Similar to the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, the Soviet Red Army had child soldiers too. A number of child soldiers served in the Soviet Union’s armed forces during World War Two. In some cases, orphans also unofficially joined the Soviet Red Army. Such children were affectionately known as "son of the regiment" (Russian: сын полка) and sometimes willingly performed military missions such as reconnaissance. Officially, the age of military conscription was lowered to 18 for those without secondary education and 19 for those who had been educated beyond that.
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Child Soldiers in Stalingrad. |
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Picture from a 1930s-40s Soviet movie about a boy who wants to join the Army |
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