Soldier Boys

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Every combatant nation in the First World War had underage boys fighting in uniform. Some, as young as 12.

They volunteered for a number of reasons: patriotic fever, the quest for adventure and in some cases, at the request of parents eager the have their child in the fight.

As the killing pits on both fronts ground men into carrion, Recruiting Officers of every country feeling the need to replenish ranks began to turn back the calendar, at least on paper, to admit children below the required age of 18 to volunteer for the front.

Ill trained and often physically below par, large numbers of these soldier boys had their lives cut tragically short in the trenches of Belgium, France, Russia and Turkey.

A young allied soldier fetches water from a mud hole on the Western Front

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Young British soldiers




Young German soldiers



A young French soldier

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Young Serbia soldiers marching off to war

Thousands of under age Serbian boys were killed in action during WWI in service of their country.
But perhaps the greater tragedy to befall Serbian youth was the estimated 23,000 Serbian boys that died in the winter of 1915 as a result of an action taken by their own people.

As German/Austrian and Bulgarian forces advanced into Serbia, Serbian officials looked for a way to keep 30,000 civilian boys from falling into enemy hands and depriving the nation of future soldiers. Officials ordered these boys, between the ages of 12 and 18, to leave the country and make their way to Allied strong points elsewhere.

Unable to withstand the cold, hunger and incredible hardships of crossing the rugged Prokletije mountain range of Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania, and constantly under attack by Albanese raiders, 15,000 to 16,000 of these boys died before reaching Italian lines on the coast of the Adriatic Sea.

Those who did were far from fortunate. Italian forces in Avalona lacked both the food or medical supplies needed to care for the boys, most of whom were ill. Ships were brought in to ferry the roughly 9,000 survivors to the Greek island of Corfu.

Another 2,000 died during the 24-hour journey and once in Corfu, it was found that food and medical supplies were not much better than at Avalona. Estimates are that as many as 100 boys died each day due to lack of food and proper care.

Survivors, what few there were, were eventually sent to England and France for the duration of the war.

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A Poet's Lament

England's poet laureate, Rudyard Kipling, lent his mighty pen to the war effort by publishing a host of heroic poems inspiring men to rise to the cause:

"No easy hopes or lies
Shall bring us to our goal,
But iron sacrifice
Of body, will, and soul.
There is but one task for all --
For each one life to give.
Who stands if freedom fall?
Who dies if England live?"

Fiercely patriotic, Kipling wanted to give more to the cause than prose and encouraged his only son, 16-year-old John, to enlist despite the boy's poor eyesight.
As Kipling continued to rally the masses with verse, young John set off to a London recruiting station where he tried to volunteer for a commission in Lord Kitchener’s Volunteers. He was, however, rejected on grounds of medical reasons.

Undaunted, young Kipling tried to volunteer again at a different location as private soldier in the British Army. He was again rejected.

Rudyard Kipling, England's national poet, stepped in and pulled some impressive strings. Lord Roberts himself agreed to overturn the ruling on both John's age and disability and the boy became a Second Lieutenant in the Second Battalion of the Irish Guards and sent to France.

Lt. John Kipling

After the arrival at the Kipling home of a telegram from the War office stating young John was missing and presumed killed in his first action, Rudyard Kipling and his wife made numerous visits to French military hospitals looking for any soldier who might have fought beside their son or had any news of him.

Resigned to the loss of John, Rudyard Kipling lost his flair for glorious rhyme. His words now that of a heartbroken father racked with bitterness and guilt.

He wrote...

"If any ask us why we died,
Tell them, because our fathers lied."

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Lambs to the slaughter

[Morto]

Quite simply heartbreaking.

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Originally Posted by Morto

Quite simply heartbreaking.

Amen to that.