7. Teenage Tommies

The ‘Big Picture’:

To develop their knowledge, understanding and empathy for the men who fought in the trenches; particularly ‘men’ near to the students age.

How will students be successful in their outcomes? 1. All will be able to recall the story of at least

on ‘Teenage Tommy’.2. Most will understand the hardships that

they endured and why they endured them.3. Some will be able to evaluate the choices

of these young men against the choicesthat they have to make today.

Skills:

Information-processing Analysis Creative thinking Empathy Use of ICT

Literacy:

Enlist Conscript Convalesce Desertion Execution

SECTION

Connect:

RESOURCES

http://www.child-soldiers.org/ http://www.warchild. org.uk/issues/child-soldiers?gclid=CJT0io-irMICFRHHtAodlxoAF Q

Activate:

ACTIVITY

Have some pictures of child soldiers on the board as the students enter. Ask students to come up with three reasons that this practice is wrong (e.g. too emotionally immature, no education, robbed of their childhood, etc.)

Explain the official policy concerning recruitment:

Officially you had to be 19, a minimum of 5’3” with a chest at least 34’’.

• Many boys well below 19 fitted these requirements. Recruiting sergeants were paid £6 per recruit meaning they were happy to bend the rules.

• There were also far fewer birth certificates (to prove the volunteers) ages than there are today.

• Many young men suffered the same fate as the pacifists (see lesson 5) and were pressured into joining.

• When the war was not ‘over by Christmas’, parentsbegan to complain about their sons being in battle.

• The army went and found them, many refused to leavetheir regiments others were put into camps until theywere old enough to re-join their units.

Demonstrate: Share the accounts with students in pairs or groups. Using the F@cebook template and the personal information students should create a profile page, a number of posts, photo uploads, etc. as one of the ‘teenage tommies’.

Teenage Tommies Sheets were made with information from:

• http://www.express.co.uk/news/history/532742/Teenage-Tommies-World-War-One

• http://www.pals.org.uk/battersby.htm• http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/boy_soldiers.

htm• http://archive.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.2213• http://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-

articles/remembering-teenage-soldiers-great-war.html

Consolidate: Read ‘The parable of the old man and the young’ from

‘Hear My Cry’ (Page 90). Ask students to reflect on the idea that the youth of a generation was sacrificed by the pride and decision-making of an older one. Link this idea to the teenage tommies who fought and died.

Teenage Tommies information sheets.

F@cebook template sheet.

Access to an ICT suite is ideal however profiles/pictures can be printed off.

‘Hear My Cry’

Resources for use with Hear My Cry, published by Bible Society, Stonehill Green, Westlea, Swindon SN5 7DG. biblesociety.org.uk/ww1

C ril Jose Devo shire Regi e t

Te h i all , o e had to e 9 ea s old to e a le to joi the B itish A . The offi e s espo si le fo e uit e t e e gi e a out £ fo e e e e uit fo the A . With this i e ti e, a o e ould gladl tu a li d e e.Most of the people at the egi i g of the th e tu did

ot ha e i th e tifi ates, so, l i g a out o e’s eal age as easie . The e ui e e ts to e o i g a soldie e e also si ple: i i u height spe ifi atio as o l feet a d i hes a d the i i u hest size as i hes. If a pe so

et these o ditio s, the , he as ost likel to e e uited.

C il Jose of Co all, a ti i e s so , as o l ea s old he he sig ed up fo the B itish A du i g the Fi st Wo ld

Wa a d e a e o e of the a s tee age soldie s. He joi ed the De o shi e Pals. The egio had suffe ed f o u e plo e t du i g those ti es a d he, sea hi g fo ad e tu e, ie ed the G eat Wa as a ea s to es ape

ho e. His e ite e t to e i the a as so lea i a lette he se t to his siste I du i g the ti e he spe t i the t ai i g a p. I it, he agged a out his ifle a d his a o et:

"Dea est I , sta d a k. I' e got o ifle a d a o et. The a o et's a out ft lo g f o hilt to e d of poi t. Must feel a it u to u i to o e of the i a ha ge. Not 'a f. Good e a d God

less ou, f o ou fit othe , C il."

