How old did you have to be to be a soldier in world war 1?
Jack Cornwell was 15 years 10 months old when he enlisted in the Royal Navy, and not quite 16 years 6 months when he was killed in the Battle of Jutland, where he won the VC. Oh, and Kanwing, lots of people over 81 may legitimately not have served in the military in WW2 – there were plenty of reserved occupations where they were more valuable to the country than in the forces, growing food, certain factories, etc. Many young men were drafted to work in the coal mines rather than in the army – 10% of all conscripts aged 18-25 went to the mines after 1943, it just depended on a lottery.
