Cover photo: The 11/13-year-old soldier Rautopoulos in Petritsi, Second Balkan War, Colored by EliasG.Athens Pictures in color

Gerasimos Rautopoulos (Fiskardo, Kefalonia, born 1900 or 1902) was a Greek non-commissioned officer, the youngest in history. His mother was from Piraeus, while his father worked as a baker on Hydra. With a height of no more than 140-150 cm, which made it difficult for him to even get on his horse, he proved that bravery and courage have nothing to do with age.

With the outbreak of the First Balkan War (October 1912), the young Rautopoulos, who was then employed as a servant in Pylos, sought a way to enlist in the Greek army. Due to his very young age, this was not possible through official recruitment services. However, Gerasimos managed to travel clandestinely to Larissa, where he was finally accepted as auxiliary personnel of the 18th Infantry Regiment of the IV Division.

He received his baptism of fire at the battle of Elassona on October 6, 1912. Everyone was impressed with the 12-year-old hero who fought with courage, boldness and determination like an experienced soldier. The loot he got fighting, was a ‘Martini’ type rifle. On October 9 and 10, he fought in the crucial battle of Sarandaporos, and in particular in the area of the village of “Petrotos”. The Greek forces, after strong resistance from the Turkish forces, achieved an important victory that paved the way for the liberation of Macedonia.

The victorious outcome of this battle raised the morale of the Greek Army, which was low after the defeat of 1897. Young Gerasimos, for his courage in this battle, received a “Manlicher-Schonauer” rifle as a gift. He was taken prisoner by the Bulgarians. One night he managed to kill three Bulgarians from the detachment and escape. He disappeared into the night and moved towards the camp. But on the way, he heard muffled screams in a trench. A Greek man in good health, seriously injured, was dying late. Raftopoulos didn’t think twice about it. He took the euzon ( greek light infantry soldier) on his back and took him back to the camp.

For his bravery, he was promoted to the rank of corporal, on August 28, 1913. He was the only 13-year-old corporal in Greek history. Rautopoulos passed away at the age of just 18. The documents in Dallas’s possession allow us to know the exact causes, date, and place of death. The young soldier fell seriously ill and took his last breath at the Military Hospital of Thessaloniki on August 18, 1918.