Der Schild – Excursions in Jewish Military History and Jewish Genealogy

Soldiers from New York: A Spitfire in April – Ernest Willy Rosenstein – I

The chronicle of Jewish military casualties for April 2, 1945, is not yet complete, for an additional name must be added: Lieutenant Ernest Willy Rosenstein of the South African Air Force.

But, his story can only be told by way of the life of his father: Leutnant d.R. Willy Rosenstein, who served in the Imperial German Air Service during the First World War…

“Like father, like son.”

A cliché; brief, yet valid, describing a perennial aspect of human nature.

While hardly true for all families, there sometimes occurs striking similarities across the lives of parents and children: Some sons indeed recapitulate the paths of their fathers, as least as much as the intersection between human decision and the spirit of an era will allow. Yet, even as men make choices and “act”, the course of their lives – however fleeting; however lengthy – appear to be carried upon currents of chance: sometimes benevolent; sometimes callous; often puzzling. As noted by World War One Orthodox German-Jewish soldier Martin Feist, contemplated from the finite perspective of man – the decree of God can indeed appear to be unsearchable. Thus for “mankind” in the abstract; thus for men as individuals.

Such was epitomized some seven decades ago, one month before the end of the Second World War in Europe.

On the second of April in 1945, a Royal Air Force Spitfire was lost during a combat mission over Italy. Its pilot, Ernest Willy Rosenstein, a 22-year-old Jew who like his parents had been born in Germany, did not survive.

As had lived the son, so had – for a time – lived the father, Willy Rosenstein.

Born in Stuttgart (1) in 1892, Willy was an aviator and aerial “ace” in Germany’s World War One Air Service, the Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte, in which he attained nine (or ten?) aerial victories in combat against Britain’s Royal Air Force and France’s Armée de l’Air, while flying alongside such figures as Hans Jeschonnek (future Chief of Staff of the Luftwaffe), six-victory ace Herman Gilly, Pour le Mérite winner Carl Degelow, and – with tremendous irony – Herman Göering. A figure within the automotive and especially the aviation worlds of pre-war Germany, he would survive “The Great War” and eventually return to those fields of endeavor, becoming an amateur racing-care driver, while enjoying private flying at Böblingen (a town in Baden-Württemberg). However, technology and military service were not the only; hardly the central, embodiments and definitions of his life. Forced to leave Germany with the advent of the Third Reich, he would in 1936 settle in South Africa with his family. Alas; as a husband and father; as an immigrant whose adopted homeland would eventually be at war with the land of his birth; and as the father of an only son, time and chance never gave him a solid respite from the winds of the twentieth century.

If any respite, at all.

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The above is a very brief recapitulation of Willy’s life, but rather than present the entirety of his story, “this” post actually serves as a steppingstone for an account of the brief life of his son.

As such, it’s focused upon the central aspects of Willy’s military service, and largely (but not only) based upon what is probably the most detailed account of Willy’s life, which was written by Robert B. Gill some 33 years ago. Published in the Winter, 1984 (Volume 25, Number 4) issue of the Cross & Cockade Journal, “The Albums of Willy Rosenstein – Aviation Pioneer – Jasta Ace”, includes 65 illustrations (2), and is derived from material in Willy Rosenstein’s three photo album scrapbooks, which Mr. Gill received from Jules Loth of Johannesburg, “…who “discovered” Willy Rosenstein’s memorabilia.” As comprehensive as it is detailed, Robert Gill’s article covers Willy’s pre-war life and participation in German aviation, and concludes with a fascinating and moving account of Willy’s eventual emigration to South Africa and all-too-brief postwar life. The issue’s cover is shown below:

The list of cited references at the end of this post includes links to other sources of information about Willy Rosenstein.

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Photographs

It helps to attach a face to a name, let alone an image to the designation of a military aircraft. So, here are representative images of Willy’s story, beginning with a picture of Willy, himself:

Willy, seated atop an Albatross D.III. This image, which appears on various websites and as a sepia-toned image in the epilogue of Nikolai Müllerschoen’s 2008 movie “The Red Baron”, appears in Robert Gill’s Cross & Cockade article. The caption: “Summer 1917 at Flugplatz Isegehem, in Flanders, with Jasta 27 as Rosenstein poses aboard his Albatross D.III, possibly 163/17.”

