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{{Short description|Serbian child soldier (1906–1993)}}
]
{{about|the soldier|the footballer|Momčilo Gavrić (footballer)}}
{{dead end|date=September 2013}}
{{use dmy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{underconstruction}}
{{Infobox military person
'''Momčilo Gavrić (1906-1993)''', eight year old "warrior", youngest soldier - participant in the First World War.<ref name="urlZaboravljen najmlađi kaplar Momčilo Gavrić (quote)">{{cite web |url=http://www.politika.rs/rubrike/Srbija/Zaboravljen-najmladji-kaplar-Momchilo-Gavric.sr.html |title=Zaboravljen najmlađi kaplar Momčilo Gavrić|author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= |accessdate = 19. 8. 2011.}}</ref>
|name= Momčilo Gavrić
|birth_date= 1 May 1906
|death_date= {{death date and age|1993|4|28|1906|5|1|df=y}}
|birth_place=], near ], ]
|death_place=], ], ]
|image= Момчило Гаврић.JPG
|caption=Momčilo Gavrić in ], 1914.
|allegiance=]<br>]
|rank=]
|commands=
|awards= ]
|family=
|spouse= Kosara Gavrić
|laterwork=
|enteredservice=
}}


]
== biography ==
Youngest soldier of all armies in the First World War, Momčilo Gavrić was born in May 1906, in Trbušnica, near Loznica, on the slopes of mountain Gučevo. He was the eighth child of his parents, Alimpija and Jelene.
It was noted that Momčilo took part in the Battle of Kolubara, Albanian Golgotha​​ and was wounded at Kajmakčalan. He participated in the breakthrough of the Salonika front and demobilized at the age of twelve, as the youngest sergeant in the world.


'''Momčilo Gavrić''' ({{lang-sr-Cyrl|Момчило Гаврић}}; 1 May 1906 – 28 April 1993) was the youngest ] soldier of ]; he became a soldier at the age of eight.<ref name="ZaboravljenKaplar">{{cite web |url=http://www.politika.rs/rubrike/Srbija/Zaboravljen-najmladji-kaplar-Momchilo-Gavric.sr.html |title=Zaboravljen najmlađi kaplar Momčilo Gavrić|authorlink= |vauthors= |date= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= |accessdate = 19 August 2011}}</ref><ref name="novosti"> ("Večernje novosti", 31 August 2013)</ref><ref name="NajmladjiKaplar">{{cite web |url=http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2000/09/27/srpski/R00092602.shtm |title=Najmlađi kaplar na svetu|authorlink= |vauthors= |date= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= |accessdate = 20 August 2011}}</ref>
During the visit at Kajmakčalan, vojvoda Mišić was stunned when he saw in the trench eleven year old boy in uniform. He asked major Tucović what this child is doing at Kajmakcalan. Enemy killed Gavric's parents, seven brothers and sisters, and he is with us since Cer and battle of Kolubara, crossed Albania, and wounded - reported major Tucović.
Same day corporal Gavrić was promoted to sergeant, and the order was read to all units of the Serbian army.


{{TOC limit}}
== References ==
{{reflist}}


== Biography ==
{{DEFAULTSORT:Momcilo Gavric (military)}}

]
He was born on May 1, 1906, in ], near ], on the slopes of the mountain ], as the eighth child of eleven, in the family of Alimpije and Jelena Gavrić.<ref name="ZaboravljenKaplar"/><ref name=BiografskiRecnik>{{cite book|title=Srpski biografski rečnik, vol II|year=2004|publisher=Budućnost|page=601}}</ref>

=== World War I ===

In the beginning of August 1914, Austro-Hungarian soldiers of ] maimed and hanged his father, mother, grandmother,<ref name="novosti"/> his three sisters, and four of his brothers.<ref name="NajmladjiKaplar"/><ref name=AuntieMabel>{{cite book|last1=Wenzel|first1=Marian|last2=Cornish|first2=John|title=Auntie Mabel's war: an account of her part in the hostilities of 1914-18|year=1980|publisher=Allen Lane|page=112}}</ref> His house was also set on fire. Momčilo survived because he was not at home when it happened—his father had sent him to his uncle earlier.<ref name="novosti"/>

