The youngest participant of WWII !

[Dean]

There was also the "youngest corporal in the SS" .He was six! I posted this a few days back but 'll do it again.

Secrets Of A Nazi Mascot - YouTube

[greimers]

I just find it so terribly sad that these youngsters, regardless of nationality, were subjected to the horrors they endured.

My Father was sent out at 12 years old to bring back shot down allied aircrew, from there Luftschutz/luftwaffe Helfer (Hamburg Firestorm) then Luftwaffe Flak and finally ground-fighting.

Having been brought up in Australia, I would constantly stuff-up and disappoint him, but he always just shook his head and would say " Enjoy your childhood, for I never had one"

[StefanM]

A group of child "soldiers" in Battalion "Gurt" Warsaw Rising at a funeral of a fallen comrade-in-arms. Group "Gurt" operated in Śródmieście-Północ (City Center - North) sector alongside Battalion Chrobry II . Funeral of kpr. podch. "Romana" Jerzego Graczyka, dow 156 Sergeant. 1 Comp ZGR "Gurt", who was killed in the attack on bar "Zywiec" on the corner of Jerusalem Avenue, 18 August 1944 , posthumously promoted to Senior Lieutenant.



An interesting website with accounts of Warsaw 1944 by children:

Banished from Warsaw in 1944 - the Plight of Children"



Picture above drawn by Konrad Szabelewski during the Warsaw Rising, 1944

[Dean]

Very chilling stuff..and great drawing.

[kindzjal]

Warsaw today:



Young inhabitants remembering the heroes.

[kindzjal]

Another picture:

[kylesbullets]

Ill try scanning a pictures from a book about the Warsaw Uprising.There were many young fighters,Im 12 years old and i cant imagine fighting in the Warsaw Uprising.
True Heros

One year older

[Frundsberg]

Well, war is not for the kids and women. There were plenty on underage partisans in USSR and also underage deffenders of Berlin in 1945. I do not see anything good or heroic in it. Just wasted childhood and ruined lifes only because some politicians decided so.

[kindzjal]

@Frundsberg, WAR is not only no good for children and women. WAR is not good for any human beeing.
I would not describe Hitler or Stalin as politicians... thugs or butchers is a beter name for those inhuman figures.