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Marek Mincbergr’s 1/48 model of the Pfalz E.1 (215/15) flown by Willy while an Offizier Stellvetreter (Officer Deputy) in FFA (Feldfliegerabteilung) 19. Two photographs of this aircraft, both taken in December of 1915, appear in Robert Gill’s article. One image shows Willy standing in the aircraft’s cockpit.

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Peter Hochstrasser’s 1/72 model of the Fokker D.VII Willy flew while in Jasta 40, bearing his personal “white heart” emblem. A photo of this aircraft (perhaps the only one extant?) also appears in Bob Gill’s article, captioned thusly: “The black Fokker D.VII with der Weisse Harz (The White Heart) personal insignia of Willy Rosenstein. Carl Degelow discussed Rosenstein’s insignia in his memoirs, Germany’s Last Knight of the Air. He stated: “The remarkable choice of this pilot (Rosenstein) clearly indicated a good relationship with the eternal woman. If we had to forgive him for this, we did it gladly, for he was our ‘patron saint,’ performing for us the essential duty of keeping the rear free of our enemies, as he flew last and highest in our formation.” Rosenstein attained seven of his 10 aerial victories after joining Jasta 40 (on July 9, 1918), at least some while flying this aircraft.

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Four Jasta 40 Fokker D.VIIs, each bearing the emblem of its pilot. The aircraft (left to right) are those of: 1) Leutnant Carl Degelow (white stag), 2) Leutnant Frodien (white eagle), 3) Leutnant Willy Rosenstein (white heart), and 4) Leutnant Hans Jeschonnek (white bull). The pilots who would have flown these aircraft were identified through Pheon Decals’ decal sheet for aircraft of Jasta 40 under Leutnant Carl Degelow. (Unfortunately, the identity of the artist (the image being present on Tumbler) is unknown.)

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Postwar: A column from the 1928 telephone book for the post office district of Stuttgart (Amtliches Fernsprechbuch fur den Ober post direktionsbezirk Stuttgart, 1928), from Ancestry.com. This appears to have been a version of what is known as the “Yellow Pages” (if you can still find yellow pages…!); that is, a directory of names, address, and phone numbers of private businesses, retail establishments, and factories.

The entry for Willy is listed as “Fabrikant, Teilnehmer der Fabrik Lederfabrik Zuffenhausen Sihler und Cie. (Fernspech * 807 49), Eduard-Pfeiffer-Strasse 178”. (Manufacturer, Member of Zuffenhausen Sihler Leather Fabric Company (Phone Number * 807 49), 178 Eduard-Pfeiffer Street)

Though not specifically mentioned in Robert Gill’s article, this is consistent with Willy’s postwar activity in the leather manufacturing business, in which he was employed – between 1926 and 1929 – by, “the firm that manufactured the world-famous “Salamander” shoe line.”

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Historical Accounts

Information about Ernest Willy’s military service appeared as early as 1924, in Dr. Felix A. Theilhaber’s Jüdische Flieger im Weltkrieg, which publication was preceded in 1919 by Dr. Theilhaber’s Jüdische Flieger im Krieg. The text concerning Willy, followed by Adam M. Wait’s 1988 English-language translation, is presented below. Page numbers (from the original 1924 edition) are given in parentheses following the excerpts.

In diesem buch hat Herr Dr. Theilhaber authentisches und wohlgepruftes material zusammengetragen, das der grossen offentlichkeit zum ersten male kenntnis gibt von dem anteil der Juden an der entwicklung und nicht zuletzt an den opfern der fliegerwaffe.

Herausgegriffene beispiele nennen uns die namen der im schulbetrieb wie vor dem feinde gefallelenen. Sie alle fanden ihren tod in frieden unde krieg auf dem flugfeld der ehre. Nie hat je das gemeinsame band eine kampfgruppe inniger umschlungen und gefesselt als die flieger.

Bon diesem grossen horizont aus gesehen schrumpfen politsche, soziale und religiose gegensatze innerhalb der zunft in ein “nichts” zusammen.

Der gedanke, etwa einem der fruhesten vorkampfer im Deutschen flugwesen, Willy Rosenstein, Jablonsky oder Abramowicz, den ihnen gebuhrenden ehrenplatz nicht zu gonnen, entstammt lichtscheuen maulwurfsnaturen, aber nicht fliegerherzen. (page 6)

In this book Herr Theilhaber has compiled authentic and well-scrutinized material which for the first time gives the general public knowledge of the part played by Jews in the development of – and not least, sacrifice to – the aerial weapon.

