Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-01-05
HORRORS OF WAR
told BY SOLDIERS
GERMAN SOLDIERS RECORD OF
BATTLES AND HARDSHiPS
WHILE ON FIRING LINE.
SOLDIERS ANXIOUS FOR War TO CEASE
Dead and Dying Cover Vast Areas
Near Trenches. Suffering Among
Soldiers.
London, Dec. II, 1915.

London, Dec II, 1915.
Around the corner from our hote,
is the shop of Belgian barber
Here one day Mr. Norton was
shown the diary of German sol
dier taken from his dead body by a
French soldier, who also buried the
fallen German, and sent the diary
which he took from the poor fel.
lows pocket, on to his Belgian
friend, to be returned after the war
to the poor widow somewhere in
Germany.
AS I write, the diary together with
its translation into English lies be-
fore me on my table, together with
the picture of the wife and little
! child. Knowing that this compelling
human document could not fail to be
Of interest to those at home, I am
sending this translation on, .omitting
| only the parts that would not espec-
tally interest.
This soldier, should say, was kill
ed in Belgium, and was only thirty
eight years of age, gardener who
lived in a village in the extreme east
Of Western Prussia. His diary COW
ers little more than a fortnight -
the days from the 18th to the 29th
Of October. The poor fellow was
tired Of the sight of slaughter and
sick for home. To him war was all
tragedy. His jottings written very Of
ten in the rain, as the condition Of
his little notebook shows form a pic
ture Of the heart-thoughts of thou
sands Of men on the battlefielGs Of
Europe today. os.., -,
(1914)s October 16. A day of rest
at last. But there isn't much rest.
Morning inspection of rifles, after
noon inspection Of clothing. They
call that a day of rest here Money
gone. There is no pay. No beer; no
cigar to be bought to cheer one up.
October II. We pursue the enemy.
Before the fortress of Lille we had
a hard fight. He flies without stop
ping. L cannot describe what I have
seen here. Dead, MANNED and. fear
'hllly woupded---I shall never forget
ing Ia sss straw tal1y.
am very cold. II this goes on much
longer I shall be absolutely knocked
out, as am already suffering from
G. ronic catarrh. October 10: The
enemy was shooting the whole night.
I don't know what they mean by it,
as they can see nothing. think
they do it only out Of fear. Today
they are banging away again. I
think we are going to have another
bad day again today. We are lying
the whole day in reserve, without
cover Shrapnel and rifle bullets fall
all around us. October 20. I have
slept we'll. I. have found some lard
and bacon, that gives new courage.
The battle goes on. Dixmude the de-
cisive battle is expected before the
User. The fighting is very hard. Oc-
tober 21. We lie in reserve. The bat
tie RACES. Tonight we sleep in the
open-on straw only. October %. To-
day the fighting goes on. We are IN
it today. The srells fall SO to 60
metres in front Of us. We may be
torn in pieces any minute. Dixmude
I shall never forget. This I am writ
ing during the battle. I have wonder
ed up to now, that I get no reply
frcm home. But what I have exper-
iepced today-that truly is the crown
of baseness. Letters are merely torn
up by the Color r-Sergeant, and par
cells are divided up among the men.
That happened today. The man
doesn't answer at once when his
name is called out; his parcel is
simply shared out, his letter or card
torn up. It is very sad that such a
thing should happen, for every man
waits word from bis dear ones. Is
that the way to keep up ones cour-
age and enthusiasm for the war? The
lower officers ought to be instruct
ed by the commanders to show more
tact; for it is unworthy of a Ger
man. In the presence of death there
should be more fellow feeling.
The Belgians seem to have cross
ed the User already. We have occu-
pied the next village. Here death
stares one in. the face; fearful the
sight of it.. The dead lie as though
,own, with horrible wounds, for our
artillery shoots WELL He who know
what 1t is to retireunder infantry
md artillery fire Knows also the con-
sequences of it. Why do men dis
member themselves, so?
In the evening we got into such a
,eavy shell fire that I expected ev-
ery minute to be torn to pieces. I
again slept in the open: I could not
sleep. I was seized with shlvering,
md had to get up several times dur
ng the night, for my limbs were
stiff. October %. The battle con-
:inues along the whole front. Just
oow our men captured 116 Belgians. |
More are coming in. They are a /
Dreadful sight; five days without eat
ne. three days without anything to !
rink: clothes covered with mud. 1t !
s a. miserable picture without COM
,are. We lie today again in reserve.
do no think the Belgians will be
Lble to resist much longer. October
A. This is already the ninth dav of
he battle between Keim, Ypres
;anal and Dixmude. We have thrown
he enemy over the canal. The
nemy includes Frenchmen. Belg1ars.
nd Englishmen. He WHO has not
zen it, cannot imagine bow furious
v the battle RACES. Last night l
1ept well. I wound Belgian cloak
ound my legs. They are very warm.
october 25. (Sunday.) Early today
7e went forward over the canal.
What one sees here makes one shud-
er. Dead as though sown- nothing
ut Belgians, cattle and horses, all
1ixed up together One can scarcely
ook at it. Every man has the wish
hat this wholesale murder Will