ACTIVITY 2: Boy Soldiers

ACTIVITY 2: Boy Soldiers

Jim Martin was one of many underage Australian boys who where known to have died during active service during WW1. His story has been written by Anthony Hill. In the book Soldier Boy, young Jim joined up for the adventure. He went to Gallipoli where he died of typhoid fever (also known as enteric fever). 

Trench life was associated with poor hygiene and poor sanitation. As a result food was easily contaminated by flies and rats, creating perfect environment for disease. More soldiers died of disease at during the War than from wounds.

The Roll of Honour (listing those who died during WW1) lists over 100 Australian boy soldiers or sailors who died during the war. The youngest boy to try and enlist was Reginald Garth, 12 year old stow-away. His father and older brothers has enlisted and he did not want to miss out on the adventure.

 

In Britain over 250,000 boys as young as Jim Martin joined up to be soldiers. Like Jim they sought adventure.

What they found in the trenches was something they could not have imagined.

The video  shows what happened to five British boys who served in the war, their experience was similar to those from Australia.  

Deserters

In the British, French and all other Armies men who deserted were shot. The British Army executed 306 of its own men for desertion. Three boy soldiers were executed as deserters. The Army used these executions as a deterrent for men deserting.

The Australian Government would not allow any Australian soldier to  be executed for desertion. Part of the reason for this is the government saw the Australian soldier as a volunteer and could not be compelled to stay. Like the British Army, the Australian army set up special training camps for underage boys. Once they turned 19 they could return to the front lines.

Abe Harris was executed he joined up when he was only 15 or 16. He changed his from Abraham Bevestien.  He became a member of the 11th Battalion Middlesex Regiment.

His back was injured, and he suffered shock, on Christmas Eve, 1915, but was soon back in the trenches.

Within weeks, he was again traumatised, when a grenade exploded beside him. He told his Medical Officer how he felt, but was sent back to his position. In his shell-shocked confusion, he wandered off. He was arrested, court-martialed and sentenced to death. This under-age boy should have been sent home, but he was executed at dawn on March 20, 1916. He was 16 or 17years old.

Questions

After watching this video and visiting the Roll of Honour Link answer the following questions. (Your answers should be at least a paragraph in length).

1.  What do you think were the main reasons boys to enlisted?
2.  What is shell shock?
3.  Why do you think the boys did not take the opportunity identify how old they were and return home? 
4.  What did the experience of the war do to these boys and and their families?

    Place your answers in your folio.
You will be assessed on

1. your spelling and grammar, 
2. your ability to find information and present that information clearly.
3. your ability to make an informed opinion about events and people.