Selected examples tell us the names of those who died in training as well as in the face of the enemy. They all found their death in peace and war on the field of honor. Never has a common bond bound a fighting force more intimately than in aviation.

Political, social, and religious differences dwindle away to nothing within the fraternity.

The idea of perhaps begrudging one of the earliest pioneers in German aviation, like Willy Rosenstein, Jablonsky or Abramowicz, the place of honor due them comes from lowly characters, but not from the hearts of aviators.

Wohl aber durfen wir den fliegerwerdegang des Willy Rosenstein, sohn der Frau Regierungsrat Dr. Nordlinger (jetzt in Stuttgart wohnhaft) etwas eingehender behandeln.

Mit 18 jahren treffen wir ihn anno 1911 als flugschuler bei Rumpler, am 3 November 1911 besteht er das pilotenexamen und wird bei Rumpler fluglehrer. Er gibt offizieren der ersten ausbildungskurfus auf den beruhmten Rumplertauben.

Der junge pilot flog bei Rumpler einige der flugwochen mit. Da er aber nur ein schulflugzeug uberwiesen bekommen hatte, erzielte er keine besonderen leistungen.

Im jahre 1913 geht er von Rumpler ab, um bei der gothaer waggonfabrik den flugzeugbau einzufuhren. Zuerst war Rosenstein vier monate bei der Zentrale Fur Aviatik in Hamburg, einem spezialunternehmen der gothaer. Dort konnte er bei dem Mecklenburger Rundflug eine gute gothaer taube fliegen, die ihm den ersten preis im gesamtklassement und den gewinn samtlicher ehrenpreise einbringt.

Nach uberfiedelung nach Gotha fliegt Rosenstein die neuen militarmaschinen ein, beteiligt sich bei den neukonstruktionen und nimmt an den abnahmeflugen anteil, sowie an der ausbildung weiterer flugschuler. Wahrend der fluglehrerzeit bildete er 80 offiziere und 40 zivilflieger aus, in Hamburg absolvierte er bereits den 2,000. Flug, in Gotha den 3,000 mit seiner mutter als passagier. Da viele fluge auf unerprobten apparaten vollfuhrt wurden, stellt diese tatigkeit nicht gerade das einfachste, was es auf der welt gab, dar.

1914 meldet er sich als kriegsfreiwilliger und kommt Januar 1915 zum Armeeflugpark V nach Montmedy, im Februar zur Feldfliegerabteilung 19 nach Porcher. Dort flog er mit Leutnant Martin als beobachter. Ein jahr spater wird er Leutnant d. R. der fliegertruppe. Im April 1916 zieht Rosenstein bei einem fernaufklarungsflug jenseits der Maas bei Verdun im kampf mit einem Franzosischen jagdflugzeug den kurzeren. Leutnant Martin erhielt einen schweren oberschenkelknochenschusss und zwei weitere steckschusse in das andere bein und wurde sosort ohnmachtig. Rosenstein hatte drei dumdumschusse in beiden beinen. Mit dem einen bein steuert er jedoch sein flugzeug nach dem flughafen, um noch glatt zu landen. Von der stelle fuhr man ihn ins lazarett. Aus der narkose aufgewacht, findet der operierte auf der bettdecke das E.K. I.

Rosenstein gesundet rascher als sein begleiter. Aber ohne ihn will er nicht mehr beobachtungsfluge ausfuhren. So wird er jagdflieger bei der armeefokkerstaffel in der Champaigne, dann bei der Jadgstaffel 27 in Flandern, bei der er seine zwei ersten abschusse erzielte.

Zur erholung zum Grenzschutz in die heimat (Karlsruhe) kommandiert, erhalt er fur einen abschuss uber Hagenau den “Zahringer Lowen”. Und wieder also gekraftigt, bittet er um ein frontkommando, wo es mehr zu tun gibt. So erscheint er bei der Jagdstaffel 40 bei Lille. Der erste frontflug lasst gleich einen Englander brennend dicht neben ihm niedergehen. Unter der weiteren fuhrung der staffel unter Leutnant Pegelow erzielt Rosenstein sechs weitere anerkannte asbchusse, wofur er zum Hohenzollern-Hausorden eingereicht wurde, dessen aushandigung die revolution verhinderte.