Left without family and without a home, Momčilo went to find the 6th Artillery Division of the ], which was near ] at the time.<ref name="BiografskiRecnik" /> Major ], brother of ], accepted Gavrić into his unit after hearing about what had happened, and assigned ], a soldier in the unit, to be Gavrić's caretaker.<ref name="NajmladjiKaplar" /><ref name="BiografskiRecnik" /> The same evening, he took revenge by showing his unit the location of the Austro-Hungarian soldiers, and participated in the bombardment, as told by his son ] in an interview.<ref name="novosti"/>

At the age of 8, after the ], he was promoted to the rank of ] by the commander of his unit, and given a military uniform.<ref name="1987doc">{{cite AV media |people= |year=1987 |title=Momčilo Gavrić, najmlađi podnarednik u istoriji ratova |trans-title=Momčilo Gavrić, youngest Lance Sergeant in the history of warfare |medium=|language=Serbian |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glc3y7QxZWU |accessdate= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |format= |time= |location=SFR Yugoslavia |publisher=RTB (RTS) |id= |isbn= |oclc= |quote= }}</ref>

When his unit was sent to ], Major Tucović sent him to ] where he hastily went through the equivalent of four grades of elementary education.<ref name="BiografskiRecnik" />

In ], ] was stunned when he saw a uniformed ten-year-old boy in the trenches. Major Tucović explained the situation to him; that Gavrić had been with them since the Battle of Cer, and that he had both been taught discipline and been wounded during his time in the unit.<ref name="novosti" /> Mišić promoted Gavrić to ], and the order was read out to the whole division.<ref name="novosti" /><ref name="BiografskiRecnik" /><ref name="1987doc"/>

=== Post-war life ===

After the liberation of Belgrade, Major Tucović made sure that Gavrić would receive aid from a British mission that was helping war ]s in Serbia. He was sent to the ] in ], ], and finished his education at the Henry Wreight School (now merged into ]), graduating in 1921.<ref name="BiografskiRecnik" /> He returned to Serbia the same year, after Serbian Prime Minister ] ordered the return of all children to Serbia. In ], he was reunited with his three brothers who had survived the murders in 1914.<ref name="novosti" />

According to his son Branislav, Momčilo Gavrić had an incident with the law in 1929. He was working in ] and ] when he reached the age of ], and at the military barracks in ], he reported that he already had been in the army during the war. He also said that he had been wounded, and had received the ]. However, an ethnic ] in the ] tried to push Gavrić into signing a confession that he had told a lie. He refused, and was sent to prison, spending two months there.<ref name="novosti" />

After another period of military service, he returned to ], where he learnt graphic design and took his driver's licence. There, he also married his wife Kosara, with whom he worked in the ''Vapa'' paper mill.<ref name="novosti" />

Branislav Gavrić further told that during the ], Momčilo was imprisoned twice by the German occupying forces. After the war, in 1947, ] arrested him for claiming that the ] were no brothers to ] and saying how he "felt that brotherhood of theirs in 1915, when they were killing us", during a time when the presidents of ] and ] (] and ]) were great friends.<ref name="novosti" />

In 1987, he participated in a Yugoslav documentary about his experiences during the First World War.<ref name="1987doc"/>

=== Legacy ===

Momčilo Gavrić died in ] in 1993.<ref name="novosti" /><ref name="BiografskiRecnik" /> There are memorials dedicated to him on the island of ]<ref name="novosti" /> and in the ] in Loznica.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pajić|first=Slobodan|title=Zaboravili znamenite ličnosti Jadra|url=http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Srbija/216004/Zaboravili-znamenite-licnosti-Jadra|accessdate=12 January 2014|publisher=Blic Online|date=8 November 2010}}</ref> In 2014, a street in Loznica was named after him.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Pajić|first1=Slobodan|title=Najmlađi kaplar na svetu dobio ulicu u Loznici|url=http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Srbija/488664/Najmladji-kaplar-na-svetu-dobio-ulicu-u-Loznici|accessdate=18 November 2014|publisher=Blic Online|date=18 August 2014}}</ref>

On 2 April 2015, the Serbian government decided to raise a monument in Belgrade dedicated to Gavrić.<ref name=2apr2015>{{cite news|last1=Radisavljević|first1=Dijana|title=Beograd će dobiti spomenik Momčilu Gavriću, najmlađem vojniku Prvog svetskog rata|url=http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Beograd/547184/Beograd-ce-dobiti-spomenik-Momcilu-Gavricu-najmladjem-vojniku-Prvog-svetskog-rata|accessdate=4 April 2015|publisher=Blic Online|date=2 April 2015}}</ref>

