Did 17 year olds fight in WW1?

In World War I, a large number of young boys joined up to serve as soldiers before they were eighteen, the legal age to serve in the army.

Did 12 year olds fight in WW1?

Identity of 12 year-old WW1 veteran revealed – Sidney Lewis enlisted during school holidays in August 1915 and fought on the Somme. The identity of the youngest authenticated British soldier to fight in World War 1 was revealed yesterday, thanks to the soldier’s son.

Who was the youngest boy to fight in WW1?

Sidney Lewis
Sidney Lewis, enlisted with the East Surrey Regiment in August 1915, five months after his 12th birthday, and was fighting on the Somme by the age of 13.

Who is the world youngest soldier?

Momčilo Gavrić
Momčilo Gavrić (Serbian Cyrillic: Момчило Гаврић; 1 May 1906 – 28 April 1993) was the youngest known Serbian soldier ever who became a soldier at the age of eight….

Momčilo Gavrić
Died	28 April 1993 (aged 86) Belgrade, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (now Serbia)
Allegiance	Kingdom of Serbia Kingdom of Yugoslavia

Did a 6 year old boy fight in ww2?

Seryozha Aleshkov was awarded the medal ‘For Combat Merit’, received a Browning as a trophy pistol from an army general and was even “promoted” to the rank of junior lieutenant. World War II affected the lives of millions of people of all ages.

Are child soldiers illegal?

Recruiting and using children under the age of 15 as soldiers is prohibited under international humanitarian law – treaty and custom – and is defined as a war crime by the International Criminal Court.

How many young men fought in WW1?

It is estimated 250,000 boys under the age of 19 fought. The financial benefit from accepting underage recruits was eliminated when Britain introduced conscription in 1916. Still, many boys continued to filter into the armed forces and die for a cause they believed in.

Did ‘Boy Soldiers’ fight in World War One?

‘Boy Soldiers’ fighting in World War One remained a controversial issue throughout the war. By the time World War One had ended many thousands of youths too young to legally enlist had been either killed or wounded. When World War One was declared in August 1914, a huge number of men wanted to enlist.

Who was the youngest person to fight in WW1?

A schoolboy who fought on the Somme after lying about his age has been declared the youngest authenticated combatant of the First World War. Private Sidney Lewis joined the East Surreys at Kingston in August 1915, aged 12, and fought on the Somme front for six weeks at the age of 13.

How old did you have to be to enlist in WW1?

Although boys aged 14-17 could enlist as buglers, trumpeters and musicians, many gave false ages in order to join as soldiers. Their numbers are impossible to determine. Enlistment of boys was normal practice for the Navy and several died on service during the First World War.