Mit ausnahme der knappen lazarettzeit und des zweimonatigen oben gekennziechneten heimatkommandos war Rosenstein ununterbrochen also vier jahre lang als flieger an der feindlichen front. (pages 76-77)

Now let’s deal in somewhat more detail with the flying career of Willy Rosenstein, the son of Frau privy councilor Dr. Nordlinger (now residing in Stuttgart).

We meet him in the year 1911 at 18 years of age as a flight pupil with Rumpler, with whom he became a flight instructor after passing the pilot’s exam on 3 November 1911. He gave officers their first training course on the famous Rumpler Taube.

The young pilot flew with Rumpler in some of the Flight Weeks. But since he had only been assigned a school aircraft he achieved no special performances.

In the year 1913 he left Rumpler in order to be initiated into aircraft construction with the Gothaer Waggonfabrik. First Rosenstein spent four months at the Center for Aviation in Hamburg, a special venture of Gotha. There at the Mecklenburg Round Flight he was able to fly a good Gotha Taube, which brought him first prize in general classification and the winning of all first prizes.

After emigrating to Gotha, Rosenstein test-flew the new military machines, participated in new construction, and took part in acceptance flights, as well as the training of further flight pupils. During his period as a flight instructor he trained 80 officers and 40 civilian flyers. In Hamburg he completed his 200th flight and in Gotha his 300th with his mother as passenger. Since many flights were executed on untested machines, this occupation didn’t exactly represent the easiest in the world.

In 1914 he enlisted as a wartime volunteer and in January 1915 arrived at Armeeflugpark 5 at Montmedy. In February 1915 he was assigned to Feldflieger Abteilung 19 at Porcher. There he flew with Leutnant Martin as observer. A year later he became a Leutnant der Reserve in the air service.

On 28 April 1916 during a long-range reconnaissance flight, Rosenstein drew the shorter straw in combat with a French fighter plane on the other side of the Meuse near Verdun. Leutnant Martin received a bad hit in the thigh and two further bullets in the other leg and became faint. Rosenstein had been wounded in both legs by three dum-dum bullets. However, with one leg he steered the aircraft to the aerodrome and managed to make a smooth landing. He was driven from the spot to the hospital. Upon awakening from anesthesia, the patient found on his bed cover the Iron Cross 1st Class.

Rosenstein recovered more quickly than Martin, but didn’t want to carry out any more observation flights without him. He became a fighter pilot with the Armee-Fokker-Staffel in the Champagne and then with Jagdstaffel 27 in Flanders, with whom he achieved his first two victories. [1]

Ordered to the homeland (Karlsruhe) for border protection during recuperation, he received the “Zahringer Lions” for a victory over Hagenau. Restored once more, he asked for assignment to the front, where there was more to do. Thus he appeared at Jagdstaffel 40 near Lille. [2] His first operational patrol with this unit resulted in an Englishman going down in flames close beside him. [3] Under the further leadership of the Staffel by Leutnant Degelow, Rosenstein achieved six further victories, for which he applied for the Hausordern von Hohenzollern, the delivery of which was prevented by the revolution.

With the exception of the brief time in hospital and the above-mentioned two-month home assignment, Rosestein had flown on the enemy front for four years without interruption.

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Es sind also drei zivilpiloten der vorkriegszeit todlich verungluckt: Abramowitsch, Neufeld, Dunetz; dazu konnen noch absolut sichergestellt: Rosenstein, Jablonsky, Wechsler, zwei Dr. Lisauer, einige andere sind fraglich. Somit waren unter den 500 friedenspiloten sieben, wahrscheinlich mehr Judische piloten gewesen! (page 78)

Three Jewish civilian pilots of the pre-war era crashed fatally: Abramowicz, Neufeld, and Dunetz. Other pilots for certain in addition were Rosenstein, Wechsler, and two Dr. Lissauers. Some others are questionable. So amongst the 500 peacetime pilots there had been in fact seven, probably more, Jewish pilots.

