TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014 INTERNATIONAL Sidney Lewis: British child soldier of the Great War POOLE, United Kingdom: The “Boys would have been filled said that recruiting standards enough he re-enlisted in the youngest Briton to fight in World with the patriotism which was slipped as the war progressed. army and served in Austria fol- War I was just 12 years old - but amazingly strong at the begin- Many parents allowed their lowing the armistice in Nov Sidney Lewis’ identity remained ning of WWI,” said Anthony underage sons to join the army 1918. He later became a police- a secret for almost a century Richards, head of documents because they thought it might man, got married and, after until the chance discovery of and sound at the Imperial War do them some good, while poor retiring, ran a pub. Colin Lewis faded documents revealed his Museum in London. “There families saw it as one less mouth discovered his father’s astonish- extraordinary story. The cente- would have been a lot of pres- to feed at home. They were ing history less than a decade nary of the start of the war in sure from their families and often reassured by a rule stating ago, after the death of an uncle 1914 has brought official recog- friends, and from society gener- that soldiers could not be sent who had carefully preserved the nition of Sidney’s remarkable ally, to do your bit for the war.” overseas until they were 19. In letters detailing Sidney’s service. journey from an English school- Sidney’s case, however, his dis- “My father did mention he had boy to a fighter on the bloody Lied About Age traught mother had no idea seen some action but I thought fields of the Somme. On holiday from school, the where her son - one of eight it was a little bit of exaggeration The recognition is a source of fearless young Sidney decided children - had gone. She found because he was too young at pride for Sidney’s son Colin to take his chances and signed out a year later when a soldier the time,” Lewis recalled. “I was Lewis, who only discovered the up for the army in Kingston, home on leave mentioned that about 11 or 12, and he never truth about his father’s past a London. He lied to the recruit- Sidney was fighting in the mentioned it again, we never few years ago, long after Sidney ment officer about his age, pre- Somme with the 106th Machine discussed it. It was like a family died in 1969 aged 66. “The great tending he was several years Gun Company. Horrified, she secret almost. I think perhaps disappointment is that I can’t older. He was not alone - about wrote to the War Office to that he felt he was a bit the congratulate him and tell him ‘I 250,000 underage soldiers demand Sidney be sent home, black sheep of the family.” am very proud of you’,” Lewis, fought for Britain in WWI, attaching his birth certificate The Imperial War Museum now 80, told AFP from his home according to historian Richard showing he was only 13. The has authenticated the docu- in Poole on the southern English van Emden, author of “Boy response was swift. In a letter ments and recognised Sidney as coast. “You did a fantastic job, Soldiers of the Great War”. But dated Aug 24, 1916, an obvious- Britain’s youngest soldier from you are a very brave boy actual- Lewis was a special case. “How a ly embarrassed army official World War I. Colin Lewis now ly. Well done, Dad.” 12-year-old got into the British replied: “I have to inform you plans a trip to the Somme with The story began in August army is really beyond belief,” van that action has been taken. “The his children and grandchildren 1915, when Britain had been at Emden told AFP. lad will be discharged with all to remember where Sidney A handout reproduction of a historic edition of the Daily Mirror war for a year. The army was des- In a photo from the time possible speed.” fought for six weeks - and unlike newspaper shows an article about WW1 British soldier Sidney perate for more men, although it Sidney “looked older than his Unscathed, Sidney returned so many others, made it back Lewis who joined the army in 1915 to serve in the war at the age was still reliant on volunteers. age”, the historian noted. He also home, but when he was old alive. —AFP of 12. — AFP Ukraine seeks US help as Putin talks tough Yanukovych to brief media from Russia KIEV: Ukraine sought urgent Western backing yesterday after Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted that Crimea had the right to join his country even while hinting at a readiness for dia- logue. The pro-European team in Kiev that rode the wave of three months of deadly protests to topple a Kremlin-backed regime is running against the clock to preserve the territorial integrity of the culturally splintered nation of 46 million. The self-declared leadership on the pre- dominantly ethnic Russian peninsula of Crimea has proclaimed independence from Kiev and set a March 16 referendum on switching over to Kremlin rule. The decision has been condemned by MOSCOW: A pro-Kremlin activist holds a scarf reading ‘Forward, Sevastopol!’ during Western powers who are also furious at a rally in support of ethnic Russians in Ukraine in central Moscow yesterday.— AFP Moscow’s seizure of Crimea in a lightning but bloodless operation that began days after the Sevastopol, scene of Russian February 22 fall and subsequent escape to Russia of president Viktor Yanukovych. German Chancellor Angela Merkel - whose cautious glories, eager to ‘go home’ approach to imposing sanctions on Russia has SEVASTOPOL, Ukraine: The Ukrainian flag dered shawl and traditional headdress. clashed with the more hawkish positions of has never really been embraced in Sevastopol Eastern European nations and the United States and its famed port, home to Russia’s Black Sea ‘Like a Rejected Transplant’ - bluntly told Putin on Sunday that the Crimean referendum was “illegal”. “The United States is fleet since the time of the tsars.And as Among the crowd was 47-year-old Pavel DONETSK, Uktaine: A pro-Russian protester waves a Russian flag next to a statue of Vladimir not prepared to recognise any result of the so- Moscow cements its control over Crimea, resi- Filipov, wearing a red anorak marked “Russian Lenin during a rally in the centre of this eastern Ukrainian city yesterday. — AFP dents here say they are looking forward to National Team” in English. “I have been wait- called referendum,” US ambassador Geoffrey the day when the Russian flag, already ing for this moment for decades,” he said. “We Pyatt told reporters in Kiev yesterday. nomic relief for its wheezing economy. “This is a to impose travel bans and asset freeze on Russia omnipresent, will fly as the official standard. are going home, the vote here will be 100 The most explosive East-West crisis since the very important visit,” Ukraine’s interim Foreign officials held responsible for endangering the In this city of 350,000 - where the squares and percent for Russia.” His wife Olga, 46, recalls Cold War was stoked further when the Kremlin Minister Andriy Deshchytsya told Kiev’s 1+1 tele- territorial integrity of Ukraine. US officials have streets carry the names of heroes of the the Soviet era when the city and its surround- said Putin told both Merkel and British Prime vision late on Sunday. “We hope that during stressed that Putin himself is not on that list but Crimean War or the Soviet Union - Ukraine’s ings were secret military areas closed to for- Minister David Cameron that he fully recognised these negotiations, we will find joint approaches also warn that Washington could pull out of a G8 independence in 1991 was traumatic. eigners. “We had peace and security, we left the actions of Crimea’s leaders - in power since to solving the situation around Crimea.” summit the Russian leader is hosting in Sochi in So when the pro-Kremlin regime of Viktor our keys under the mat, children played out- an end of February seizure of the local parlia- The White House said Obama will also discuss June. The European Union for its part has halted Yanukovych was overthrown last month, tens side. It was good,” she said. ment and government by pro-Kremlin gunmen. an economic support package that so far has visa talks and threatened to impose tough eco- of thousands rushed to the streets, rallying in Touring the city, there can be little doubt But Merkel’s office also said Putin had promised seen Washington pledge a quick infusion of nomic sanctions unless Putin quickly opens talks the central square and proclaiming a pro- of the pivotal role Sevastopol has played in to discuss with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei more than $1 billion and the European Union with the Kiev team. Moscow businessman, Alexei Chaly, as the Russian history. A “Hero City” of the Soviet Lavrov on Monday the creation of an “interna- promise to issue Ä11 billion ($15 billion) over The Kremlin blames the new Ukrainian rulers city’s new mayor. “The citizens of Sevastopol Union, Sevastopol saw 250,000 Red Army sol- tional contact group” on Ukraine that he had two years. Ukraine says it needs about Ä25 bil- for having fomented an atmosphere of intimida- decided to cut all ties with the thugs, crimi- diers killed when German forces took control resisted before.