C il Jose as posted to Loos i F a e a d ote ho e a out a otte e pe ie e he he as despat hed at ight to a liste i g post a ds i to o a s la d. The [the e e ] ust ha e k o so ethi g as the e. The Gs [Ge a s] had a ifle fi ed so as to hit the liste i g post. It as a

it uiet. O e hap o ed up – got it th ough the appe [head]. He died soo afte . I did ’t o up so u h afte that .

O the st Jul , at La Boisselle, du i g the So e, - ea -old C il Jose as a ua te of a ile i to o a s la d he he as hit i the left shoulde a d hest. Me e t do like o

efo e a s the, as his des iptio of the ho o . A da a d a ight passed efo e he da ed a l to safet . He ote: It see ed that I as alo e i a field of dead e . He d a k f o dead e s ate

ottles to su i e.

Septe e at Épeh as also C il Jose s a e ded. He as ou ded a d se t ho e ut etai ed a dist ust fo autho it fo the est of his life. He tu ed i to a st o g oppo e t of ilita is

afte spe di g his ti e i the f o t li es i F a e du i g the G eat Wa . C il Jose a e a WWI su i o ut the loodshed he it essed the e tu ed his ie s a ou d."What ai s Ea l Douglas ust ha e. Made e laugh he I ead his dispat h. 'I atta ked.' Old

o e i E gla d pi tu i g Si Doug i f o t of the B itish a es a dishi g his s o d at Joh i the t e hes... atta k Joh f o iles a k. I'll get a jo like that i the e t a ."

Ab Bevistei The Middlese Rifles)

Te h i all , o e had to e 9 ea s old to e a le to joi the B itish A . The offi e s espo si le fo e uit e t e e gi e a out £ fo e e e e uit fo the A . With this i e ti e, a o e ould gladl tu a li d e e. Most of the people at the egi i g of the th e tu did ot ha e

i th e tifi ates, so, l i g a out o e’s eal age as easie . The e ui e e ts to e o i g a soldie e e also si ple: i i u height spe ifi atio as o l feet a d i hes

a d the i i u hest size as i hes. If a pe so et these o ditio s, the , he as ost likel to e e uited.A a e f o a Je ish i ig a t fa il . He as o i Pola d, o upied the Russia s i . His fa il o ed to Lo do , E gla d he he as th ee. A e listed fo the B itish A , p oud to e fighti g fo his adopted ho e, i Septe e a d

e a e pa t of the ou t s e of tee age soldie s u h to the dis a of his fa il . He e e ha ged his su a e to Ha is of the Middlese Regi e t.

Whe he a i ed i F a e, he as posted to Loos a d he fou d out the g i ealities of li i g i the t e hes of the G eat Wa . I his lette to his othe du i g that ti e, he

ote that he spe t ti e i the , a e out safe ut did t like goi g a k. The e as a o sta t da ge of e plosio s f o i es pla ted u de the t e hes. O De e e ,

, he as ou ded i a e plosio that killed t o othe s a d suffe ed f o shell-sho k Post t au ati st ess diso de . I a lette he told his othe he had ee take ill addi g, But do ’t o , I ill e all ight. Ho e e , A as fa f o all ight.

The Wa Offi e ote to his pa e ts i fo i g the he as suffe i g f o sho k et at the F o t he as passed fit. I Fe ua his t e h agai a e u de hea o a d e t. Deafe ed a d i sho k, he e t to his o pa HQ o l fo the edi al

offi e to p o ou e hi fit a d o de hi a k to the t e h. But A set off i the opposite di e tio to a fa house he e he had ee p e iousl statio ed. He ould t e e eall e e e h he as the e. We e e i the t e hes a d I as ill so I e t out, he ote to his othe . The ’ e take e to p iso a d I’ i a it of t ou le o . Si e he as fa i g a ha ge of dese tio , fo hi h the pe alt as death, that as a

assi e u de state e t.