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Mention of Willy appeared twice in Der Schild, the publication of the association of German-Jewish war veterans, the “Reichsbundes Jüdischer Frontsoldaten”. The first was in the paper’s issue of December 27, 1935, which, under the title “Makkabaer der Lufte – 200 jüdische Kriegsflieger”, presents a list of German-Jewish airmen of the First World War, within many names accompanied by the airmens’ ranks, cities or towns of residence, and for a small few – as in the case of Willy – the identity of the specific military unit(s) in which they served. The brief entry for Willy is presented below:

Der Schild
December 27, 1935

“Juden bei der Luftwaffe”

Rosenstein, Willy
Leutnant der Reserve
Armeeflugpark V
Feldfl.-Abteilung 19 u. Jagdstaffel 27 u. 40

Rosenstein, Willy
Leutnant der Reserve
Armeeflugpark V
Field Flying Unit 19 and Hunting Squadrons 27 and 40

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A subsequent article under the same title appeared in the February 7, 1936 issue of Der Schild and presented biographical profiles of several German Jewish aviators, among them Willy:

Der Schild
February 7, 1936

“Makkabaer der Lüfte”

Wurttembergische Frontflieger
Von acht fielen vier.

Aus Wurttemberg sind mindestens acht judische Frontflieger fetsgestellt worden. Vier davon sind gefallen: Lt. d.R. Pappenheimer aus Mergentheim, Zurndorfer aus Rexingen, Weil aus Ulm und Kriegsfreiwilliger Flugezugfuhrer Eugen Levi aus Stuttgart.

Aus Stuttgart sind ferner die Kameraden Hermann Schmidt, Willy Rosenstein, Lt. d.R. Wolfenstein und aus Oberdorf-Bopfingen Uffz. Flugzeugfuhrer Siegfried Heimann.

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Kam. Willy Rosenstein

Zu der kleinen Zahl der Vorkriegs-piloten gehört unser Kam. Willy Rosenstein – Stuttgart. Schon mit 19 Jahren macht er im Jahre 1911 (!) sein Pilotenexamen bei Rumpler in Berlin. Als junger Pilot fliegt er einige der Flugwochen mit, freilich nur im Schulflugzeug. 1913 geht er von Rumpler ab, um bei der Gothaer Waggonfabrik den Flugzeugbau einzuführen. Zunachst ist er vier Monate bei der Zentrale für Aviatik in Hamburg, ein Spezialunternehmen der “Gothaer”. Dort konnte er bei dem Mecklenburger Rundflug eine Goather Taube fliegen, die ihm den Ersten Preis im Gesamtklassement und den Gewinn samtlicher Ehrenpreise bringt. Nach Uebersiedlung nach Gotha fliegt Kam. Rosenstein die neuen Militärmaschinen ein, ist bei den Neukonstruktionen und an den Abnahmeflügen beteiligt sowie an der Ausbildung weiterer Flugschüler. (Wir haben auf seine Vorkriegstätigkeit schon kurz in der Sonderuasgabe, “Juden bei der Luftwaffe: nom 27 12 1935 auf Seite 2 unter “Jüdische Vorkriegspiloten” hingewiesen.)

Bei Kriegsausbruch meldet sich Kam. Rosenstein sofort als Freiwilliger, muss aber zunachst weiter Offiziere als Flieger ausbilden, und fürchtet schon, nicht mehr rechtzeitig ins Feld zu kommen. Januar 1915 kommt er zum Armeeflugpark V, nach Montmedy, im Februar zur Feldflieger-Abt. 19. Gechzehn Monate flog er mit Leutnant Martin aus Stuttgart als Beobachter, bis beide eines Tages mit erheblicher Verletzung gerade noch ihren Flugpark erreichten. Es war im April 1916 bei einem Fernaufklärungsflug jenseits der Maas bei Verdun, im Kampf mit einem französichen Jadgflugzeug. Leutant Martin erhielt einen schweren Oberschenkel-Knochenschusz und zwei Steckschüsse in das andere Bein; Rosenstein hatte drei Schüsse in beiden Beinen; mit dem einen Bein steuerte er jedoch sein Flugzeug nach dem Flughafen zurück und landete glatt. Von der Stelle fuhr man ihn ins Lazarett. Aus der Narkose erwacht, findet der Operierte auf der Bettbecke das E.K. I. Inzwischen zum Leutnant d. R. befördert, flog er die verkschiedensten Typen bei mannigsachen Formationen. Eines Tages ist er bei der Jagdstaffel 27 in Flandern und vollfuhrt bald seine ersten beiden Abschüsse.

