The youngest boy to enlist in the British army was John Condon from Waterford, Ireland. He was 12 years old. In 1915 John Condon went with the Royal Irish Regiment to Flanders. He died during a German gas-attack near Ypres. His gravestone, nr. 6322 at the Poelkapelle British Cemetery in Belgium, mentions his age as 14, but that is incorrect. When he died, on 24th May 1915, he was still 13 years old. His birthday was in June.
Update: There’s a short article here with more info on his short life. Good to see the Peace School being renamed in his memory.
If you get the chance, there’s a blinding play on in central London about Ypres at the moment – ‘Journey’s End’. If it doesn’t have you in tears by the finale, my name’s not Ermintrude.
Ta for the info Ermintrude. I’d love to go – I need a night out or something to get me away from work and, I hate to say it, the kids. As for welling up in public, I probably wouldn’t make it to the finale.
“Excuse me, I’ve got something in my eye…….”
Just caught this post and thought that before you confuse matters by making John Condon even younger you look at the evidence on http://www.cwgc.co.uk/Condonevidence.htm which is pretty convincing in making him 18 years old, not 14. Not that anyone really wants the change as it is the most visited grave in Belgium. There are known other 15 & 16 year olds – isn’t that young enough!!
Hi Jim. Thanks for the information – I hadn’t come across it before – lots of reading there. And yep, 15 & 16 is far too young. My Father-in-law was flying lancasters in 1944 at the age of 19. I don’t know if that would ever happen again.