ENLISTING AT 15

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 167, 31 May 1940, Page 6

ENLISTING AT 15

BOYS DECEIVE OFFICERS Melbourne. Military authorities in Victoria are being embarrassed by large nuin hers of youths under military age who have enlisted in the A.I.F. by wrongly swearing that, they are 2t years old. Scores of Victorian youths have entered the Army in this way, it was learned. Six of them Avere aged 15, and ages of others ranged from 16 to 20. One boy had completed his training and was actually on board n troop transport, about to leave lor Palestine, "when he was detected and brought ashore. Most of the others succeeded in remaining in the Army until they were within a lew days of the sailing date of their units. Detection in each case iiad followed complaints by parents that their boys had enlisted without their knowledge. Under New Names. The parents have explained that they thought the boys were away in the country or that they had enlisted for home defence. So keen were several lads to fight overseas that, after having been discharged once, they changed their names and re-enlisted. Military officers state that the youths invariably are a fine type, and usually of such mature build that they are easily able to convince rccruiting officers that they are 21. Although the officers appreciate the spirit of the under-age recruits, they say that the machinery for detection and discharging of them involves the Army in considerable work and the parents in trouble and expense, including the cost of birth certificates to prove that the youths are under age. I