Encyclopedia

Boy Soldiers on the Roll of Honour

The Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial lists the names of over 102,000 Australian War dead. Over 60,000 of them are the names of those who died in the First World War.

Below is a list of other boy soldiers.

1 Battalion: Private Albert Govers from Copeton, NSW, was a stationhand before the war. Official records show that he was 18 when he was killed in action at Flers, France in November 1916. He is buried at Grevillers British Cemetery, France. His mother writes after the war that he was in fact 16 years and 4 months old when he died.

2 Battalion: Lance Corporal John Auguste Emile Harris from Waverley, Sydney, was a clerk before the war. Official records show that he was 18 when he was killed in action at Lone Pine, Gallipoli in August 1915. He is buried in Lone Pine Cemetery. John enlisted in June 1915, two moths before he died, and that in that time he rose to the rank of Lance Corporal. His father writes after the war that John was 15 years and 10 months when he died.

4 Battalion: Private Stanley Adams from Randwick, Sydney, was a plumber before the war. Official records show that he was 18 when he was killed in action at Moquet Farm, France in August 1916. He is remembered on the Australian Memorial to those with no known grave at Villers Bretonneux, France. Stanley's brother, a Corporal, was twice wounded on Gallipoli, and then served through the war in France. Stanley's father writes after the war that Stanley was 16 years old when he died.

4 Battalion: Private Alexander Joseph Hearn from Campsie, NSW, was a tailors apprentice before the war. Official records show that he was 18 when he died of wounds received on Gallipoli in August 1915. He is buried at Northumberland, the Byker and Heaton Cemetery near Newcastle-on-Tyne in England. Joseph arrived in Australia from this area in England aged 15 years and five months, and enlisted in November 1914. According to his mother, writing after the war, he was considered to be the youngest soldier to leave with the NSW contingents. He was 16 years and 8 months when he died.

17 Battalion: Private Edward Perkins, from Sydney, was a carpenter before the war. He was killed in action at Flers, France in November 1916. Edward is buried in the Burial Ground at Grass Lane Cemetery at Flers. Edward enlisted in January 1916. His mother writes that Edward wads 16 years and 8 months when he died.

20 Battalion: Private Edward Cawe, from Unanderra, NSW, Edward was a railway porter before the war. He was killed in action at Pozieres, France, in July 1916. Edward is remembered on the Australian Memorial to those who have no known grave at Villers Bretonneux, France. Edward's aunt and uncle write after the war that they are his adopted parents and that Edward was 16 years old when he died.

20 Battalion: Private Walter Wakeley, from Canley Vale, NSW, died of pneumonia at Liverpool Camp, NSW, in July 1915 before his battalion left for service overseas. He is buried in Liverpool Cemetery. His father writes that Walter's brother won a Military Medal for bravery. Walter was 16 years and 6 months when he died.

48 Battalion: Private Gilbert Tripney, from Peterborough, South Australia, was an electrical apprentice before the war. He was killed in action on the Somme, France in October 1916. Gilbert is buried in Ridgewood Military Cemetery Voormezeele, Belgium. His father writes after the war that Gilbert had been a good rifle shot, champion of his battalion and that his son was 16 years and 10 months old when he died.

58 Battalion: Private George Yendle from Balaclava, a suburb of Melbourne, was a tinsmith for the company of John Marshall and Son of North Melbourne before the war. George died in action at Fromelles near the town of Fleurbaix, France in July 1916. He had enlisted in June 1915. He is buried in VC Corner Australian Cemetery in France. George's brother Albert of the 58th Battalion was also killed in action. He died aged 22 years in Belgium in September 1917. He was a seaman before the war and had enlisted 12 days before his young brothers death in July 1916. Their mother writes after the war that George was 16 years and 11 months.