==Further reading==

* ''Sin drinske divizije'' by Dragiša Penjin, 1986. {{in lang|sr}}
* ''Sa Gučeva u legendu'' by Milisav Sekulić, 2009. {{in lang|sr}}
* ''Momčilo Gavrić - najmlađi kaplar na svetu'' by Branislav Goldner, 2013. {{in lang|sr}} {{ISBN|978-86-7157-622-2}}
* ''Sudbina najmlađeg kaplara'' by Svetlana Milovanović, 2014. {{in lang|sr}} {{ISBN|978-86-7594-034-0}}

==Gallery==

{{Gallery
|title=
|File:Momcilo_Gavric_during_WWI.jpg|Wartime photograph from 1914 with Momčilo Gavrić.
|File:Momcilo_Gavric_and_unit.jpg|Momčilo Gavrić with other Serbian soldiers.
|File:Momcilo Gavric 1918.jpg|Photograph of Momčilo Gavrić with a wounded arm, 1918.
|File:Momcilo_Gavric_in_Faversham_1921.jpg|Graduation portrait taken in ], ], 1921.
|File:Momcilo Gavric in military uniform.jpg|Post-war photograph of Momčilo Gavrić in uniform.
|File:Kosara_and_Momcilo_Gavric_in_1939.jpg|Kosara and Momčilo Gavrić, 1939.
}}

== See also ==
* ]
* ] (1902–1963), Serbian soldier
* ] (1926–1943), Yugoslav soldier
* ] (1978–1993), Bosnian Serb soldier
* ]

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

*{{YouTube|glc3y7QxZWU|Interview/documentary from 1987, featuring Momčilo Gavrić himself}} {{in lang|sr}}
*{{YouTube|L5PaxwYO8EY|Documentary about Momčilo Gavrić, including interviews with his relatives}} {{in lang|sr}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gavric, Momcilo}}
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Latest revision as of 13:02, 14 September 2024

Serbian child soldier (1906–1993) This article is about the soldier. For the footballer, see Momčilo Gavrić (footballer).

Momčilo Gavrić
Momčilo Gavrić in Loznica, 1914.
Born1 May 1906
Trbušnica, near Loznica, Kingdom of Serbia
Died28 April 1993(1993-04-28) (aged 86)
Belgrade, Serbia, FR Yugoslavia
AllegianceKingdom of Serbia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
RankLance Sergeant
AwardsAlbanian Medal
Spouse(s)Kosara Gavrić
Momčilo Gavrić and another soldier reporting to major Stevan Tucović, 1916.

Momčilo Gavrić (Serbian Cyrillic: Момчило Гаврић; 1 May 1906 – 28 April 1993) was the youngest Serbian soldier of World War One; he became a soldier at the age of eight.

Biography

He was born on May 1, 1906, in Trbušnica, near Loznica, on the slopes of the mountain Gučevo, as the eighth child of eleven, in the family of Alimpije and Jelena Gavrić.

World War I

In the beginning of August 1914, Austro-Hungarian soldiers of 42nd Croatian Home Guard Infantry Division maimed and hanged his father, mother, grandmother, his three sisters, and four of his brothers. His house was also set on fire. Momčilo survived because he was not at home when it happened—his father had sent him to his uncle earlier.

Left without family and without a home, Momčilo went to find the 6th Artillery Division of the Royal Serbian Army, which was near Gučevo at the time. Major Stevan Tucović, brother of Dimitrije Tucović, accepted Gavrić into his unit after hearing about what had happened, and assigned Miloš Mišović, a soldier in the unit, to be Gavrić's caretaker. The same evening, he took revenge by showing his unit the location of the Austro-Hungarian soldiers, and participated in the bombardment, as told by his son Branislav Gavrić in an interview.

At the age of 8, after the Battle of Cer, he was promoted to the rank of Corporal by the commander of his unit, and given a military uniform.

When his unit was sent to Thessaloniki, Major Tucović sent him to Sorovits where he hastily went through the equivalent of four grades of elementary education.

In Kajmakčalan, Field Marshal Mišić was stunned when he saw a uniformed ten-year-old boy in the trenches. Major Tucović explained the situation to him; that Gavrić had been with them since the Battle of Cer, and that he had both been taught discipline and been wounded during his time in the unit. Mišić promoted Gavrić to Lance Sergeant, and the order was read out to the whole division.

