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St. John Battersby

A short film which describes the experience of a young boy who was given the task of leading men twice his age into battle.

A short film about a young boy who became an officer on the Western Front. St. John Battersby, the son of a vicar from Blakeley in north Manchester, decided to join the army against his father鈥檚 wishes. He was only 14. Appalled that his son would only serve as a private, his father allied with the boy鈥檚 headmaster to get St. John promoted to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. Posted to the Somme in 1916, St. John was responsible for leading men more than twice his age into the biggest offensive of the war; an offensive which saw him injured on the first day and put out of action for two months. Shortly after returning to action he was the victim of a shell attack and lost one of his legs as a result. Although this injury forced him to relinquish his commission, he offered to remain in the army and help with the war effort whatever way he could. The film also includes a short feature which explores his life after the war when he left the army to became a vicar, but found it hard to separate himself from the memories of life on the front line.

Release date:

Duration:

6 minutes

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