Zur Erholung zum Grenzschutz nach Karlsruhe kommandiert, erhält er für einen Abschüss über Hagenau den “Zähringer Löwen”. Bald bittet er wieder um ein Frontkommando und erschient bei der Jadgstaffel 40 bei Lille. Er bringt es im ganzen auf

neun Abschüsse

Der erfolgreiche, mutige Kampfflieger wird zum Hausorden von Hohenzollern eingereicht, – die Aushandigung wird durch den Ausbruch des Umsturzes verhindert.

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The Shield
February 7, 1936

Maccabees of the Air

Württemberg Front Flyers
Of eight, four fell.

From Wurttemberg are found at least eight Jewish front airmen. Four of them have fallen: Lt. d.R. Pappenheimer from Mergentheim, Zurndorfer from Rexingen, Weil from Ulm and war volunteer Flugflugfuhrer Eugen Levi from Stuttgart.

From Stuttgart also are comrades Hermann Schmidt, Willy Rosenstein, Lt. d.R. Wolfenstein and from Oberdorf-Bopfingen Corporal Aircraft pilot Siegfried Heimann.

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Comrade Willy Rosenstein

Among the small number of prewar pilots belongs our comrade Willy Rosenstein – Stuttgart. At the age of 19, in 1911 (!), he completed his pilot exam at Rumpler in Berlin. As a young pilot he flies some weeks with them, but only in a trainer airplane. In 1913 he left Rumpler to import [?] aircraft from the Gotha wagon factory. First, he spent four months with the Hamburg Aviation Office, a specialist company of “Gothaer”. There he was able to fly a Goather Taube on the Mecklenburg sightseeing flight, which gives him the first prize in the overall classification and the winning of all honorary prizes. After moving to Gotha Comrade Rosenstein is involved in flying new military aircraft, the construction of the new designs and test flights, as well as in the training of further flight schools. (We have already referred to his pre-war status in the special edition, “Jews in the Air Force: issue of December 27, 1935 on page 2, under “Jewish Pre-War Pilots”.)

At the outbreak of the war, Comrade Rosenstein reports immediately as a volunteer, but must first continue to train officers as an aviator, and is already afraid not to come into the field [of battle] in time. In January 1915 he comes to Army Flying Park V, to Montmedy; in February to Field Flying Unit 19. He flew with Leutnant Martin from Stuttgart as an observer for a total of sixteen months, until they both just managed to reach their flying park one day with considerable injury. It was in April 1916 during a remote reconnaissance flight beyond the Maas at Verdun; in the fight with a French pursuit plane Leutnant Martin received a heavy shot in the thigh bone and two shots into the other leg; Rosenstein had three bullets in both legs; but with one leg he returned his plane to the airport and landed smoothly. From the place he was taken to the hospital. Awakening from anesthesia, operated upon, he finds on the corner of the bed the Iron Cross First Class. Meanwhile promoted to Leutnant der Reserve, he flew the most diverse types in various formations. One day he is at Hunting Squadron 27 in Flanders and soon executes his first two kills.

Commanded to rest for border protection at Karlsruhe, he receives the “Zahringer Lowen” for a kill over Hagenau. Soon he asks again for a front command and appears at Jadgstaffel 40 at Lille. He gets on the whole

nine kills

The successful, courageous military pilot is submitted for the House Order of Hohenzollern, – the delivery [of the award] is prevented by the outbreak of the revolution.

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Willy Rosenstein’s Military Assignments and Awards

Robert Gill’s article identifies the units to which Willy Rosenstein was assigned, their locations, and, his military awards, which are summarized below:

