https://www.facebook.com/ThisIsChristianSerbia/photos/a.779932302064351.1073741828.779518938772354/888073131250267/?type=1&theater

Momčilo Gavrić (Serbian Cyrillic: Момчило Гаврић; 1 May 1906 – 28 April 1993) was the youngest soldier in the First World War. In the beginning of August 1914, Austro-Hungarian soldiers killed his father, mother, grandmother, his three sisters, and four of his brothers. His house was also set on fire. Momčilo survived because he was not at home when it happened - his father had sent him to his uncle earlier. At the age of 8, after the Battle of Cer, he was promoted to the rank of kaplar (Corporal) by the commander of his unit, and given a military uniform. In Kajmakčalan, on the Salonika front, Serbian commander in chief, Duke Živojin Mišić, was stunned when he saw a uniformed ten-year-old boy in the trenches. Major Tucović explained the situation to him; that Gavrić had been with them since the Battle of Cer, and that he had both been taught discipline and been wounded during his time in the unit. Mišić promoted Gavrić to podnarednik (Lance Sergeant), and the order was read out to the whole division.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mom%C4%8Dilo_Gavri%C4%87

World War One began on July 28th 1914, when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Later that night, the first battle of the WWI was held, when Austro-Hungarian troops started to bombard Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and tried to storm over the rail bridge across the Sava river to enter the city, but their attack was repelled. Later that year, after entering Serbia across the Drina river, Austro-Hungarian troops will suffer two major defeats, at the Battles of Cer mountain (August 15-24th) and Kolubara river (November 16th - December 15th), which proved Austro-Hungarian Empire was large, but weak. It was only when German troops were involved a year later, that the Central Powers achieved a victory.

In October 1915, Mackensen, in command of the newly formed Army Group Mackensen (Heeresgruppe Mackensen, which included the German 11th army, Austro-Hungarian 3rd army, and Bulgarian 1st army), led a renewed German-Austro-Hungarian-Bulgarian campaign against Serbia. The campaign finally crushed effective military resistance in Serbia but failed to destroy the Serbian army, which, though cut in half, managed to withdraw to Entente-held ports in Albania and, after recuperation and rearmament by the French, reentered fighting on the Macedonian front.

http://www.geni.com/people/Generalfeldmarschall-August-von-Mackensen/6000000016836826242



The following is the speech German Field Marshal August von Mackensen gave to his forces before departing for the offensive against Serbia in October of 1915:

"You are not going to the Italian, or Russian, or the French front. You are going into a fight against a new enemy who is dangerous, tough, brave and sharp. You are going to the Serbian front, to Serbia, and Serbs are people who love their freedom and who are willing to fight for it to their last. Do your best so this small enemy does not overshadow your glory and compromise the success you've achieved so far in the glorious German army."

http://www.heroesofserbia.com/2014/05/the-serbian-army-best-soldiers-in.html



On the day of the decisive battle, Serbian soldiers received the Communion in the Ružica church (Little Rose church) in the Kalemegdan Fortress, and then they scattered around the Danube quay, readily waiting for the enemy. They sang to chase away the fear of certain death to which they were led by the speech of their commanding officer Major Dragutin Gavrilović, who wanted to inspire them and lift their spirits before the upcoming battle:

"Soldiers, exactly at three o'clock, the enemy is to be crushed by your fierce charge, destroyed by your grenades and bayonets. The honor of Belgrade, our capital, must not be stained. Soldiers! Heroes! The supreme command has erased our regiment from its records. Our regiment has been sacrificed for the honor of Belgrade and the Fatherland. Therefore, you no longer need to worry about your lives: they no longer exist. So, forward to glory! For King and Country! Long live the King! Long live Belgrade!"



After his troops captured Belgrade, Mackensen raised a large monument dedicated to fallen German soldiers, and a small monument nearby, dedicated to fallen Serbian soldiers. The inscription reads: "Here Rest Serbian Heroes", both in German and Serbian language. It was the only time in history that a victorious army raised a monument to their defeated enemy.

