Momčilo Gavrić was only 8 years old when he joined the Serbian Army during WW1, making him the youngest soldier to have fought in the Great War.
In August 1914, Momčilo's entire family was murdered by Austro Hungarian soldiers when they invaded his country. He survived simply by luck when his father had sent to him away to his uncle.
When he returned, he wondered around in a daze, eventually coming across the Serbian 6th Artillery Division. He told the soldiers what had happened, and Major Stevan Tucovic, the CO of the unit, decided to accept the now-homeless boy as an officially enlisted soldier.
Shortly after, the Serbian unit had discovered the enemy camp responsible for the child's family and launched a devastating artillery strike, letting Momčilo fire one of the guns as a form of closure.
He was then fitted with a custom uniform, issued a weapon and thus began his stint as a soldier.
Over the next few years, he fought in several key battles, lived in the trenches, was wounded, and survived harsh conditions alongside his new family. He learned to read and write while also learning how to throw hand grenades.
By the time he had turned 10, Momčilo became a seasoned veteran, was promoted to Lance Sgt and received several medals.
At the end of the war, he returned to Serbia and in 1929, he was called up to the army for conscription. He protested, saying that he had already served in the army for five years during the First World War.
Because of Momčilo’s age, the officer insisted that it was impossible and had him thrown in prison for two and a half months. He was subsequently released.
During WW2, he fought alongside the Yugoslav Army, he was captured by the Germans, managed to escape only to be recaptured and be shipped off to a concentration camp in 1943. He survived the camp and the war. He lived a quite life up until his death in 1993.
Side note: Dragoljub Jeličić was another young soldier in the Serbian Army during WW1 who was wounded 6 times at the age of 12. #ww1 #stayzero #zerofoxtrot