The Road to Iwanice (December 1917)

Diary of a Stosstrupp Leader (Part 28)

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.

Diary of a Stosstrupp Leader

1 December 1917

Captain Kittel returned. All leaves were cancelled. We heard that we would soon be relieved by a Landwehr Regiment. Spengler returned from leave.

We had lots to do, restoring the mobility of lots of things that had put down roots during the long period of position warfare.

We conducted an exercise that involved the release of gas in our own forward trenches, thereby reminding all concerned that, no matter what else happens, they can protect themselves by taking shelter.

Kittel, Spengler, Pluns, Dr. Kanzow and I celebrated our last night in our improvised officers’ mess.

2 December 1917

I took my leave of the underground accommodations that had come to feel like home. I also said ‘adieu’ to the many dear comrades resting here (in the cemetery in the Zarucka Woods.)

I visited a company of III/97 to supervise the transfer of property to the Landwehr company that would relieve them: clothing, furs (which would have come in handy on the Western Front), fodder, potatoes, pigs, and chickens, as well as other things.

A snowstorm delayed the arrival of our replacements. A sergeant joined us, and we shared with him what little food we had on hand.

I slept in the office. In the morning, after finishing the turnover, I marched with the rear party to Radcyn, where we took the field train to Stary Porek, where we joined 4/97. I bunked with Röser, Bergner, and Glinder in a cabin, where wood we left to dry on the stove caught fire, and came close to burning us up.

6 December 1917

We marched from Porek to Iwanice, then to a nearby village, where I bunked in a cabin with the aforementioned gentlemen.

The Russian civilians, who proved friendly, treated us to bread and milk.

The cabins were all set up in the same way, with clean, whitewashed rooms and the same sort of furniture - a big stove, a sofa, a table, a bed, and a spinning wheel.

We communicated with the help of sign language and our interpreter Private Ganglow.

The Marutschkas were pretty. We slept on straw (but without the Marutschkas).

The next morning, we marched to another village, some six kilometers away. The quartermaster had already arranged for accommodations. I bunked with Röser, Hinnenthal, and Glinder in the good room of the office of Mr. Novigny, the mayor of the township, in the town hall.

In the afternoon, we made music, drilled while wearing gas masks, and held roll call. In the evening, we enjoyed a cozy get together (with our hosts). They played records, a guitar, and a zither. The Marutschkas sang. We took photos.

The next morning we went to the loading ramp at Iwanice, where our battalion entrained. Another battalion from our regiment had already departed.

to be continued …

Sources

The text comes from Alwin Lydding Meine Kriegstagbuch (My War Diary), an unpublished manuscript that I found at the Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archive) (Folder N 382/1).

The map comes from a 100,000 map published by the Prussian Geographic Service in 1915 (P39 Gorochów), which I found on Polona, the digital repository of Biblioteka Naradowa, the People’s Library of Poland.

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