Elez Dervievi

Biography
Elez Dervievi (born in Bijeljina) was a soldier of the Austro-Hungarian Army, and was the youngest soldier in the First World War. He was born in 1901 into a prominent Bosniak merchant family in Bijeljina. He had two brothers called Osman and Mehmed, and one sister called Safija.

Military Career
Beginnings At the beginning of the First World War, during the mobilisation of the Austro-Hungarian Army, a man named Adem Mesi realised the enormous danger on the southeastern border of AustriaHungary, on the river Drina that was under threat from Serbia. From his own funds, Mesi mobilised 450 volunteer troops and stationed them on the border of Austria-Hungary and Serbia on the river Drina. Elez Dervievi's brother, Mehmed, joined these 450 volunteers, who was later promoted to captain. Immediately after the proclamation of war against Serbia by AustriaHungary, the Serbian Army controlled the Eastern Coast of the Drina. At 11 years of age, Elez decides to leave school to defend Austria-Hungary alongside his brother Mehmed.

Battles of the Isonzo

When Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary, the 91st Czech Infantry Battalion was ordered to go to Soa. Elez Dervievi decided to help the Czech infantry and the Czech officer stationed there, Alois Martinek, at Soa concerning food supplies for the battalion. So officer Alois Martinek, asked the local Protection Corps commander to help guide Elez via the river Sava and the region of Slavonia, to which he agreed to this. However, Elez never accomplished his task but instead jumped on the train with the army and became a soldier. Elez was caught out only once he got to Soa. After hearing of this, Alois Martinek ordered Elez not to fight on the front line. At first, Elez was a courier. Then one day a commander brought Elez with him to see the Bosniaks in action on the front lines. From a safe distance Elez watched as the Bosniaks from Third Regiment of the Bosniak attacked and overran the Italian positions. One night, Elez and a officer captured three Italian soldiers, and because of this Elez was promoted to corporal. At 14 Elez was the youngest soldier in the Austro-Hungarian Army. After 19 months of service Elez Dervievi was wounded. He was hit by shrapnel in the lower jaw, and officer Martinek somehow managed to send Elez to a hospital in Vienna. When he recovered he was placed in Wielburg castle. He took care of the Ernsthaler family, who enrolled him in a cadet school in Bratislava, which Elez Dervievi completed a few years later.

After The War

At the end of the First World War, Elez returned to his hometown of Bijeljina. After two days of travel from Vienna, he was accompanied by non-commissioned officer on the train to Bijeljina where he was greeted by the mother and the brother of Osman Munevera. In 1925 he visited the Ernsthaler family and the Archduchess Isabella who lived in Hungary. As a gift from her, he received 5000 florins. When he returned home with the money he received as a gift, he founded a company dealing with exports of agricultural products. Elez Dervievi became a successful entrepreneur and business flourished until early World War II. After the end of World War II he went to Syria, where Elez held the rank of major in the reserves of the Syrian Army. He died in Syria in 1988. He was buried in Damascus. His daughter Nes still lives there, while his grandson Elez Dervievi Jr now lives in Spain.

Military decoration

For his merits in World War I, Elez Dervievi received the Silver Medal for Bravery 2nd class, the Bronze Medal for Bravery, and the Medal of Military Merit. When the Bulgarian King Ferdinand I asked, as Elez stood in front of him in uniform with a slightly skewed fez: "Are you a Turk?", Elez, like a cannon, replied: "No, I'm a Bosniak, and an Austrian!"