The youngest participant of WWII !

[kindzjal]

I have often asked myself how old was the youngest participant of WWII ? Who was that person ? Where did he fight ?
I have been looking everywhere for info about this.
As far as I know now it was a Home Army soldier during the warsaw uprising: Jerzy Szulc, aka “Tygrys” !
He was 10 [!] years old while fighting in the Uprising.
Later he was a prisoner of Stalag 318 VIIIF (Lamsdorf), where the Germans hold about 600 young fighters (10 to 18 years old).
Does anybody have seen his picture ?

I have found some interesting pictures of other very young participants of the Uprising:

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Great post Kindzjal!

These youngsters were incredibly courageous. Included in this group were the young girl couriers who would pass along valuable communication between units of the AK, dodging bullets as they ran amidst the ruins. These children knew nothing other than the ruthless German occupation, having only heard about freedom from their parents, and were thus all the more motivated to see the invaders ousted from Poland.

Below is a well known statue in Warsaw commemorating these young fighters, many who perished in those two terrible months in 1944.

Regards,
Tony

[3mk]

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

[A.J. Zawadzki]

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

Yes, they certainly were.

Emil, I forgot that you are only 12 years old - the same age as my middle son Aleksander. I could only wish that he (or my 16 year old son) would have anywhere near the interest you have in Polish history. Youngsters like you are the future of this hobby, and I just might have to include you in my will !

Cheers,
Tony

[3mk]

I just might have to include you in my will !

I wish

[mr dogtag]

Heh, I could easily say that my father was.
He was born during Uprising right on the square of Pulawska and Dolna Street as my Grandma didn't make it to a nearest lazarett from Belgijska where she lived and survived the massacre of civilians of that street.
They landed later in Dulag in Pruszkow where the guards were calling my Pap "Der Kleinste Polnisch Banditt" :-).
Fortunately my Grandma was smart enoght to bribe the guards with some hidden cigarettes and they let her go.
Otherwise I might be not writing on this forum now...
Rgds
Al

[Pompa Mike]

This is a long way from having snowball fights. I enjoy the history but the suffering that people endured is difficult to begin to understand.

[dorava]

BRAVO EMIL!!!!
you have a great future ahead of you..and as Mr T says..you ARE the future...and..........work on Mr T in regards to the will......that would be something to look forward to!!!

I only wish I would have started at your age!

congratulations!!!

Yes, they certainly were.

Emil, I forgot that you are only 12 years old - the same age as my middle son Aleksander. I could only wish that he (or my 16 year old son) would have anywhere near the interest you have in Polish history. Youngsters like you are the future of this hobby, and I just might have to include you in my will !

Cheers,
Tony

[Rudy 102]

Hello All.
This is new forum for me. But I already like what I see.
Alex

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Welcome aboard Alex!

. . . my Grandma didn't make it to a nearest lazarett from Belgijska where she lived and survived the massacre of civilians of that street.
. . .

. . . the suffering that people endured is difficult to begin to understand.

Yes, difficult to comprehend the horror of those terrible days. The number of dead – estimated at 250,000, is staggering.

Recommended reading, although be forewarned, the content is graphic and very sad:

German Crimes Committee During the Warsaw Rising. Background

German Crimes Committed During the Warsaw Rising. Part I

German Crimes Committed During the Warsaw Rising. Part II

Regards,
Tony