Wounded during the Battle of the Aisne,
Comes the story reported in the Liberté,
Of a very young soldier, resting in a Paris
Nursing home - The age of him being fifteen.
A French farm lad had shared in fighting,
In the bombardment of Senlis, days before.
A farm, North East France close to the river Oise,
Not too far from the town of Senlis, had lost most
Of its workers to become soldiers. Among them,
One too young to be in the army, was employed
As a herd-boy - but another story says he is son
Of a market gardener, working fields for his father.
Some say he was 14 and 7 months, some fifteen...
Gustave Chatain is the name of this lad, who
By his hospital bed, has a pair of red, military,
Made to measure trousers, waiting for him
To wear. He talks of his story in an ingenuous
Way - thinking nothing out of the ordinary,
Of his experiences - He describes himself,
As being strong and big for his young age.
People about Senlis spoke of the nearby Boche,
That, although the British had come to their side,
There were still too few men trained to fight.
Gustave heard daily stories of Belgium battles,
Thrilled but anxious as he hears the women fret.
He saw Belgium and French refugees passing
The farm - walking miles, lugging few belongings.
The stories of these people told of Germans
Advancing across their lands, driving them
From homes, which were frequently burned
Down - people they know have been killed,
Or died, too weak to travel. The enemy
Is trying to reach Paris - Gustave heard this,
Feeling a growing need to fight the invaders.
The sounds of battle came from beyond Senlis,
As thunderstorms drifting upon the autumn air,
Punctuated by bursting puffs of shell smoke.
The women watched the distance, considering,
If they too would have to leave their homes.
So Gustave trudged the fields, as if looking
To the herds of cows - until he was out of sight.
The boy had decided to fight the Boche.
Walking fast as he could towards the fight,
Gustave, on route, met Chasseurs Alpins,
And offered help to undertake any errands.
Seeing guns carried in their cart, he asked
For a rifle, the mountain infantry laughed.
'Can a boy like you shoot?' They asked
The lad answered how he shot many crows.
That the Boche would be a just as easy target.
He fell in, warned not to boast too early.
He marched along proudly, until the Captain
Saw him and as he was a child, sent him away.
He watched, saddened as they marched on.
He did not turn back, but soon saw another
Regiment approach and he joined their march.
He answered that his mother would be proud,
Knowing her four sons would be at the front.
He promised to be good and keep out of sight,
To take shelter in a trench until being needed.
In deciding to look after him till darkness,
The soldiers moved on a short distance until,
Suddenly they saw Uhlans approaching.
Under sharp command they took cover.
Gustave jumped to an embankment,
To see German cavalry. The French fired,
And the enemy fled, leaving the wounded
And dead - but then a German car appeared.
Rattling a machine gun at the French,
It sped off, killing some of the regiment.
Gustave picked up a rifle and ammunition.
As the company took up new positions,
He followed, unnoticed. Then he took part,
Firing and advancing till the enemy
Was gone - but so too was his company.
Disappointed, he turned and saw a dead
Soldier, as big as him. So he took his cap
And uniform, swearing vengeance for him.
Coming across a newly arrived regiment,
His large uniform was a limited disguise,
So they put him with others of short stature,
Who said he would not now be noticed.
At this stage they came to the Battle
Of the Marne. Gustave said how he enjoyed
Being able to advance with the regiment.
For days he helped with pride, to dig trenches.
Gustave described he had been in a charge,
Using a bayonet - getting near the Boche,
By holding up a bundle of hay as a shield.
The din of battle filled with gun sounds,
Of all sizes - shrapnel rips like tearing
Metal sheets, bullets whizzed like bees,
And zipping into the heaped up earth.
Gustave reached as far as their trenches,
Knowing a German's trick to 'sham dead.'
He kicked them to see if this was the case.
Seen as one of pluckiest soldiers, among
The regiment, he was given a fitted uniform,
With leggings and boots, haversack
And overcoat. He notes that when his face,
Is spattered with mud, from exploding
Shells, no one can tell his young age.
Gustave showed the reporter his diary,
From the Aisne battle, kept in schoolboy's
Exercise-book - hoping that his spelling
Might be excused. For two days he had
Been in advance, when he thought to go
Into a loft in looking out for the Boche.
The house door was locked and he looked
Through a crack, to see German haversacks
And cartridges on the floor - with loaded
Rifle and bayonet fixed, he broke the door.
Going to the loft he found seven Boche,
Sleeping - he hit the floor and they awoke.
At the sight of the bayonet they raised their hands.
Gustave ordered them out - they were pleased
To surrender, as he handed them to the regiment.
In a scouting party with twelve men, a sergeant,
And corporal, Gustave went to see if the enemy
Occupied two farms and cut any telephone wires.
As they neared the farms the enemy started
Firing - the corporal and five men fell - in yards
Seven more were shot, leaving him and a sergeant.
A bullet hit Gustave's cap. Dropping behind a heap
Of rocks, he fired at the left farm, until he had
No ammunition - after which he ran and gained
A bullet in the right shoulder - to make him hurry.
The Sergeant being struck in the foot, fell down.
Gustave taking him on his back, to carry the man
Back to their lines - the reporter was a little skeptic.
Then a wounded soldier nearby spoke up.
He said how he had been there and the boy,
Was telling the truth - adding the fact, that wha
He did not, is how officers congratulated him.
How proud they were, as he dined at the table
Of their General. The Military Government of Paris,
On hearing of the lad, stated that once cured,
He will be allowed to return to his adopted regiment.
Gustave returned home for a deserved rest,
Before returning to his chosen regiment,
On 8 October 1914. In further fighting, the lad
Was again wounded and then promoted,
To the rank of corporal - the youngest officer
Of the French army. A faded photograph tells
The story of Gustave Chatain's deserved pride.
Standing, arms crossed - slightest of smiles
He regards us, the viewer, with strong eyes.
by Jamie Mann.
Beaumont, A., 1914.
Daring Exploits of a French farm Lad - Fighting at Fifteen. The Daily
Telegraph, [online]
3
Oct. p.5. Col.1. Available at:
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11137066/Daily-Telegraph-October-3-1914.html>
[Accessed: 3rd October 2014].
Mackenzie, D.
A., 2012. The Baldwin
Project, Bringing Yesterday's Classics to Today's
Children - Heroes and Heroic
Deeds of the Great War - Brave French Boys. [online]
Available at: <http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=mackenzie&book=heroes&story=brave> Accessed 4th October
2014].
Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago -
Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 4th October
2014).
#WW1 #WW1Paris #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar
#ww1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered
Militarian - Military History Forum, 2009. Boy Soldiers - Discussion in World War 1. [online] (updated 2 January 2009) Available at: <http://www.militarian.com/threads/boy-soldiers.6453/> [Accessed 4 October 2014]