Summer, 1914 – Enlisted; assigned to Infantry Regiment No. 95, Gotha
24 August 1914 – Militärische Fliegerschule-Gotha
18 October 1914 – Transferred to Flieger Ersatz Abteitung 5 at Hannover
19 October 1914 – Promoted to Unteroffizier
~ 26 October 1914 – Awarded the Flugzeugführerabzeichen (Military Pilot’s Badge)
24 November 1914 – Promoted to Vizefeldwebel and appointed Offizierstellvertreter (equivalent of Warrant Officer)
January 1915 – Ordered to Ettappen Flieger Park 5 at Montmedy
6 March 1915 – Ordered to first combat unit, Feldfliegerabteilung 19, located at Flugplatz Porcher, northwest of Mars-la-Tour
29 March 1915 – Received Iron Cross 2nd Class
21 August 1915 – Awarded Württemburg Silver Military Service Medal
28 April 1916 – Seriously wounded in action; awarded Iron Cross 1st Class
30 May 1916 – Released from hospital and sent home on reparative leave to Stuttgart
31 May 1916 – Reported to Flieger Ersatz Abteilung 10 at Böblingen
2 June 1916 – Awarded Württemburg Service Medal in Gold
17 September 1916 – Assigned to Armee Flug Park 3
19 September 1916 – Reported to Armee Fokker Staffel A.O.K. 3; redesignation of Armee Fokker Staffel A.O.K. 3 to Jasta 9 effective 7 October 1916
9 November 1916 – Ordered to Jastaschule at Valenciennes for four weeks duty as flight instructor
14 December 1916 – Returned to Jasta 9
21 January 1917 – Ordered to Reserve Officers Course for Flying Troops at Döeritz
13 February 1917 – Ordered to join newly forming Jasta 27, then forming in Flanders
10 December 1917 – Left Jasta 27 for Flieger-Beobachterschule-West
8 January 1918 – Transferred to KEST la (Kampfeinsitzerstaffel) [Home Protection Squadron] Mannheim
4 April 1918 – Transferred to Karlsruhe, joining KEST lb
2 July 1918 – Travelled to Flugplatz Lomme, near Lille, arriving on 2 July 1918. (Jasta 40)
9 July 1918 – First flight with Jasta 40
28 September 1918 – Received the Ritterkreuz zweiter Klasse mit Schwerten des Ordens vo Zaringer Löwen from Grand Duke of Baden for third victory scored over Hagenau on 26 June while with KEST lb

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Aerial Victories of Leutnant d.R. Willy Rosenstein

Willy’s aerial victories and combat claims follow. This list is supplemented by information concerning the identities (where known) of the pilots of these aircraft. The names of the Allied aviators are from Frank Bailey and Christophe Coney’s The French Air Service War Chronology 1914-1918, and, Trevor Henshaw’s The Sky Their Battlefield, which were published in 2001 and 1995, respectively; over a decade after the appearance of Robert Gill’s article in the Cross and Cockade Bulletin.

Robert Gill’s analysis of Willy’s aerial victory claims follows this list.

No. 1: 21 September 1917
D.H.4
Confirmed as the 33rd victory of Jasta 27, by Kogluft Nr. 113092 dated 11 November 1917.
Possibly a Bristol F2B Fighter of No. 22 Squadron, R.F.C. The victory occurred in the vicinity of Zillebeke Lake.

No. 2: 26 September 1917
Sopwith Single-Seater
Confirmed as the 34th victory of Jasta 27, by Kogluft Nr. 113422, dated 17 November 1917.
The victory occurred in the vicinity of Blankartsee. The enemy aircraft was seen to crash in the flood containment area of the Blankart-See following a very hard twisting and turning fight of 15 minutes duration.

Sopwith Camel B6275, No. 70 Squadron
2 Lt. C.L. Lomax, POW
Offensive patrol, seen low near Passchendaele going southeast to Lines
Left 11:05 a.m., last seen 12:15 p.m. (Henshaw, p. 232)

No. 3: 27 September 1917
Not confirmed
This claim was denied due to deficient ground confirmation. Ltn. Stoltenhoff was denied his claim on the same day, probably in the same fight. No details of aircraft type, location or time have been located.

No. 4: 26 June 1918
D.H.4
Confirmed as the 3rd victory for Rosenstein and the 2nd victory of KEST lb. Aircraft serial A8073. Crew: 2/Lt. F. Bryan, Sgt. A. Boocock, made P.O.W.s. Confirmed by Kogluft Nr. 126995 dated 11 July 1918. This victory is erroneously credited to Jasta 40, as Rosenstein had transferred as the confirmation was being made. He was awarded the Baden Order of the Zäringer Lion for this victory.

DH4 A8073, No. 55 Squadron (L.F.)
2 Lt. F.F.H. Bryan and Sgt. A/ Boocock, both POW
Bombing Karlsruhe, seen in control south of Strassburg landing field near Saverne (Henshaw, p. 345)

No. 5: 14 July 1918
S.E.5A
Confirmed as the 4th victory for Rosenstein by Kogluft Nr. 131153, dated 31 August 1918. The Jasta victory number is not included. The aircraft was most likely one belonging to either No. 64 or 85 Squadrons, R.A.F. (See Text).

