AUSTRALIA'S YOUNGEST ; SOLDIER. 1 I Australia's youngest soldier.

Private James Martin, was, says the Mel-bourne Herald," only 14 years of age when he enlisted in the 21st Batta-lion. He was on board the Southland when the vessel was torpedoed. Hodied of enteric fever on October 25, 1915, after having fought as a sniper right up to the time he collapsed. Pri-vate Martin was the only son of Mr.and Mrs. C. Martin, of Forres. Marystreet, Hawthorn. Mr. Martin has un-successfully endeavored to enlist. Al-though young Martin's parents at firstopposed his enlistment, they eventuallyyielded. He told them that if theydid not he would enlist under an assumed name.

Soldier Boy is a fabulous novel as it tells the readers the life Jim Martin had before, during and after the war. This is Jims strange story of how an inexperienced and excited school boy became Australias youngest Anzac. The main theme of Soldier Boy is about the life of war. The story starts with the death of Jim aboard a hospital ship. It explains how he dies and the way the family were notified by the nurse sending a letter to them. Then his story starts from the beginning reflecting on the early part of his life in the country. The families move to Melbourne and Jims school days particularly his time in the school cadets. The cadets were school units who were trained to be able to shoot and the art of survival. The family moved into the guest house and war being declared, with Australia becoming involved and the rush to enlist to be part of the big adventure. The whole country was caught up in the War commitment. Jim enlists in the Infantry. He forces his family to sign the form to allow him to enlist saying he would go anyway and not write to them, and he was going in place of his Dad. His early training was at Broadmeadows. Gallipoli begins and Jims training continues at Seymour, then the battalion is shipped out. The trip to war on the Berrima sharing his secrets with Cec. They had a stopover in Colombo then landing at their arrival at Cairo. Arriving at Egypt to train there, in the sand and heat and visiting the hospital and hearing horror stories, did not frighten them but made them keener to get into the action.Then came the trip on the Southland towards battle, being destroyed. Lifeboats were faulty and many were lost, they all thought they would be drowned but then they were rescued from the ocean by ships in the area. Taken aboard the French torpedo boat and taken ashore to Mudross Bay, then the Southland limping into Mudross Bay, they were able to save personal items. Then transferring to Transylvania, onto the Abessiah where life.

James Martin was a child of the new Australia, born two days after federation. Fourteen years and nine months later he was dead, the youngest Australian soldier to die in an overseas war. He lied about his age telling the army he was 18. A sister believed her parents may have played along qwith his ruse, assuming he would become bored or be found out and sent home. Today ont he 70th anniversary of Ariumstance day, Jims letters tell a story of boyish innocence, a month after his arrival at gollipoli with enemy only 79 m away, he wrote not seeing much of fun. How a boy tricked the utraian imperial force and survived for seven weeks in one of the most horrific battles of world war 1 is an extraordinary story. Jim Martin was a victim of the new nations unblinking belief in the british empire. He could have been drawn by recruiting posters that encouraged young men to join in the game. They did it for what they believed was right. There was great enthuasim in war. Jim martin was born on the 3 january 1901 near Tocumwal in NSW, When Britain declared war on August 4, 1914 Jim Martin was a 13- year old school-boy living with his parents, Charles and Amelia, and with his five sisters. Charles wanted to enlist but was rejected as medically unfit, according to Mrs. Nancy Johnson, onw of Jims sisters, Jim immediately said : Never mind Dad, Ill go. Mrs. Johnson recalled in 1985 at a commemorative service at the Sustralian War Memorial: My mother was so much against it she said he was only a boy but Jim said If you dont allow me, Ill run away and join under another name. Jims enlistmet forms show he lied about his age. He claimed he was 18 and a farm labourer.

Soldier Boy is a book about a young boy named Jim Martin, and how it was his dream to join the army and fight with the Australian troupes. However, Jim Martin was no ordinary soldier to join the military; he was the youngest at 14 years of age. The topic, which I am doing my essay on, is Solider Boy is a tragedy. This book shows why war is a tragedy, and what war does to families, and how adults and authorities make war seem more glorious. The book highlights how it was young boys dying during the war not older men. Solider boy is a tragedy because it shows what war does to families and how death and injury effects families and tears them apart. These soldiers were never advised about the dangers of war. They were never advised of the drastic effects to their near and dear ones. Most of the time families were not strong enough to handle the stress and pain of seeing their loved ones going to war. Anthony Hill also informs the reader of Soldier Boys whose parents kept their grief and pain that the loss of a child causes them on the inside, in order to keep their families together. A quote on pg 8 shows that this is what Amelia did for her family. Amelia is the brick if the family in this time of desperation, and helps her family come to terms with Jims death. Second Paragraph Something that was quite sad in Solider Boy was that schools, adults and authorities made war seem more glorious than it actually was, and enticed young boys to join the army. Most adults made war seem like a sort of video game, you can play the game and nothing will happen to you. None of the adults explained to the young boys what it was like to see one of your team members die, or how to deal with their fellow soldiers rotting corpses in the trenches and how once you came to Gallipoli, if you did not like it there was no turning back. A quote on page 8 shows what the law thought was fit for young boys.

