Age for service abroad.

[barryd]

John "Jack" Kipling, 17 August 1897 - 27 September 1915 only son of Rudyard Kipling. Killed at the Battle of Loos, France, aged 18 years 1 month and 10 days. He was an officer prior to being 18 and was killed shortly after his 18th birthday.

[king ranger]

Was just reading about him the other day,they are not 100% sure it is him in the GWGC grave as there was i think it said three other Irish Guards Officers that had not been found.I suppose it is like a lot of things if you had the money or the contacts rules could be bent.

[barryd]

Victor Marlborough ("Slow, Slow, Quick-Quick, Slow") Silvester  (25 February 1900 - 14 August 1978) was another boy soldier. He survived but there may be some embellishment in his actual service.

[king ranger]

Oh i remember him well,never knew he was a soldier, as they say you are never to old to learn.

[california dreamin]

Thank you all for your posts, the point behind the post was my mates Grandad David Alexander was in the 2nd Batt KOSB and his best mate Robert Baird joined him. What i was told was David could not go to Mons with the BEF as he was not 19 till oct 1914 he went on Jan 15th 1915.What threw us was we noticed that Robert was killed on 3rd Sept 1916 aged 18 ,which looked like he had lied about his age.The post from Youngtug states they did reduce the age to 18 but not until May 1916 if Robert went at the same time as David he must have been under age,or he did not go until May 1916 and was killed in Sept 1916. That does look like a good read about the Boy Soldiers , i am sure that when i was taking photo's of ww1 graves at South Queensferry Cemetery some of the boy sailors from Jutland were only 14.

Hi  king ranger
Van Emden’s book does make very interesting reading – a covers a multitude of scenarios and situations that occurred.  For example, when war started many battalions had boys already attached as band members and when the order came for the Battalion to go to war then boy solider just naturally went along.  People only thought afterwards that the boys should not be there. During the recruitment process boys did try and enlist and in many areas a blind eye was turned.  In some areas as war progressed boys were actively pursued by recruiting officers as they ‘looked’ big and strong enough and were shamed into enlisting although still not old enough.

Van Emdem covers  so many very interesting facets on the topic of the boy solider.  Again, at one point boys who were underage were made to leave their Battalions and go back from the front lines until of age, some Commanders allowed the boys to  return, others did not as the boy could not be spared as they had become a well needed solider.  Those that went back– went to a sort of a school until they reached the designated age and were then sent back to the Front.  Anyway, I think if you can do read the book you will probably be able to see where the man you are researching fits in.

[king ranger]

Hi there just got a copy of The Boy Soldiers of the Great War on Amazon,thought i knew the authors name same chap that wrote the Harry Patch book. I have a feeling it is going to throw up more questions than answers but will give it a read.lol.

[california dreamin]

Glad you managed to get a copy.  You won't regret it.  The book just covers so much - interviews with some of the 'boys' from the Great War before they passed away, the view of the parents, the political side of things, and more.  I would be interested to know what you think when you have read it!   

CD

[king ranger]

Going away up to Aberdeen to photograph ww1 graves but it should be here for me on Sunday night when i get back,once i read it i will get back to you.
                                   Colin.
                           

[newburychap]

The rules were different for officers and other ranks - officers could be sent to the front aged 18, other ranks 19.  Obviously there were many who lied to get into the action during the early months of the war.  These would turn up in France in 1915/16.

Regarding the lowering of the age for other ranks on 10 April 1918 as noted above, this was to some extent retrospective.  I have just been researching a lad who was sent out in the opening days of April 1918 despite being under 19.  The crisis of late March that caused the change didn't wait for the legislation to be passed, even though it was rushed through.  In the case of William Crocker it was seriously bad news - he died on 11 April, aged 18, after 9 days in France.