Young 'Soldiers'

GR916/15/14 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:51 pm

Hallo,

Just thought I'd start this thread so people can see how young some of the soldiers were...

GR916/15/14 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:53 pm

GR916/15/14 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:55 pm

GR916/15/14 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:58 pm

GR916/15/14 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:00 pm

...I have more photos, just want to make sure I'm not putting up too many...

Bauer · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:08 pm

Feuer away "young marcher".

PS - Have you got your Me109 yet? :wink:

Roderich · **Joined:** Thu Feb 19, 2009 2:23 pm **Posts:** 55

Hi,
Are the SS the 12th SS or are they older than they look? I know the recruiting age was lowered but these guys look about my age.
Roderich

GR916/15/14 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:33 pm

Great! Heer are some more...

GR916/15/14 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:35 pm

GR916/15/14 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:41 pm

olly · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:38 pm

Good photos, will have to keep growing my hair to catch up with most of this lot! Great colour photo as well.

Bauer · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 3:33 pm

Roderich wrote:

Hi,
Are the SS the 12th SS or are they older than they look? I know the recruiting age was lowered but these guys look about my age.
Roderich

Interesting point Rory. I have just finished reading again, "Steel Inferno" by Michael Reynolds, about the 1st SS Panzer Corps in Normandy (1st SS LAH and 12th SS HJ). The 12th SS when they were formed in spring 1943 were to use HJ members who were aged 17. It is a myth that they used HJ members who were younger. So by 6th June 1944, they would have all been 18 years of age. Reynolds exceptionally well researched book details the age groups of the 12th SS as at the Normandy invasion as approx. 65% 18 year olds, approx. 22% 19 year olds, and the remainder 20 years old or older.

In fact, they were overstrength so approx. 5,000 HJ members were transferred to the 1st SS LAH, who were understrength. Young soldiers though were not the preserve of the 12th SS though, as you can see from the many photos Norbert has posted. Guy Sajer was around 18/19 years (along with thousands of others) when he joined GD in 1943.

I cannot be certain, but I would have thought that the youngest German soldiers in "frontline divisions" (pre-1945) were generally 17 years old (notwithstanding scratch units used in the defence of Berlin etc in 1945).

Hope that helps build a picture.

anselm · **Joined:** Thu Jul 30, 2009 9:53 pm **Posts:** 88

Anyone got any pictures of 'older' soldiers. I have heard that by 1944 most frontline soldiers were either 17-19 or 30-38 or dead!!!!!

Bauer · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 4:13 pm

There may be hope for me yet then! It's depressing seeing all these youngsters!

Tadpole · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 6:30 pm

I'm reading a book by an officer in the King's Own southern Borderers from 1944 through to wars end. He has been recounting how the advance into Germany was halted for a short time by cadets from and SS training academy led by the training officers. Desperate times.

GR916/15/14 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:11 pm

GR916/15/14 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:12 pm

Heerwagen · **Posted:** Tue Dec 01, 2009 10:20 pm

anselm wrote:

Anyone got any pictures of 'older' soldiers. I have heard that by 1944 most frontline soldiers were either 17-19 or 30-38 or dead!!!!!

Well that puts me in the dead bracket then!

There is a very good and somewhat moving antiwar film 'Die Brücke' that is available on DVD. It is exactly focused on this theme of young soldiers and is a true story set during the last days of the war. Seven boys receive their call up, leave School and for all intent and purposes, are soldiers for all of one day!! The Director is Bernhard Wicki and I believe the film also received a Golden Globe award in 1960!! By todays standards, it's certainly no 'band of brothers or 'saving private Ryan', but in my opinion worth taking a look.

Heerwagen