Plan:Heading: Australian Youngest Soldiers Tale Told After Almost a Century Subtitle: Solider Boy is Jims extraordinary story, the story of how an inexperienced and enthusiastic school boy became Australias youngest known Anzac
1st Paragraph including:Main significance in life i.e youngest Australian soldier, death. And courage Introduce Soldier Boy by Anthony hill

Private James Martin, died on the hospital ship Glenart Castle anchored off Anzac Cove, Gallipoli at the age of eighteen so his papers said-. He died of syncope after enterisitis or in common words typhoid. He died before anyone knowing he was actually fourteen years and nine months year old. Nothing to say that he was the youngest ANZAC to die and sacrifice everything for his country.
2nd Paragraph 1. Biographical Details: Family Details: Country of Origin Family Relationsips

James Martin was born on the 3rd of January 1901, in Tocumwal NSW. His parents, Amelia and Charles Martin, already had two girls and in the later years will have three more girls. Family life was hard, with large families came the responsibility to care all the members of the family. The Martins moved to Melbourne for the job opportunities that will help overcome this problem. Charles wasnt an Australian man. He had been born in New Zealand, and his real name wasnt Martin it was Marks. This was due to the prejudice against Jewish people in those days.
3rd Paragraph : Key events: 1. 2. 3. never mind dad Ill go insteadpg 34 to 37. Write about the feeling of his mother and his father and by this his own character. Why would his mother agree to sign the consent form? just want to be an anzax now and be able to take their place. Talk about the anticipation of war. Pg 136-9 but it was no wonder, Amelia martin told herself in her grief, that her son shoul want to enlist, though he was only fourteen. The idea of boy soldier was all around him. pg 22. How was joining the defence force promoted in the 1914? Say that the idea of war was promoted to children less than 10 year old, without the tellig of danger and life thereats

4. Life in Australia at the turn of the century, though uncompleted and simple, was difficult and challenging. There were few pleasures and little excitement. This was the life that

Jim Martin endured as his family struggled to provide an existence, whilst moving several times in an attempt to create greater opportunities. Then the First World War begins and with it an opportunity to add some excitement to a dull life, with action overseas. Charles wanted to enlist but was rejected as medically unfit, James immediately saying Never mind, Dad. Ill go instead. His parents were straightaway against the idea, knowing the results of war very well, but this didnt change Jims mind at all as the idea of soldier boy was all around him. The air of patriotism was everywhere, from the parades in the streets to the cadets in school. Schools boys were trained to defend their country at an early age, and no honour than the countrys was considered greater. All this contributed to Jims great enthusiasm in war and even his mother couldnt convince him otherwise. With Jim being big for his age and extremely fit, it was no problem for him to get accepted after Amelia hesitantly signed the consent form knowing Jim would run away if she didnt. The fun times and mateship at training camp, the weapons drill and the fun times spent on leave all reveal another side to Jim's life, a life he enjoyed. His excitement at finally being aboard the troopship leaving Melbourne was compared to none. But after arriving in Egypt, it was all training but no work. And as George Boadment said I want to be an Anzac now and able to take their place, Im sick of Egypt and training. I want real work to do. The anticipation between the Battalions was increasing they had been at Egypt for months with no real work to do. All they wanted to do was to be an Anzac and have their share of Turks. But this enthusiasm was cut short with the harsh reality of war now upon them, and the reality of being dead any second was struck before them even before they landed at Gallipoli. With their ship Southland sinking and the life boats short many men drowned. Jim soon realised the hardship and destruction that awaits them once they go ashore at Gallipoli. The stench at the Anzac Cove was filled with the fetid smell of rotting bodies. The place was surrounded by death and disease, but also by the excitement of the new troops that were keen on action. The realities of trench life didnt take long to sink in, with harsh winter and hardly enough food. The long hate which they were taught for the Turks didnt last long as they realised they were suffering as much as they were, and that Germany was the real enemy. Jims emotional health was also in as much danger as his physical. With no letters ever returned for home, Jim felt home sick and thought that no one cared enough to write back. As winter started to set in, life was much harder and with the unstoppable rain making all the clothes drenched and Jim starts to feel sick but claimed he is okay. The symptoms

got worse daily and he battles on, afraid if he goes to the Medical Tent they will discover his true age. Finally he collapses and is taken to the medical tent, they realize he is very sick and transfer him to the hospital ship. But only hours after being taken to the hospital ship, Private James Martin suddenly dies in his sleep. Soldier Boy is the biographical story of James Martin by Anthony Hill, written eighty five years after the death of the boy soldier. Its mostly based on primary sources such as the letters written by James and the official records of him and his family. But due to the absent of mostly all his life, Hill assumed and added information which he thought best summarised for what happened. Mostly all minor incidents and conversations are imagined but are accurately based on the research of the life of the youngest of all Anzacs. Private James Martin was the youngest Anzac to die in Gallipoli. He was a hea 4th paragraph: Talk about solider boy and its structure A biographical novel by original letters and other primary sources Why did he write it this way? Limitations and advantages of this format Main purpose of outling what is going to happen iin thee story before it even started.