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World War II was a massive cataclism that affected virtually every part of the world in on way or another. And because of the intensity of the War and the genocidal policies of German and other Axis nations, many more civilians than combatant were killed. While children were the most vulnerable, in many cases it was the parents who were killed or transported for forced labor. As a result, Europe and Asia were awash with tens of thousands of orphaned children in desperate need. The soldiers who waged the war could not help but be affected by the plight of civilans. This was less true of the Axis countries because of the racist policies of their Governments and goals of destroying whole nation states and policies of ethnic cleansings. Some of the children, always boys, attached themselves to groups of soldiers. This was discouraged by higher command, but it did occur. There were several instances of this. We know more about the U.S. Army that other armies. It was most noted in Italy, probably the United States beginning wuth the invasion of Sicily (July 1943) was committed in Italy for nearly 2 years. This did not occur in France, probanly because combst operations were confimed primarily to 3 months and few French children were separated from their parents and a French Government was quickly organized by DeGualle. (During World War I, men of the American Expeditionsry Force which spent more than a year in France adopted a number of French boys.) There were also many examples of this among U.S. servicemen serving in the Paific. There was also some noted mascots adopted by the Germans, mostly children they believed to be ethnic Germans. One of the most famous World War II was a Jewish boy taken in by a Latvian working for the Germans. hile Axis soldiers took in mascots as well, there were differences beteen the Allied and Axis mascots. The Axis soldiers tended to taken in people like themselves, such as ethnic Germans in the East. There were before the War, substantial German minorities scatterd all over Eastern Europe. There was some sympathy for the Germans, eoecially in the Baltics and Ukraine. We note several examples of boys attaching thenselves to the Germans from the photographic record compiled by German soldiers. A few of these children were actually Jews. One example was a Latvian boy. The American soldiers took in local boys which some times were very different ethnically such as the boys in the Pcific.After the War there was a desire of many of the men if the children cold not be reunited with family to adopt them and bring them home. The Italian boy here is a good example (figure 1). There were movies made on this subject. The best known is 'Europa, Europa' (1990). An American film and comic strip was 'Dondi'.
World War II was a massive cataclism that affected virtually every part of the world in on way or another. And because of the intensity of the War and the genocidal policies of the Germans and Japanese, many more civilians than combatant were killed. In some cases this was overt murder. In other cases it was using food as a weaponv or through indufference. While children were the most vulnerable civilans, in many cases it was the parents who were first killed or transported for forced labor. As a result, Europe and Asia were awash with tens of thousands of orphaned or unattended children in desperate need. The same was true in the Pacific, although the island populations where Ametican combat troops were committed were smaller than was the case in Europe. In China there were many orphaned chikdre, but Allied servicement were not committed in large numbers to China. Quite a number of children attachd themselves to servicemen of the various combatants, in part because food was available but also for companionship. And to various degrees the soldiers were drawn to the children. It provide a rare sliver of tendrness amid the inhumanity of war.
The soldiers who waged the war could not help but be affected by the plight of civilans. This was less true of the Axis countries because of the racist policies of their Governments and goals of destroying whole nation states and policies of ethnic cleansings.
Some of the children, always boys, attached themselves to groups of soldiers.
Taking in displaced children discouraged by higher command, but it did occur.
There was a major difference between the Allies and the Axis regarding child mascots. The two main Axis forces activelu prompted racism and race hatred. (Here Italy was different.) Large numbers of the men were thus affected in how they viewed the people of occupied countries. Obviously the racist/genocidal policies and killing actions of Axis forces was not condusive for adopting child mascots. Of course, racism was not absent among Allied soldiers, but it does not seem to have prevented Alied soldiers from dealing compasinately with civilian populations, especially the children. Alied soldiers took in quite a number of boys around the world. For these most part these were boys from the local population and in many cases were ethnically different than the soldiets. Of course America was a diverse country and their were Italians among the soldiers, but ethnicity was not a major issue. And in the Pacific many boys were adopted by the soldiers of totally different ethnicity. We do not yet have any information on the British. While Axis soldiers took in mascots as well, there were differences beteen the Allied and Axis mascots. The Axis soldiers tended to taken in people like themselves, such as ethnic Germans in the East. There were before the War, substantial German minorities scatterd all over Eastern Europe. There was some sympathy for the Germans, eoecially in the Baltics and Ukraine. We do know of any Japanese mascots. Given Japanese policies toward local populations and racist attitudes, taking in mascoits seems unlikely. Also the Japanese had trouble feeding their own soldiers whuch also discouraged taking in civilians. One British boy interned by the Japanese in China, however, describes developing a relationship with personnel in an air base located near his camp. [Ballard]
There were several instances of World War II units adopting mascots. We know more about the U.S. Army that other army. It was most noted in Italy, probably the United States beginning wuth the invasion of Sicily (July 1943) was committed in Italy for nearly 2 years. There were regulations against this, but the link between the boys and the GIs were just too strong to break. GIs spent quite a bit of time in Britain and were a real hit with the kids (especially the Bubble gum and candy) , but the chikdren were no abandoned children as wa the casein Italy. Unlike World War I, this did not occur in France. We are not sure just why. In World War I there wre much higher French casualties and the AEF spent about a year in France before being committed. American operations in France were primarily confined to to 3 months and few French children were separated from their parents and a French Government was quickly organized by DeGualle. There were also many examples of this among U.S. servicemen serving in the Paific. There was also some noted mascots adopted by the Germans, mostly children they believed to be ethnic Germans. One of the most famous World War II was a Jewish boy taken in by a Latvian working for the Germans. We note several examples of boys attaching thenselves to the Germans from the photographic record compiled by German soldiers. A few of these children were actually Jews. One example was a Latvian boy. The American soldiers took in local boys which some times were very different ethnically such as the boys in the Pcific.After the War there was a desire of many of the men if the children cold not be reunited with family to adopt them and bring them home. The Italian boy on the previous page a good example.
There were movies made on this subject. We know of several examples. The best known is 'Europa, Europa (1990). An American film and comic strip was 'Dondi'. The subject is also touched on in 'Empire of the Sun'. The Germans made a propaganda movie about the mascot taken in by a Latvian police unit. A related film is The Seaech about a Czech boy taken in by an American soldier in occupied Germany. During the War, mascots were generally taken in by units rather than individuals, although individuals within unit presumably took larger roles than others. Another relted film is Fortress Brest, but this is more about child soldiers.
Ballard, J.G. Empire of the Sun. Bllard's book was made ino fine film of the same name.
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