1300 Corporals

Serbian military unit Student Battalion ђачки батаљонđački bataljon Monument Rajac Serbia 2.jpg Monument on Mount Rajac, part of Suvobor. September 1914–1918 Kingdom of Serbia Serbia (Allies) infantry 1,300 1300 Corporals The Student Battalion (sr ђачки батаљон đački bataljon), known as the 1300 corporals (sr 1300 каплара), was a volunteer unit of the Royal Serbian Army made up of students that were sent as reinforcement to the Serbian First Army in World War I. They notably participated at the Battle of Kolubara. Background The Serbian victory at the Battle of Cer came at a cost with losses of officers and sub-officers, with the command cadre already weakened by the Balkan Wars.Lukić Kojić 2014 47 In order to replenish the officer ranks, the Serbian High Command decided that all students eligible for military service be called for military training in Skopje.Lukić Kojić 2014 47 These students were in high school or alumni of gymnasiums, as well as European universities.Lukić Kojić 2014 47 Some students had already joined as volunteers on the front, and were also called to training in Skopje.Lukić Kojić 2014 47 They were to support the units at the front that had great losses and had lost faith in a victory.Lukić Kojić 2014 47 On 14 September 1914 youngsters of several generations down to birth year 1893 began physical examination, and were then organized into a "Student company" (sr ђачка чета).Lukić Kojić 2014 48 The numbers rose in the coming days to around 1,300, and a "Student battalion" was established, with initially five companies of more than 200 each, and a later sixth with European students.Lukić Kojić 2014 48-49 They swore Oath in front of general Damjan Popović, potpukovnik Dušan Glišić, Metropolitan Vićentije Krdžić and other officers at the field with an artillery barracks.Lukić Kojić 2014 48 They danced the kolo and Popović was enthusiastic, claiming that almost a third of the students had already gained experience fighting in the Balkan Wars.Lukić Kojić 2014 49 Most of the students came from the University of Belgrade, and there were also 300 recently finished teachers.Lukić Kojić 2014 50 Infantry potpukovnik Glišić was tasked with quickly training the students and sending them to the front.Lukić Kojić 2014 49 The battalion was organized into six companies:Lukić Kojić 2014 51-53 1st, called Plemići, made up mostly of students from Valjevo and Užice 2nd, called Bukvarci, made up of agricultural students from Niš, Toplica and Vranje 3rd, called Rmpalije, made up mostly of students from Šumadija 4th, called Ruzmarini, made up of students from University of Belgrade 5th, called Ćevabdžije, made up of students from newly acquired provinces of Serbia and Montenegro, and Austria-Hungary 6th, called Kalašture, made up of students in Europe The Serbian High Command gave the rank kaplar/podnarednik, the lowest sub-officer rank, to all members of the battalion on 15 November 1914.Lukić Kojić 2014 53 In January 1915 ranks were elevated to đak-narednik and on 25 October 1915 the rank reserve potporučnik.Lukić Kojić 2014 53 The Student Battalion defended Serbia at the end of 1915, retreated through Albania, died on Vido and on the Salonica Front.Lukić Kojić 2014 53 Some members were retired following the war with the rank reserve infantry poručnik.Lukić Kojić 2014 53 Battle During 1916 and 1917, a group of around 500 corporals were in Jausiers, France, for military training, from where they returned to the front.Како су Срби певали „Марсељезу” („Политика”, 19. септембар 2016) Legacy The "1300 corporals" symbolize a battle for freedom of their country and people, mainly because most of them were youngsters who went into the battle on their own initiative. Notable people Aleksandar Deroko, architect Aleksandar Cincar-Marković, later statesman Bogoljub Jeftić, later statesman Božidar Purić, later statesman Vojislav Radovanović, geographer Dobrivoje Pandurović, engineer Ivan Subotić, diplomat Tadija Pejović, mathematician Lazar Pijade, industrialist Tanasije Aritonović, engineer Milutin Stefanović, journalist Mihailo Obradović, economic Nikola Bešević, painter Petar Micić, educator Stanislav Vinaver, writer Živorad Nastasijević, painter Miloš Golubović, painter References Sources Lukić Aleksandar Kojić Miroslava УЧЕШЋЕ 1300 ЂАКА КАПЛАРА У КОЛУБАРСКОЈ БИЦИ monografija 2014 Gradska biblioteka Ljig Ljig https://www.academia.edu/41232474 Pećinar Miladin Скопски ђачки батаљон 1914: батаљон 1300 каплара Udruženje 1300 kaplara 1969 https://books.google.com/books?id=nP8CAAAAMAAJ Životić Aleksandar РАСПОРЕД И ЈАЧИНА СРПСКЕ ВОЈСКЕ У ПОЗАДИНИ СЕПТЕМБРА 1915 Vojnoistorijski glasnik 2 2017 103–130 Hournac Roger SRPSKI UNIVERZITETSKI BATALJON U ŽOZIJEU (JAUSIERS) 1916–1917. GODINE: U znak sećanja na Miru Pavlović-Urnak Hereticus 1-2 2021 271–285 Category:Military units and formations of Serbia in World War I Category:Students Category:Battalions of Serbia Category:Military youth groups Category:Youth in Serbia