Trbušnica, August, 1914. A family of fourteen had to endure the hardships of war. You could hear them talking from a mile away. “Alright Father”, said a young boy called Momčilo Gavrić. He was sent to his uncle. The fury of war could be heard with the sound of artillery shells becoming ever so loud. Before you knew it war had reached the doorsteps of Trbušnica. After the attack, the Devil’s division murdered most of the Gavrić family. Momčilo was a survivor. He came back home to find out he had lost everything. The eight-year-old, having nowhere left to go, headed towards the Royal Serbian Army.
He quickly stumbled upon the 6th Artillery Division. Momčilo told them what had happened. The leader of the unit, Stevan Tucović, welcomed Momčilo with open arms.
That same damned evening, Momčilo showed the position of the 42nd Croatian Home Guard Infantry Division. He saw the evil that had murdered his family. Gavrić was given control of one of the batteries so he could get personal revenge for what had happened. After the incident, he became “The son of the Division” with Miloš Mišović as his supportive caretaker.
Soon Gavrić was fighting in the Battle of Cer because of which he was promoted to the rank of Corporal and given a proper military uniform. A year later he would, along with the rest of the army, be retreating over the mountains of Albania. It is rumored that Gavrić’s caretaker collapsed due to exhaustion. Miloš told the young boy to continue without him to which Momčilo curled up next to him. This act of friendship gave Miloš the strength to continue.
In Thessaloniki, Momčilo went through a rushed school program that was the equivalent of four grades of elementary education. Soon he went to help out in the Battle of Kajmakčalan where he met the legendary Field Marshal Živojin Mišić. Mišić was shocked to see a boy out in the trenches. After Tucović explained the situation to him the marshal was so impressed with the boy’s bravery that he promoted him to the rank of Lance Sergeant. The order was read out to the entire division.
After the Great War Momčilo received aid from a British mission dedicated to helping orphans in Serbia. He finished his education at the Henry Wright School. After setting foot in his home village he was reunited with three of his brothers who survived the massacre.
For the rest of his life, he worked in Šabac and Belgrade and later became a graphic designer. He lived up to the age of 87 dying in 1993. I would say that is poetic as that’s when the very country he helped to create, as a child, was in the middle of its collapse
Thanks for your time. If you enjoyed this article and want to support this project you can help out by: