edcoyne Posted 2 January , 2013 Share Posted 2 January , 2013 Hello Richard;This material on Boy Soldiers is fantastic.I,ve read your first book two times sence purchased and am looking forward to reading your revised edition.These articles have helped me understand their situation and thoughts.My Maternal Unkle was Harry William Lloyd and enlisted in the Scottish Rifles at the age of fourteen in 1915.I would like to send you copies of his pictures and what else I know of him and his family.Please send me your address so I may send this material to you.My e-mail address is <edcoyne603@yahoo.com>. Thanks Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Posted 2 January , 2013 Share Posted 2 January , 2013 Well done Richard' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff brown Posted 3 January , 2013 Share Posted 3 January , 2013 Hi Richard, Do you have this one, who is on both the Elm and Friday Bridge war memorials in Cambridgeshire? Charles Barker: 18545 Pte, A company, 1st Suffolk Rgt. KiA 21-8-15, age 15. Born Ely, enlisted Wisbech. Son of Frederick & Susan Barker, Fridaybridge Rd, Elm. Buried Wulverghem-Lindenhoek Road Military Cemetery, Belgium. Aged 1 in 1901 census, living Main Rd. And this one from Salters Lode memorial, Norfolk: George HARNWELL 2125 Pte, 1/5th Norfolk Regiment. Captured during the attack of 12-8-15. Died 21-8-15, Prisoner of War, age 16 (sixteen). Born and enlisted Downham Market. Son of George & Mary Elizabeth Harnwell, Bridge Rd, Downham West. Special Memorial, Haida Pascha Cemetery, Turkey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithmroberts Posted 10 January , 2013 Share Posted 10 January , 2013 Richard What started your interest in the boy soldiers? Could it have been Boy G W Prior RGA who is busied in Gosport? Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edcoyne Posted 12 January , 2013 Share Posted 12 January , 2013 Hello Richard;I have been in contact with the now owner of my unkles diary (Harry William Lloyd,Scottish Rifles) and he has given me permission to send you copies of the diary and the pictures of when (Harry) was 14/15 years old.In the pictures(two of them) when he was in uniform as a boy soldier.The diary is 200 pages long.Please send me your snail-mail / business address so I can send you the copies Regards Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forton Posted 15 January , 2013 Author Share Posted 15 January , 2013 Hi Cliff, many thanks for the new names. I had George Harnell but Charles Barker is a new one on me and aged 15 too. Keith, you asked what started my interest in the story of the under age soldiers in the Great War. Well, it was simply meeting so many who said they were under age when the went, such as Ben Clouting my great mate in Reading who went with the 4DGs to France aged 16 in August 1914. I also used to visit the veterans in Blesma in Blackpool and several there were aged 15 or 16 when they went overseas. Furthermore the graves in in France and Belgium told me there was a story just waiting to be told. Ed, that really is very kind of you. I'll send you my details. Best wishes Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrtle Posted 15 January , 2013 Share Posted 15 January , 2013 Hi Richard I have replied to your query in post #50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazelclark Posted 15 January , 2013 Share Posted 15 January , 2013 Started this book yesterday. Didn't want to put it down last night! H.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFF Posted 13 July , 2013 Share Posted 13 July , 2013 Another young soldier http://books.google.com/books?id=FfoCAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=history+of+the+166th+Infantry+Regiment&hl=en&sa=X&ei=FKvgUYvuEdTA4AOTk4DgCA&ved=0CEYQ6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q&f=false 168th Infantry US ARmy >p.55 Pvt Bryon Van Raden enlisted 1917 age 15 killed 1918 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 13 July , 2013 Share Posted 13 July , 2013 Do not have any details on this lad, but he looks very young. Click (Cassiodor photos) Edit. 7:18 am The lad on the cover of Rouzeau's book also looks very young Click Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJ CLARK Posted 14 July , 2013 Share Posted 14 July , 2013 There is an American who was also only 12 years of age, he is buried in Arlington cemetery, I do have a picture that was sent some time ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsahal Posted 7 August , 2013 Share Posted 7 August , 2013 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/6472805/Boy-12-was-youngest-British-soldier-in-First-World-War.htmlhow come?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 10 November , 2013 Share Posted 10 November , 2013 There's a half-page article about Sidney Lewis in today's Sunday Times. It says that "this weekend the Imperial War Museum declared him the youngest authenticated combatant of the Great War, after it examined family papers, including his birth certificate". Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 12 November , 2013 Share Posted 12 November , 2013 This is the link although you need to subscribe to view the whole article: http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/People/article1338845.ece The last paragraph reads "The IWM will in February launch an online archive open to the public holding life stories of more than 8 million men and women who served in combat and on the Home Front (livesofthefirstworldwar.org) Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milan Posted 5 July , 2014 Share Posted 5 July , 2014 Youngest? How 'bout this fellow -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mom%C4%8Dilo_Gavri%C4%87 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxy Posted 5 July , 2014 Share Posted 5 July , 2014 Good skills, Milan. Roxy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milan Posted 28 July , 2014 Share Posted 28 July , 2014 For people in Serbia and neighbouring countries who understand the lingo, there's a documentary on Momcilo Gavric today (8 PM) on RTS 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken S. Posted 28 August , 2014 Share Posted 28 August , 2014 From the Toronto World - Feb. 27, 1919 p.2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 28 August , 2014 Share Posted 28 August , 2014 Ten men named Joseph Duchesne are listed in the Canadian attestation papers, six of whom are too old for the one mentioned in the cutting. Four have no dates of birth mentioned, and clicking on the names (which normally brings up the papers) results in the message "No image available". Edit: I've taken the liberty of posting a reference to Ken's post, and this one, in the Canadian Expeditionary Force Study Group Forum, whose members may be able to comment on young Joseph and the multiple instances of "No image available". Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken S. Posted 28 August , 2014 Share Posted 28 August , 2014 He could in fact be #3156358 - residence is Lowell, and he enlisted in February 1918 which would give enough time to spend "eight months overseas". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken S. Posted 28 August , 2014 Share Posted 28 August , 2014 I actually came across this on an unrelated matter a little before I found that clipping - whether or not it's him, the man above is likely in this photo taken a month and a half later. Perhaps this is a draft heading overseas? A number of boyish faces in this photo, esp. on the right side... http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=HS85/10/34060 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken S. Posted 28 August , 2014 Share Posted 28 August , 2014 There's an article in the Boston Daily Globe about this, but since I don't subscribe to "Newspaper Archive" I can't zoom in on it... This is the OCR text that's provided: TO GETTO FRANCE Lowell Boy Tried and Canadian Services Now 16YearQld Youth Faces Court Martial at Camp Devens TO LEAVE THE JAIL Continued From the First By WILLIAM ROBINSON CAMP Feb 26One of the most pathetic cases for courtmartial which has come up here has been un covered bythe arrest on the charge of desertion of Joseph Duchesne of 95 Aus tin He is in the cantonment guardhouse awaiting His case has the attention and the sympathy of many of the officers here but they to do anything but try him and leave the disposition of his case to the reviewing When he was barely 14 years old lit tie Joe whosP parents ara French decided that ho wanted to fight the That was less than two years about the time the United States entered the So he went to the recruitingoffice and he was 20 years and 9 months and got away with He was assigned to the 3d a Hphting but instead of bpiiiB sent to France they were sent to Del That didnt satisfy Joes flehting He wanted to get boon he was granted a furlough to go to his home in Lowell and he did not return to his He sliped over the Cana dian border and enlisted in the dian This was about With the after train ing for a month in he wan sent to and for eight months he stayed so near and yet tar from France Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken S. Posted 30 August , 2014 Share Posted 30 August , 2014 Toronto World - April 22, 1919 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Julieh31 Posted 12 November , 2014 Share Posted 12 November , 2014 Hi Cliff, many thanks for the new names. I had George Harnell but Charles Barker is a new one on me and aged 15 too. Keith, you asked what started my interest in the story of the under age soldiers in the Great War. Well, it was simply meeting so many who said they were under age when the went, such as Ben Clouting my great mate in Reading who went with the 4DGs to France aged 16 in August 1914. I also used to visit the veterans in Blesma in Blackpool and several there were aged 15 or 16 when they went overseas. Furthermore the graves in in France and Belgium told me there was a story just waiting to be told. Ed, that really is very kind of you. I'll send you my details. Best wishes Richard Richard, I'm new to this forum, I joined because this thread came up when I googled Charles Barker who is my Husbands ancestor. Our family always knew about Charlie, and that he joined up after lying about his age, we also knew that he left his Mother totally heartbroken, she never got over his death and the fact that he never came home to her. I have the one and only photograph of him wearing his uniform shortly before he left, his Mother kept it by her for the rest of her life. I'm tryng to research Charlies war record, I've found his grave and am planning to vist next year. Best wishes, Julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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