At his ou t a tial A pleaded ot guilt a d defe ded hi self ut gi e that his p ose uto s e e se io offi e s he, i effe t, had o defe e at all. His fate as sealed

he the F e h o a at the fa house said that he had told he he as goi g a k to E gla d thus gi i g the p ose utio p oof of i te t . At . a o Ma h , ,

A as e e uted fi i g s uad. He as .

Lieute a t St Joh Batters y East La ashire Regi e t

Te h i all , o e had to e 9 ea s old to e a le to joi the B itish A . The offi e s espo si le fo e uit e t e e gi e a out £ fo e e e e uit fo the A . With this i e ti e, a o e ould gladl tu a li d e e. Most of the people at the egi i g of the th e tu did ot ha e i th e tifi ates, so, l i g a out o e’s eal age as easie . The e ui e e ts to e o i g a soldie e e also si ple: i i u

height spe ifi atio as o l feet a d i hes a d the i i u hest size as i hes. If a pe so et these o ditio s, the , he as ost likel to e e uited.

St Joh Batte s as fou eeks sh of his th i thda he he olu tee ed to joi the a ks of the Ma heste Regi e t o th Ja ua . With o ha e of ei g a epted i to the a at the age of , he de la ed hi self to e ea s of age, a d e plo ed

as a d ape . O e o de s hat his fathe Walte , i a of Hol T i it Chu h at Bla kle , ade of it all.

I spite of his outh, Batte s had al ead ee p o oted to La e Co po al the ti e he as posted to the Ma heste 's th Rese e Battalio at Whitti gto Ba a ks, Li hfield o th Ma h . Withi a o th of his a i al at Li hfield, he had su itted his appli atio fo appoi t e t to a o issio . Suppo ted efe e es f o the Head aste of the G a a S hool at Middleto the

appli atio as app o ed, a d o th Ma he as dis ha ged f o the Ma heste Regi e t o ei g appoi ted to a o issio i the East La ashi e Regi e t.

Batte s as posted to F a e o th Ap il . So e da s late , he joi ed the th Battalio A i gto Pals . O st Jul , Batte s - at the age of - led a platoo i to the atta k at Se e o

the ope i g da of the Battle of the So e. Fo tu ate to su i e, he as hospitalized i E gla d afte suffe i g gu shot ou ds to his ight ist a d ight thigh. As ea l as d Septe e , Batte s etu ed to F a e to e-joi the th Battalio . O the ight of th/ th Ma h , the head ua te s ea Puisieu -au-Mo t took a di e t hit f o a e e shell. Batte s as se iousl ou ded. So e - eeks late , Batte s 's left leg as a putated at the uppe thigh i a ope atio at No. Ge e al

Hospital, Ét etat.

While e o e i g at De o po t Milita Hospital i No e e , he e ei ed a lette f o the Wa Offi e i fo i g hi that the e as o alte ati e ut that he should eli uish his o issio "o a ou t of ill-health, aused ou ds." Whe eas ost ould ha e ee glad to a ept the de isio

ithout a gu e t, the - ea old Batte s eplied that he ould e getti g a a tifi ial li "a out Ch ist as", that he as " uite fit i e e othe a ", a d that he ished "to e ai i u til the e d of the a ." Batte s e ide tl o his attle ith the autho ities, a d afte ei g passed fit fo offi e o k o th Ma h , he joi ed the Ro al E gi ee s T a spo tatio B a h Re o d Offi e i Ta isto k S ua e, Lo do fi e da s late .

Batte s o l eli uished his o issio he he as de o ilized o th Septe e , etai i g the a k of Lieute a t. I the e e t, he as to joi his fathe 's o atio , a d e a e i a of Chittoe,

ea De izes i .

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