"The Serbs are the best soldiers in the Balkans - daring and combative - brave fighters and a proud people." - German Field Marshal August von Mackensen, WWI

Field Marshal Mackensen, who was a commander of the enemy troops, had written in his memoirs about the Serbian soldiers who were defending the Belgrade in October: "We fought against an army that we have heard about only in fairy tales, who defended themselves with virtually unprecedented courage. The moment we conquered Serbia hurt us more than her allies."

http://defence.pk/threads/stories-about-serbs-and-serbia-in-ww1.313769/

Serbia's glory was recorded, but Serbia's sacrifices were also immense. The price that Serbia paid for the great victory in the First World War was disproportionately heavy. During the war, it lost an estimated 1,100,000 to 1,300,000 inhabitants, making up nearly a third of its total population, or as much as 60% of the male population. To better understand the feat of the army which was small in numbers, but great in bravery, it may be best to see what others, its contemporaries, said about it:

French marshal Franchet d'Espèrey wrote in a report on the breakthrough of the Front to his government: "Operations need to be slowed down as there is no communication to deliver food to advancing French troops; only Serbian troops need no communication, they move like a storm - forward."

Robert Lansing, US Secretary of State, said on the same topic: "When the history of this war is written down, its most glorious chapter will bear the title SERBIA."

German Emperor Wilhelm, imperialism and Serbia's opponents personified in his time, said of the Serbian people: "It is a shame that this small nation is not my ally."

The new Viennese Greie Presse, a newspaper that waged the most intensive campaign against Serbia, wrote about the Serbian people in 1918: "It will remain a puzzle how the remnants of the Serbian army which managed to escape Mackensen's army, could later be made fit for battle. It is proof that the Serbian soldier is among the toughest warriors the global conflagration has seen."

The Cologne newspaper from 1918 states in the article The Psychology of Retreat: "Few soldiers fought like the Serbian soldier did. He died where he had been ordered to stand his ground."

Field Marshal Mackensen: "I have an unusual admiration and love for people from Šumadija (Serbia). You are a heroic nation, full of honour and pride; a nation with a great and brilliant future."

Austrian general Alfred Krauss also held a high opinion of Serbs, which is why he didn't hesitate to say: "I'd like to use this opportunity to note that we have come to know Serbs as worthy enemies. I considered them, and I consider them still, the strongest of our enemies in the military sense. Undemanding, clever, cunning, particularly mobile, well armed, abundantly supplied with ammunition, skilled at using the land, very well managed, stirred to battle by hate and enthusiasm, they inflicted much more difficulty to our troops than the Russians, Romanians and Italians did."

Czech author Erwin Kisch, corporal of the Eleventh Regiment of the Ninth Austro-Hungarian Division and participant in the Battle of Kolubara, made an interesting statement: "It was only in Serbia in 1914 that I realised that the freedom of small nations is a force stronger than the violence of the great and powerful ones", he wrote. "Only here did I understand Chateaubriand when he said that a relentless force - the will, overcomes everything, and that might's weakness is that it only believes in might."

A Japanese professor at the school of medicine in Tokyo, chief of the Japanese Red Cross mission in Paris during the First World War, said in his speech: "Until this war, we, the Japanese, enjoyed the reputation of being the soldiers with the strongest spirit of warriorship. This time, we have to admit that the Serbian soldier has taken this primacy from us. Don't mind, dear Serbs, that we are also slightly jealous of that."

The Norwegian colonel Carsten Angel, 1915: "We arrived with little respect for Serbian soldiers, and we return full of admiration. We've seen a calm, confident, patriotic people. We have found the best soldiers in the world - brave, obedient, sober, resilient, willing to sacrifice their lives for their country and national idea."

French marshal Franchet d'Espèrey also expressed his excitement at the Serbian soldiers' traits, which is why he asked, almost poetically: "Who are those heroes who can say that they have deserved one of the greatest accolades in the world? They are peasants, almost all of them, they are Serbs, thick-skinned, sober, modest, unbreakable, they are free people, proud of their race and masters of their fields."

Wow that was amazing! The kid had guts!

The youngest soldier of WWII

Seryozha Aleshkova was 6 years old when the Germans executed his mother and elder brother for liaison with the guerrillas. It happened in the Kaluga region. Sergei  was rescued by neighbor. She threw the child out of the window of the hut and shouted that he fled as fast as he could. The boy ran into the woods. It was the autumn of 1942. It's hard to say how long the child was wandering, hungry, exhausted, in the frozen forests of Kaluga. It met the scouts 142 th Guards Rifle Regiment, commanded by Major Vorobyev. He carried the boy in his arms across the front line. And they keep him in regiment.

