Transfer and Thaw
Diary of a Stosstrupp Leader (Part 20)
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.
13 March 1917
We stood a weapons inspection.
At five (in the afternoon), Lieutenants Hartmann, Nolte, and I reported, as officers, to the regimental headquarters.
14 March 1917
I attended a class on defenses against poison gas at the assault school of (Captain) Buttler, who bore of the moniker of ‘the Old Sheikh of Volhynia’.
In the evening, from six to ten, we were up to our knees in water, cleaning up the artillery observation trenches.
15 March 1917
We drilled in camp.
At noon, I received word that I would be transferred to the 4th Company (and thus the 1st Battalion of the 97th Infantry Regiment).
I reported to the (headquarters of) the 2nd Battalion (of the 97th Infantry Regiment) check out of the unit. I traveled, along with some sleds, one of which carried the remains of a fallen soldier, to the combat trains of the 6th Company (of the 1st Battalion), located in (another part of) the Zarucka Woods.
The commanding officer of the 1st Battalion was Captain Kittel, the adjudant Lieutenant Spengler.
Lieutenant Klockenbring invited me to drink coffee with him in his position, where I met Lieutenant Immig.
The 4th Company (of the 97th Infantry) occupied Sector B1a.
Lieutenant Röser would later take command of the company.
I was given charge of the 1st Platoon. Private Karbach became my orderly.
17 March 1917
All hands stood to from five thirty until seven (in the evening) and again from four to six the following morning.
19 March 1917
In the morning, all hands stood to in the trenches for two hours. In the afternoon, we did the same for one and a half hours.
The snow began to melt in earnest. Everything lay under water. It was thoroughly frightful. Day and night, the entire trench garrison, save those standing watch, shoveled water. Thus, we were all sopping wet. Today, Lieutenant Röser took command of the company.
26 March 1917
At seven, we were relieved by 3/7 (the 3rd Company of the 97th Infantry) and went into camp in the Zarucka Woods. The thaw continued. We gave a good send-off to Lieutenant Spengler, who was going on leave.
28 March 1917
We were deloused and did other things of that sort.
29 March 1917
The company went out to shovel water.
Part of embankment for the field railway from Iwanice to Radcyn lay under water. In the afternoon, I visited Lieutenant Werkmeister, who had been severely wounded by a bullet that grazed his head and was (being treated) in Medical Company 364 in Radcyn.
31 March 1917
After a long time without mail, some letters arrived. We held an inspection of weapons. Each man received a liter of beer.
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.