1300 Corporals

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.^[1] 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.^[1] These students were in high school or alumni of gymnasiums, as well as European universities.^[1] Some students had already joined as volunteers on the front, and were also called to training in Skopje.^[1] They were to support the units at the front that had great losses and had lost faith in a victory.^[1]

On 14 September 1914 youngsters of several generations down to birth year 1893 began physical examination, and were then organized into a "Student company" (ђачка чета).^[2] 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.^[3] 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.^[2] 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.^[4] Most of the students came from the University of Belgrade, and there were also 300 recently finished teachers.^[5] Infantry potpukovnik Glišić was tasked with quickly training the students and sending them to the front.^[4]

The battalion was organized into six companies:^[6]

• 1st, called Plemići, made up mostly of students from Valjevo and Užice
• 2nd, called Bukvarci, made up of agricultural students from NiÅ¡, Toplica and Vranje
• 3rd, called Rmpalije, made up mostly of students from Å umadija
• 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 KalaÅ¡ture, 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.^[7] In January 1915 ranks were elevated to đak-narednik and on 25 October 1915 the rank reserve potporučnik.^[7]

The Student Battalion defended Serbia at the end of 1915, retreated through Albania, died on Vido and on the Salonica Front.^[7] Some members were retired following the war with the rank reserve infantry poručnik.^[7]

During 1916 and 1917, a group of around 500 corporals were in Jausiers, France, for military training, from where they returned to the front.^[8]

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.

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