Lice
Diary of a Stosstrupp Leader (Part 11)
This post continues the translation of the diary of a German soldier who fought in the First World War. Readers can find links to other posts in this series in the following guide.
29 November 1916
I served as duty platoon commander for nine hours. After a long period without mail, some letters arrived. This did much to relieve my gloomy mood.
30 November 1916
I stood watch as duty platoon commander, responsible for both sentries and listening posts, for nine hours. The tactical situation became livelier. I subjected my platoon to a test alert.
3 December 1916 (Sunday)
For the first time, we enjoyed a full day of rest. (On previous Sundays we had spent the afternoon on work details.)
4 December 1916
The nights became noticeably colder. This makes life especially hard for men in the listening posts, who must stand for two hours in a narrow hole without being able to move their feet.
5 - 8 December 1916
We spent four more days standing difficult watches and making preparations for battle.
9 December 1916
The 8th Company relieved us. We returned to the reserve camp in the Zarucka Woods, some two kilometers from our forward position.
10 December 1916 (Sunday)
We attended church services and received vaccinations.
11 December 1916
We were deloused, which was badly needed! The lice never left us alone. They proved especially lively - and irritating - whenever we went into our nice warm shelters and tried to sleep.
12 December 1916
We improved the defenses of the front line position from six until eleven in the morning and from two to five in the afternoon.
13 December 1916
From seven to nine in the morning and from four to five in the afternoon we worked to fortify the forward trenches.
to be continued …
Source
The text comes from Alwin Lydding Meine Kriegstagbuch (My War Diary), unpublished manuscript, Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archive) N 382/1
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