigrant.

RIP