The hardest thing was to pick up clothes for the little soldier: Well, where you will find size of soldier boots for child? However, with time they found  shoes, and uniforme - all as it should be. Young unmarried Major Mikhail Vorobyov  became a second father for the boy. By the way, he later officially adopted him.

- Pity that you don't have a mom, Seryozhenka - sad Major once  said, stroking the boy's hair cut short.

- Yes for now,  but she will be - he replied. - I like a nurse  Nina, she is kind and beautiful.

So with a light hand of the child, Major found happiness and lived with Nina Andreyevna Bedov, medical service sergeant, all his life.

Sergei was helping to elders  as best he could: carry the mail and cartridges, sang songs  in between fights. Seryozhenka proved to have remarkable character - cheerful, calm, he never whined and complained about nothing. And for the men, the boy was a reminder of the peaceful life, each of them left at home someone, who loved them and waited. Everyone tried to caress the child. But his heart once and for all Sergey gave to major Vorobyov.

Medal "For Service in Battle" Serge got for saving the life of his father . Once, during a raid,  fascist bomb hit  dugout of regimental commander. No one, but the boy did not see, that under the rubble of logs was a major Vorobyov.

- Father! -  cried Serge, jumped to the dugout and pressed his ear to the logs. From below came the muffled groan.

Swallowing her tears, the boy tried to move the logs to the side, but he tore his hands in blood. Despite the continuing bomb explosions, Sergei ran for help. He brought to the dugout soldiers and they pulled out their commander. And Sergei Guard soldier stood by and wept loudly, smearing mud on the face, like an ordinary little boy who he actually was.

The commander of the 8th Guards Army General Chuikov when learn about the young hero, awarded Sergei by honorary weapons of war - trophy pistol "Walter". Later, the boy was injured, sent to the hospital and  never returned to the front.

It is known that Aleshkov Sergei finished  military cadet school and graduated from the Kharkov Institute of Law. For many years he worked as a lawyer in Chelyabinsk, close to his family - Michael and Nina Vorobyov. In recent years he worked as a prosecutor. He died early in 1990. Probably affected by the war.

Thank you for sharing this, it is a great story. And especially for this.

Quote from: kalash on June 14, 2015, 04:01:28 AM
So with a light hand of the child, Major found happiness and lived with Nina Andreyevna Bedov, medical service sergeant, all his life.

I have to correct my first post a bit, because the first photo belongs to another boy soldier.



Dragoljub Jeličić (Serbian Cyrillic: Драгољуб Јеличић; c. 1902 – 1963) was one of the youngest soldiers in the Serbian Army during the First World War. The Jeličić family originally lived in Kordun, in present-day Croatia, but emigrated as refugees to the Serbian town Šabac, hoping for a better life there. When Serbia was invaded by Austria-Hungary, Dragoljub had just begun elementary school. His father was among the ones that were killed in the initial battles of the war. As the Austro-Hungarian Army approached Belgrade, he participated in the attempts to defend the Serbian capital against the invading forces. Jeličić later managed to escape southwards to a unit stationed near Rudnik. During a battle for the Mačva region, he was wounded while replacing a machine gunner who had been killed earlier. In Niš, he befriended Archibald Reiss, a professor in criminology who later would become known for his documentations of Austro-Hungarian war crimes against civilians during the occupation of Serbia. Reiss wrote about the encounter in his memoirs. During the war, Jeličić was personally awarded the rank of Corporal by Prince-Regent Alexander. Shortly before the age of fourteen, he was promoted to Lance Sergeant, and he participated in the battles at the Salonika Front. He was wounded six times in total during the course of the war.

It is unclear whether this photo was made during the defense of Belgrade in 1914 or 1915, or during the liberation of Belgrade in 1918. But, if it is claimed that he was the youngest soldier, that he had just begun elementary school when the war started, and since the photo was made by a French photo reporter, I assume it is from 1918, and that Dragoljub Jeličić was 8 at the beginning of the war, just like Momčilo Gavrić.

I forgot to place the link for my previous post.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragoljub_Jeli%C4%8Di%C4%87