Those Keen Youngsters Call To old

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 88, 15 April 1939, Page 12 (Supplement)

Those Keen Youngsters Call To old

THE quest for the youngest Digger has brought about some surprising revelations, and it seems that there were a number of youths among we more sophisticated elders who should really have been still at school instead of keeping back the Hun or "Johnny" Turk. In some of the cases the ages cannot be authenticated as was done by Digger Ewart, who enlisted, at the age of 15 years 10 months, legitimately as a drummer boy. As one correspondent states, it is useless searching base records, for "the young blighters" simply got into long pants and gave any age. We must, therefore, trust to the bona fides of the correspondents, but the following cases are most interesting. The record of Pte. James Dunlop, son of Mrs. Dunlop, of 61, Huxley Street, Christchurch, has been sent in not only from Christchurch, but from a fellowDigger and an old cobber in Auckland and a lady reader. He was 15 years and five months old when he enlisted on June 1, lDlfii ' He left with the 17th Reinforcements aboard the Pakeha. For the purposes of enlisting he borrowed a pair of long trousens and got through the medical examination without difficulty. He was sft Din in height and probably that dispelled the initial scepticism of the doctors. He was then an apprenticed electrical engineer with the Christchurch Tramway Cdmpany. He joined the 2nd South Canterbury Company of the 2nd Canterbury Battalion in France and served throughout, mostly as a brigade runner, being in the line at Ploegsteert, Messines, La Bassee Ville, Passchendaele, Ypr'es', ' Mailly Maillet, Hebuterne, ,and ,in the British offensive that terminated the war.' When he was discharged he was not 18 years of age. Another of the Same Brian Leggett writes from Dannevirke:—"l have read with interest your page regarding the juvenile soldiers and am forwarding you one which I think might interest you and your many readers. I ! am a friend of the man in question, who would not send the particulars himself (says he doesn't want to brag). However, he is hale and hearty, has a family of ten, runs a large farm, is a keen deer stalker and bushman, and only on Sunday I met him midway between Dannevirke and Pohangina in the ranges. "The particulars are as follows:— Lance-Corporal S. G. Stanfield: Age on enlistment, 15 years five months; sixteenth and seventeenth birthdays spent in the line in France; wounded third time six weeks before eighteenth birthflay, and three weeks before Armistice. Total service, 2 years 341 days; overi i i

seas, 2 years 224 days. Unit, 9th Hawke's Bay Conipanv, Ist Wellington Infantry Brigade, N.Z.E.F. "I might add that this man tells me that he met on a Public Works contract a man who said that he went overseas when four months younger than Stanfield, but unfortunately my friend cannot remember his name." A Mother Speaks of Her Son .Mrs. A. W. Hutchins, 10, Dallinghoe Crescent, Milford, is justly proud of her son's service for King and country. She writes: — "Just a note to say that although my son, Alfred James, did not have such a long war service as Private Ewart, he was two months younger than him when he enlisted, being only 15 years and eight months. ' He was born 1(1/5/1900 and first tried to enlist when 15 years and six months old in Waitara, but was told to fro back to school again. Anyway, on January 10,, 1910, he bought a pair of long trousers and went into New Plymouth and passed the test, leaving for cam]) two days later. He left New Zealand with the 14th Reinforcements in No. 6 Platoon, B Company.

"He has been living in Sydney for 16 years. He was discharged during i the latter part of 1918. He went first 1 into the Somme battle and came out i without a scratch, but was gassed on June 9 in the Battle of Messines. He i was in hospital in England and was sent 1 back to New Zealand. He was in the Cambridge sanatorium for some months and does not enjoy the best of health. When he came out of the Somme battle one of the doctors wrote to me to send his birth certificate, as he said he knew Alfie (or rather, "Tiny," as thev all called him) was not 20 years and' that he had told him in the end he was only 16 years.

i "I wrote to Alfie and asked him if he would like to come home, but he said he had gone to do his duty to his couni try and was not coming home and he ; stayed until he was sent home sick. ; "I must say lam also very proud of ■ Private Ewart's record of service. Our son went as a bugler here and enlisted with the Taranaki troops, as we were living at Uruti then." , Young Maori Soldier With reference to the youngest Digger ! who left New Zealand" for the Great War (1914-1918), I wish to say that I have come across one whom I believe , was the youngest Digger. When I went s over to Sydney for the Anzac parade i last year I met a young Maori soldier i who was also going over on the same i visit. He showed me a letter of invitai tion from a Sydney newspaper to visit , the office and from the letter 1 found out . that the paper's interest centred on the ; fact that he was the youngest Digger > who left these shores. , His story, told to me and Mr. S. Rice, ) of liiveriaigill (late Major of New Zea- • land Pion.ers), on board the s.s. - Maiingiiiiui convinced me that he was the youngest Digger from New Zealand. The name of the lad in question was Q. Ngawaka, 00627, Whangape, Herekino. He had just entered his "teens" when he joined up and left for overseas before he turned 14.— W. S. REWA, 16/1251 (late N.Z. Pioneers, N.Z.E.F.) Other interesting claims have been made and will appear in due course). ♦ ♦ -t- ♦ TWO-UP "SCHOOL" In Trafalgar Square While on leave in London during September, 1918, an "Aussie" and myself wandered about one Saturday until we came to Trafalgar Square, when we sawthousands of men and women (mostly women). In the centre there were hundreds of London police, who had come out on strike for more money and shorter hours. The speakers were explaining to the crowd, but my cobbei did not like the idea of a strike during war time. He would not allow any of them to say a word. He kept barr racking the whole time. At last the S police were so disgusted that they * marched away. t As soon as they had gone away we n started a two-up game, about 50 "Ause sies" taking part. The crowd of people t started to crowd in to watch the game, e but after about a dozen throws the ring s became so small that there was no room i. left to toss up, and we had to give in. e The Sunday papers next day made a i great fuss about the police being on v strike and allowing such a game to be 1 played in the square. At six o'clock t on the Saturday night the strike was ►' off, the police having gained their point. 11/1942, Morningside. i

Some Surprising Revelations Soldiers