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End of an era for little drummer boys and the powder monkeys
The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 03/29/2002 | Michael Smith

Posted on 03/28/2002 5:25:14 PM PST by Pokey78

BOYS have had a place in the British Armed Forces since well before the formation of the New Model Army by Cromwell in the mid-1600s.

Drummer boys, most in their early teens but some as young as nine, enlisted in the army, while "powder monkeys" of a similar age helped both the army's and the navy's gunners reload their guns.

Runners and ship's boys were also normally in their early teens. Technically, they were regarded as non-combatants but shot, shell and often opponents all ignored such distinctions.

At the battle of Isandhlwana on Jan 22, 1879, when the Zulus destroyed a British force of 1,700 men, the little drummer boys were hung on hooks behind the wagons and ritually disembowelled.

Many, however, made their way through to the real army or navy, most notably Admiral Horatio Nelson, who, like a number of other great seafarers, began his career as a ship's boy.

By the late 19th century Victorian attitudes had begun to hold sway and the age at which ship's boys, apprentices and runners were recruited had risen to the mid-teens. During the First World War strict rules excluding under-17s were widely ignored by young boys anxious to take a pot shot at the Hun.

Pte George Peachment of the King's Royal Rifles was thought to be 18 when he died at Hulloch, France, during the First World War Battle of Loos. During heavy fighting, with the front line beating a hasty retreat, Pte Peachment saw his company commander lying wounded and crawled out to help him.

The enemy fire was intense but although there was a shell-hole close by in which some of his colleagues had taken shelter, Pte Peachment knelt in the open by his officer, trying to help him. He was first wounded by a bomb and then shot dead by a German rifle.

It was only later, when he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery, that it was discovered that he was just 15, having added three years to his age to join up.

Perhaps the most famous of many thousands of teenagers killed during the First World War was Boy First Class John Travers Cornwell, who was only 16 when he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Jutland off Denmark in May 1916.

He remained alone standing at his gun on the light cruiser Chester, with the gun's crew dead or wounded around him, quietly awaiting orders. While he did so, the ship was hit 17 times.

He lived long enough to be taken ashore, but died of his wounds in Grimsby Hospital three days later. During the Second World War teenagers continued to lie about their ages to join the British Armed Forces and during the Gulf war nearly 500 British servicemen were aged under 18.

As recently as the Kosovo conflict, two British soldiers were aged 17. In October 1999 Britain was criticised at a Berlin conference for being the worst offender in Europe for sending under-18 soldiers into combat.

The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers claimed that the Army had at the time more than 6,000 under-18s, with 51 employed in the Balkans. The conference claimed that 92 16- or 17-year-olds had died on active service since 1982.

The Ministry of Defence has always vigorously defended its policy, claiming that at 17 men and women are at the height of their physical and mental powers.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: britishfriends

1 posted on 03/28/2002 5:25:14 PM PST by Pokey78
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To: All
"Unspun with AnnaZ And Mercuria on RadioFR NOW!

LISTEN LIVE WHILE YOU FREEP!

2 posted on 03/28/2002 5:28:00 PM PST by AnnaZ
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To: Pokey78
For the socialist, leftist, et.al, it is fine for a 17 year old to ramed up the back side by a loving and "caring" HIV positive teacher or social worker. Or to have his or her first, of many, welfare spawn, but God forbid any heroics, or physical action or pridefull accomplishment in a manly endevor.
3 posted on 03/28/2002 5:31:16 PM PST by Leisler
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To: Pokey78
at the height of their physical and mental powers.

Physical and reflexive powers maybe. Mental? Mmm. no.

I remember reading stories about young teens in battle from the War Between the States. Am I proud of my (then) 17 y.o. for signing up? Yes. Did I want them in harm's way? No. But, I signed.

/john

4 posted on 03/28/2002 5:31:24 PM PST by JRandomFreeper
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To: Pokey78
The Ministry of Defence has always vigorously defended its policy, claiming that at 17
men and women are at the height of their physical and mental powers.


Talk about a "downer" ending to a good article...

But...to some degree I'm for the concept of allowing someone who can pass the entrance
physical and wants to serve...let 'em in.

My father tried to join the US Military when he was still a teenager, sometime
near the tail-end of WWII.
His parents nixed the deal (I guess they wouldn't sign some sort of parental consent
papers).

So, of course, the US Army waited until he was 26 years old, married, gainfully
employed to draft him, then subject him to the "fun" of basic training at the
ironically-named Fort Bliss with a bunch of teenagers.
(However, he was rewarded with doing the second year of his hitch in Hawaii!)
5 posted on 03/28/2002 5:35:32 PM PST by VOA
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To: kd5cts
I would expect that their “height of mental powers” is more likely to be the ability to learn and follow orders.
6 posted on 03/28/2002 6:18:42 PM PST by spitz
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To: *BritishFriends
Check the Bump List folders for articles related to and descriptions of the above topic(s) or for other topics of interest.
7 posted on 03/28/2002 6:23:28 PM PST by Free the USA
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To: AnnaZ
The mean age of the Vietnam veteran was 19
8 posted on 03/28/2002 6:38:39 PM PST by alphadog
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To: alphadog
I heard that song on the radio also -- I doubt it's true.
9 posted on 03/28/2002 7:37:58 PM PST by 68skylark
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