Reginald Earnshaw a forgotten soldier

As we saw, history is a social science and here is an interesting story that not many people know but it is a history to be honered and respected.

He was 14 years when he lied saying he was 15 to enter and serve as a British soldier. He wanted to proudly represent his country during World War II. His name is now recognized as the youngest known British service casualty in World War II. His name was Reginald Earnshaw and served as a “one more soldier” but he never imagined he was going to be recognized as a hero in Britain. Earnshaw was serving as a Merchant Navy cabin boy when he died. The honorable soldier lived just 14 years and 152 days. He died when German planes attacked the SS Devon, the ship he was on, off the east coast of England on July 6, 1941. His grave at Comely Bank Cemetery in Edinburgh, Scotland, was unmarked for decades. Nobody (except his family) new about this teenager until a surviving shipman, Alf Tubb, spent several years looking for that guy he met in the army. His search was difficult because the war graves commission was never told where Earnshaw was buried, preventing him from receiving recognition for his brief service. But after a great effort he finally found the grave. The grave now has a headstone and Reginald’s sister Pauline can be able to write an inscription for his brother.

This story is a symbol of patrotism because this guy was so young, only 14 when he decided to be a soldier to protect his country from the Germans.

This story made me think of how many heroes are not valued or not even known. I think there are heroes in every country that they are still wating there, lonely, that wanted to help no mattering risking his/her life, but knowing they were fighting for something good. There are still there, unknown by many.......