Boy Soldiers of the Great War Their Own Stories for the First Time

At the outbreak of the First World War, boys as young as thirteen were caught up in the overwhelming tide of patriotism and in huge numbers cheerfully enlisted for active service. Many were to serve in the bloodiest battles of the war, such as ex-miner Dick Trafford who took part in the Battle of the Loos, and Frank Lindley who, seeking to avenge his dead brother, went over the top on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Both were just sixteen. In 'Boy Soldiers of the Great War', Richard van Emden tells their stories of sacrifice and heroism for the first time.