CHILD-SOLDIER.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16267, 18 July 1918, Page 8

CHILD-SOLDIER.

YOUNGEST VETERAN

An amaSTng story is told by a returned soldier of a nine-year-old boy, who found his way, right up into the firing line on the Somme (says the "Sydney Daily Telegraph"). There have been cases of Australian youngsters who enlisted at such an early ago that when the shocked authorities discovered their immaturity, recalled them to Australia, and gave them their discharge, the children were so young that they had to go back to school again. These veterans of fifteen or sixteen _ were surely the most astonishing Kind of school boys in existence. With all a man's exporicncc behind them to have to sit in class and learn their lessons again 1 With ears deafenod by shell-fire to have to listen to the drono of the pedagogue; and with shrapnel scars newly healed, to havo to receive a caning for inattention . Maybe these war-babies would have to ,learn history when they had just returned from making history. But this child of nine is surely the most remarkable fighter of them all. Not long out of short trousers he has fought for his country, and gone through more adventures 'than a Boy Scout ever of, or a reputable citizen experiences in a whole life-time, instead of roading boy's story books, he has been living "The Boys' Own Annual.'' At nine years of age he can comfortably look back to the time when he was pirate and a Red Indian, and a soldier-man; though one wonders what novelty or adventure the world can now hold for this war-wearied veteran. ORPHAN AND STOWAWAY. (i When the returnod soldier first saw the nipper" in i; ranee no was covered witii gieuse—in met, he was just one small yrease-spot. Me tiaci ueou given tiie joo oi gi easing tne axios or tne wjiee.ed tiax-iport. l'ue lad stowed away on a Now Zealand transport. Ho said ho was an orpnan. How he got up to the irout is no doubt known to tne New Zuaiandois, and tne same force could tell now lie became possessed ot a uniform. He iiad stoivod avvuy for the tun ot it, to see the war, but the magnet tliat drew his adventurous soul was a German helmet. '"1 want a German helmet," he used to say; "but I'm not going to pick "P any old one. What i want is tne helmet of a Fritz that I've kiilod myself .. The other sorts don't count. Pickin' 'em up is a kid's game." An A.I.F. officer in the tinng line took pity upon the waif, and kept him in his dug-out. Thero he made himself quite at iiome, doing odd jobs for everybody with the greatest willingness. But a dug-out in the firing line is no place even for so adventurous a boy as "the nipper"; though everybody, and especially his officer friend, tried to keep him out of danger. But the boy could not be kept under cover. He was always hopping up on to the parapet to watch the shells I It was little use to pull him down; up ho would gd again at the first hint of "liveliness." He was keeping a bright lookout for that Gorman helmet.

He had no rifle, but all the same he -managed to get a shot or two at Fritz. And he even went over the top with tho men. But his luck hold; he never got a scratch. It must be remembered though, how small a mark he presented for a bullet.

-J.OW HE SPENT HIS FURLOUGH IN LONDON. The officer arranged for the boy to get ten days' furlough in London; and off he went, prtoud at being treated like a real soldier. But someone had taken precautions that would keep him in England. On his arrival at Horseferry road headquarters he would bo 1 taken care of, and certainly not allowed to go back to the firing line. But nobody was really surprised when "the nipper" arrived back at the front. The pjan was an excellent one; but the boy did not go to Horsefeny road. When he arrived at Victoria Station his small size attracted the attention of a kindly old lady. She was so taken with the kid that she invited him to spend his furlough at her home. And sne kept him there, looking after him, giving the lonely boy a good boy's time, and —surely—mothering him to her heart's content. And then she saw him off to France, no doubt wondering sadly why such children should be sent to fignt.

So there to was, back on tho soldiers' hands again; but another plan was concocted, and one day he was sent on an errand to the back areas of the lines, and there the military police snapped him up as a straggler. They say he "told off" the military police like an old Anzac. "Call yourselves soldiers! Why don't you go to the front, and do you»* bit? Not yon! AH you can do is to arrest a better soldier than you are yourselves!" They sent him back to England, and there ne is being looked after. But he did not gp without his German helmet. No, he did not capture or kill the owner. He tried to, hard enough; but as he could not get a helmet that way Tie got it another. He "pinched" it off one of his mates.