Quote Originally Posted by Andrew Breecher
On a side note, those boys look awfully young to be part of a Scottish regiment. I know the Boy Scouts in Britain were used in WWI in a support rôle, but are these boys enlisted?

Andrew.
I'd have to read the texts again but if memory serves...at the onset of WW1 the British encouraged teenagers to join up. The understanding was that they would not be in combat, even in Europe, err, the continent, err, over there (even I do that island fortress thing sometimes).
It was part of the jingoistic war promotion at the time and they would get the training and do some of the support roles in a more comfortable setting than the grownups. When they were old enough, they would be more than ready.
(I don't know enough US military, would that be like the ROTC?)
That plan all went kaplooey (an academic history term) when the Allies met the enemy and suffered horrendous losses. As a result, the combat age was lowered and these young men went to war.
(pretty sure I'm referencing MacDonald's 1914.)

Not sure on this but suspect Boy Scout role was WW2.