Post-war life

After the liberation of Belgrade, Major Tucović made sure that Gavrić would receive aid from a British mission that was helping war orphans in Serbia. He was sent to the United Kingdom in Faversham, Kent, and finished his education at the Henry Wreight School (now merged into Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Faversham), graduating in 1921. He returned to Serbia the same year, after Serbian Prime Minister Nikola Pašić ordered the return of all children to Serbia. In Trbušnica, he was reunited with his three brothers who had survived the murders in 1914.

According to his son Branislav, Momčilo Gavrić had an incident with the law in 1929. He was working in Šabac and Belgrade when he reached the age of conscription, and at the military barracks in Slavonska Požega, he reported that he already had been in the army during the war. He also said that he had been wounded, and had received the Albanian Commemorative Medal. However, an ethnic Croat in the Royal Yugoslav Army tried to push Gavrić into signing a confession that he had told a lie. He refused, and was sent to prison, spending two months there.

After another period of military service, he returned to Belgrade, where he learnt graphic design and took his driver's licence. There, he also married his wife Kosara, with whom he worked in the Vapa paper mill.

Branislav Gavrić further told that during the Second World War, Momčilo was imprisoned twice by the German occupying forces. After the war, in 1947, OZNA arrested him for claiming that the Albanians were no brothers to Serbs and saying how he "felt that brotherhood of theirs in 1915, when they were killing us", during a time when the presidents of Yugoslavia and Albania (Josip Broz Tito and Enver Hoxha) were great friends.

In 1987, he participated in a Yugoslav documentary about his experiences during the First World War.

Legacy

Momčilo Gavrić died in Belgrade in 1993. There are memorials dedicated to him on the island of Korfu and in the Jadar Museum in Loznica. In 2014, a street in Loznica was named after him.

On 2 April 2015, the Serbian government decided to raise a monument in Belgrade dedicated to Gavrić.

Further reading

  • Sin drinske divizije by Dragiša Penjin, 1986. (in Serbian)
  • Sa Gučeva u legendu by Milisav Sekulić, 2009. (in Serbian)
  • Momčilo Gavrić - najmlađi kaplar na svetu by Branislav Goldner, 2013. (in Serbian) ISBN 978-86-7157-622-2
  • Sudbina najmlađeg kaplara by Svetlana Milovanović, 2014. (in Serbian) ISBN 978-86-7594-034-0

Gallery

  • Wartime photograph from 1914 with Momčilo Gavrić. Wartime photograph from 1914 with Momčilo Gavrić.
  • Momčilo Gavrić with other Serbian soldiers. Momčilo Gavrić with other Serbian soldiers.
  • Photograph of Momčilo Gavrić with a wounded arm, 1918. Photograph of Momčilo Gavrić with a wounded arm, 1918.
  • Graduation portrait taken in Faversham, Kent, 1921. Graduation portrait taken in Faversham, Kent, 1921.
  • Post-war photograph of Momčilo Gavrić in uniform. Post-war photograph of Momčilo Gavrić in uniform.
  • Kosara and Momčilo Gavrić, 1939. Kosara and Momčilo Gavrić, 1939.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Zaboravljen najmlađi kaplar Momčilo Gavrić". Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  2. ^ Momčilo Gavrić - najmlađi vojnik Prvog svetskog rata ("Večernje novosti", 31 August 2013)
  3. ^ "Najmlađi kaplar na svetu". Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  4. ^ Srpski biografski rečnik, vol II. Budućnost. 2004. p. 601.
  5. Wenzel, Marian; Cornish, John (1980). Auntie Mabel's war: an account of her part in the hostilities of 1914-18. Allen Lane. p. 112.
  6. ^ Momčilo Gavrić, najmlađi podnarednik u istoriji ratova [Momčilo Gavrić, youngest Lance Sergeant in the history of warfare] (in Serbian). SFR Yugoslavia: RTB (RTS). 1987.
  7. Pajić, Slobodan (8 November 2010). "Zaboravili znamenite ličnosti Jadra". Blic Online. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  8. Pajić, Slobodan (18 August 2014). "Najmlađi kaplar na svetu dobio ulicu u Loznici". Blic Online. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  9. Radisavljević, Dijana (2 April 2015). "Beograd će dobiti spomenik Momčilu Gavriću, najmlađem vojniku Prvog svetskog rata". Blic Online. Retrieved 4 April 2015.

External links

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