Figure 1.--This F.H. Towsend was published in "Punch Magazine", August 11, 1916. It may have been drawn earlier as it seems to read 1915. It addresses the question of boys trying to enlist. Youths who enlisted were not required to produce papers proving their age. As best I can tell, the recruiting officers turned away the really young looking boys, but boys who looked older were often accepted.

Several British boys were involved in notable service during World War I. One of these boys was a Royal Navy sailor, John Travers Cornwell. He stood in for his brother John. He was awarded the Victoria Cross. Private E. Lugg managed to join the 13th Royal Sussex Regiment at the age of thirteen. Private Lewis served at the Somme when he was only 12 yearsold. Victor Silvester, a 14 year old schoolboy, ran away from Ardingly College in 1914 to join the army. The recruiting officer accepted Victor's claim that he was 19 years old and soon after his 15th birthday he was fighting on the Western Front. At one point Sylvester was ordered to be a member of a firing squad that executed five British soldiers for desertion. Victor's parents suspected he had joined the army and informed the authorities, but it was not until he was wounded in 1917 that he was discovered and brought home. One particularly sad event was the 16 year old boy shot for cowardice.

John Travers Cornwell

Young teenagers seved in the Royl Navy during World War I. One of the boys was John Travers Cornwell. He stood in for his brother John. John was an avid Scout before the War. He stood in for his brother John and enlisted in the Royal Navy at age 15 years. He was stationed on HMS Chester and fought in the Battle of Jutland in which he was mortally wounded. He was awarded the Victoria Cross.

??? Lewis

Private Lewis served at the Somme when he was only 12 years old.

E. Lugg

Private E. Lugg managed to join the 13th Royal Sussex Regiment at the age of 13 years.

Joseph Rosenbloom

Joseph Rosenbloom was a 13-year old pupil at the Jews' Free School. Joseph decided to join the war effort nd volunteered for service. He lied bout his age, climing to be 19 years old. Ar the time, Britain and other countri did not hav the statitical and identity systems that they have today. This boys who look older than theu were had good chance of being accepted for militry service. The school and Joseph’s parents knew he enlisted, but could not locate him. The school magazine commented, "We admire the pluck and patriotic spirit of Joseph Rosenbloom who enlisted in Kitchener’s army in November last, being 13-and-a-half-years-old at the time. But we cannot condone the acts that accompanied this. He knew he was legally obliged to be attending school, he made the false declaration that he was 19 years of age, and joined another regiment when he discovered his father was summoned by the attendance officer. A two month search has failed to discover him.” A year later Joseph reappeared at the school. He submitted an article describing his experiences on the front line. “I joined Essex Regiment and no one knew I had joined again… I went to Stratford and from there to Warley. Here they gave me a suit of khaki and a complete kit. They sent me on garrison duty. We did drills with rifles and physical exercise. At the end of this month we were fit for service.” Joseph who turned 14 then describes his experience during the Galipoli campaign as part of the 29th Dic=vision. "When we arrived near Turkish soil the bullets and shrapnel were dropping all around us. After a few hours of fierce fighting we got firmly set on land. The Royal Naval Division, many of them young lads, brought up ammunition to us in the firing line. The day we landed was April 25th 1915, a day that will never be forgotten by any soldier who was in it.” The Division lost 2,000 men in the first few days of the campaign alone, trying to take the hill of Achi Baba. They failed. He describes how they “gained about six miles along the line, and the Turks lost heavily. They were burying Turks 50 at a time in trenches that we captured from them”. He syrvived, but was injured. On June 6, “we made a charge in which I was wounded. I thought my last day had come. I fell unconscious when I was hit and when I opened my eyes again, I was in Egypt at Alexandria. I was blind for three weeks and thought I lost my sight, but thank God I regained it”. On August 6when “we made our great charge. We had helmets on on account of the heat of the Sun. A bullet went through the top of my helmet, and escaped my head by an eighth of an inch. Another bullet hit my left shoulder, but luckily did not go through”. Finally Joseph's father was able to find him. He was recalled home to England. He made his way home aboard a minesweeper and then a cattle boat. Tgere was an encounter with a U-boat. When he got back to "dear old Engklnd" he explains how " my father, who tried hard to get me out, and succeeded was happy to see my face again. Now I am at work, and think seriously I had better stick to it. I may say that although I was discharged on account of the untrue statement I made about my age, I left the army with a very good character from my commanding officer, a fact I remember with pride.” [Rosenbloom]

Victor Silvester

Victor Silvester, a 14 year old schoolboy, ran away from Ardingly College in 1914 to join the army. The recruiting officer accepted Victor's claim that he was 19 years old and soon after his 15th birthday he was fighting on the Western Front. At one point Sylvester was ordered to be a member of a firing squad that executed five British soldiers for desertion. Victor's parents suspected he had joined the army and informed the authorities, but it was not until he was wounded in 1917 that he was discovered and brought home.

Unknown Boy

One particularly sad event was the 16 year old boy shot for cowardice.

Sources

Rosenbloom, Joseph. The Jews' Free School Magazine (March 1916).

Created: 5:11 PM 10/22/2007
Last updated: 8:05 AM 11/12/2018