# How did the western Allies deal with child soldiers in WWII? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 3, 2012, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581 "2012-09-03T21:50:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581/1 "2012-09-03T21:50:26Z")
I’ve been reading about the American advance into German during WWII, and how as the Germans became more desperate they resorted to drafting the Hitler Jugend and other non-combatants for the defence of the Reich. A few stories I’ve heard tell of how the Americans dealt with it; in Aachan an 8 year old fired a rifle at an American squad; their sergeant ran up to him and grabbed it out of his hands. In Colditz town, a child disabled a Sherman tank, the enraged tank commanded chased and knifed him. I’m guessing official Soviet orders were not to give a toss and to kill regardless. Were there official western guidelines on how to deal with kids in ‘uniform’? ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581/2 "2012-09-03T22:13:44Z")
WAG - killed them as efficiently as possible while they resisted and accepted their surrender when they surrendered. Artillery in particular doesn’t discriminate based on the age of the target. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581/3 "2012-09-03T22:34:35Z")
A soldier shooting at you is an enemy. Hardly matters how old. If you defend yourself less than you would against another soldier, you’re going to die. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581/4 "2012-09-03T23:03:48Z")
Nobody knows or cares how old you are if you’re holding a rifle. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581/5 "2012-09-03T23:07:30Z")
When they’re disarmed, captured, were they treated like any other combatant POW? Seems unwise to put little Hans the 8 year old in the holding camps with the hardened SS members you’ve captured. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581/6 "2012-09-03T23:11:18Z")
Not like you have special camps for children all prepared… ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581/7 "2012-09-03T23:16:17Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > When they’re disarmed, captured, were they treated like any other combatant POW? Seems unwise to put little Hans the 8 year old in the holding camps with the hardened SS members you’ve captured. Seems unwise to assume that he can’t kill you because he’s only 8. This isn’t [Munro](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNgiWU9LY7A) we’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581/8 "2012-09-03T23:34:21Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > When they’re disarmed, captured, were they treated like any other combatant POW? Seems unwise to put little Hans the 8 year old in the holding camps with the hardened SS members you’ve captured. Hans was probably 12 or older and was a bit of a [badass](http://scriptamus.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/child-soldiers-are-unfortunately-nothing-new/) himself. > [@](#): > > As Germany suffered more casualties, more teenagers volunteered and were accepted, initially as reserve troops but then as regulars. The German ethic of the boy soldier not only encouraged such service but towards the end of the war, the Germans even drafted boys as young as 12 into military service. These children saw extensive action and were among the fiercest and effective German defenders in the Battle of Berlin. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581/9 "2012-09-03T23:41:52Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > I’ve been reading about the American advance into German during WWII, and how as the Germans became more desperate they resorted to drafting the Hitler Jugend and other non-combatants for the defence of the Reich. The HJ wasn’t exactly non-combatant; it was more than the Nazi Boyscouts, it was a paramilitary organization. Its activities included assault courses and firearms training. The first military use of the HJ was the formation of the [12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12th_SS_Panzer_Division_Hitlerjugend) beginning in early 1943 with the division ready for battle in mid 1944 and first seeing action at Normandy. The division murdered 158 Canadian and British POWs in the first days of seeing action. As a consequence the Canadians tended to not take any prisoners from the HJ. ---
**Author:** ![benbo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@benbo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/benbo1)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581/10 "2012-09-09T10:30:06Z")
Sam Fuller was a ww2 vet who wrote scripts for B-movies as his claim to fame. A later work, The Big Red One, was turned into a movie with Lee Marvin & Mark Hammill. He has said that most of the script was taken from combat experience. 1 of the last combat actions was in Germany, where a young boy (maybe 10) snipes and actually kills a guy in their squad. When captured, they debate killing him, but the Sergeant simply spanx him til he stops shouting ‘Heil Hitler!’ and finally gives way to crying & calling for his father. Since it’s Sam Fuller, I find that story credible, in that 1 case. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581/11 "2012-09-09T15:35:26Z")
Can’t answer the OP except with [this relevant photo of a captured boy soldier on an Allied landing ship](http://imgur.com/D1iOk)—and [this one displaying his Iron Cross.](http://imgur.com/Cp1Ys) ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581/12 "2012-09-10T01:13:17Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > Can’t answer the OP except with[…] [this one displaying his Iron Cross.](http://imgur.com/Cp1Ys) Those eyes. ---
**Author:** ![WhyWhyWhy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whywhywhy/32/7539_2.png) [@WhyWhyWhy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyWhyWhy)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581/13 "2012-09-10T01:32:10Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Not like you have special camps for children all prepared… True. But after capturing a lot of childen, hopefully the allies would have made some adjustments. Maybe they did, maybe they didn’t. Maybe someone has details. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581/14 "2012-09-10T13:08:59Z")
There’s a scene in _Band of Brothers_ where one of the GIs vaults a dike in Holland and finds himself facing an entire company of Hitler Youth. Once he overcomes his initial shock, he opens fire. They were in uniform and big enough to carry rifles. No further thought required. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581/15 "2012-09-10T13:23:45Z")
My father [sometimes talked about](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15315278&postcount=55) how his unit dealt with Hitler Youth. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581/16 "2012-09-10T13:35:02Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > I’m guessing official Soviet orders were not to give a toss and to kill regardless. Were there official western guidelines on how to deal with kids in ‘uniform’? Don’t know what the official orders were for the Soviets, but in I think _Downfall_ there is a scene where Soviet soldiers come across a group of Hitler Youth and say something like “We don’t kill children”; and get blown up for their trouble. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581/17 "2012-09-10T14:24:23Z")
This was one of many horrors WWII soldiers faced. They didn’t have the media resources we have now, nothing like the Dope. Many of these soldiers were farm boys or just typical middle class young men with little exposure to the worst of life in this country much less that of the world abroad. Hitler youth, ambushes, aerial attacks, abuse and torture after capture, mass death, people run over by tanks or vaporized in explosions, these weren’t the tales of valor they were raised on. There was a remarkable silence about the details after the war. The stories were of battles, not of personal experiences. Many soldiers refused to talk about their experiences in the way they do now. Faced with child soldiers our soldiers did what they were trained to do and fought back. It was life or death for them and they had no choice. I can’t imagine the ways their lives were changed forever as a result of the experience. The war in fiction was often white-washed to avoid these subjects or turn them into overly dramatic affairs. The soldiers had split seconds to shoot or get shot themselves, they may not have realized that they’d shot children until they saw the bodies. By the time these kids had been captured, the soldiers must have been numbed by what they’d been through. Horrors like this are now considered a ‘normal’ part of war. Children made into suicide bombers, enemy soldiers hiding behind women and children, perhaps worse than simply armed youth. At least our soldiers now understand the hell they will be fighting in before they get there, but that would be poor solace to the soldier realizing he has just killed a child. I can’t even sum this thought up because I’m consumed with disgust and hatred for those who create this hell on earth. ---
**Author:** ![Rich\_G7subs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85e7bf/32.png) [@Rich\_G7subs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rich_G7subs)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-western-allies-deal-with-child-soldiers-in-wwii/633581/18 "2012-09-10T14:49:14Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Those eyes. Kid has the “thousand yard stare” … haunting.