SE5a C6490, No. 85 Squadron
2 Lt. N.H. (?) Marshall, POW
Offensive patrol, left 8:05 a.m., seen in combat north of Estaires at 8:35 a.m.
Claimed in combat southeast of Vieux Berquin 8:35 by Leutnant C. Degelow
Claimed in combat southeast of Vieux Berquin 8:30 by Leutnant W. Rosenstein
Claimed in combat near Berquin by 8:40 Leutnant H. Gilly (Henshaw, p. 355)

No. 6: 29 September 1918
B.F.
No record of a confirmation order for this victory can be located, although it appears in the Jasta 40 records. Rosenstein stated that “…I shot down in flames a lone flying B.F.” No data concerning time or location.

No. 7: 3 October 1918
Spad XIII
Confirmed by Kogluft Nr. 136591, dated 6 January 1919, as the 6th personal victory for Willy Rosenstein and as the 48th victory of Jasta 40. This was a French aircraft of Escadrille Spa 82, one of four enemy aircraft confirmed to Jasta 40 in the vicinity of Roulers.

Spad VII, Spa 82, over Roulers
Caporal Pilote Henri Jean Marie Francois Fourier (1/3/95, Entrevaux, France), KIA
Caporal Pilote Louis Charles Leon Rolland (2/24/95, Toulle, France), KIA
Caporal Pilote Edmond Pirolley (1/28/96, Marcilly et Dracy, France), KIA (Bailey and Cony, p. 311)

No. 8: 4 October 1918
Sopwith Camel
Confirmed by A.O.K. 4, Kofl. B, Nr. TC72154/51, dated 16 October 1918. This confirmation is unusual in that the entire combat report with original notes of confirmation by Degelow and Jeschonnek, addressed to Kogluft, are present in Rosenstein’s album. It does not appear that this paperwork ever got where it was supposed to go. Further, the personal victory tally has been obliterated and the number “8” written over whatever was there. It is placed in the position of the 8th victory in the album, apparently by Rosenstein.

No. 9: 7 October 1918
Sopwith Camel
No record of confirmation order can be found. This victory is well documented by Carl Degelow, and also in the War Diary. However, Rosenstein had placed Kogluft order for his confirmed victory of 27 October 1918 on the page for his 8th confirmed victory and then wrote that his 9th victory was not confirmed due to the end of the war.

Sopwith Camel E7176, No. 70 Squadron
2 Lt. Herbert David Lackey (formerly Royal Naval Air Service), KIA
Mrs. Elizabeth Lackey (mother), 21 Osgoode St., Ottawa, Canada
Buried at Harlebeke New British Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium – XI,B,14
Bombing offensive patrol
Left 8 a.m., last seen near Lichtervelde
Claimed in combat at Ghent 10:30 by Leutnant C. Degelow
Claimed in combat at Ghent by Leutnant W. Rosenstein (Henshaw, p. 435)

No. 10: 27 October 1918
Sopwith Camel
Confirmed by Kogluft Nr. 137400, dated 6 January 1919, as the 7th personal victory for Rosenstein, and as the 49th victory of Jasta 40. The unit and location are not available, although Degelow’s 28th personal victory over a Sopwith Camel occurred on the same date in the vicinity of Wynghene.

Sopwith Camel E4387, No. 204 Squadron
2 Lt. Philip Frederick Cormack, KIA
Buried at Machelen French Military Cemetery, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium
High offensive patrol, combat with 30-40 Fokker D VIIs at Saint Denis / Westrem, south of Ghent at 9 – 10 a.m.
Claimed in combat at Wynghene by Leutnant C. Degelow
Claimed in combat at Wynghene at 9:35 a.m. by Leutnant W. Rosenstein (Henshaw, p. 445)

Analysis: The Aerial Victories of Leutnant d.R. Willy Rosenstein

While Rosenstein’s first and second victories cannot be specifically identified, he did receive solid confirmation. This was not the case with his third claim on 27 September 1917. This denied victory has never been an issue. He apparently accepted the deficient ground confirmation ruling without protest. His fourth claim on 26 June 1918, while with KEST lb, is now verified as to victim, but was always a solid third confirmed victory. His fourth confirmed victory, scored with Jasta 40 on 14 July 1918 is also a solid victory with the only debate being who shot down whom. His fifth confirmed victory on 29 September 1918 is a bit shaky – no confirmation in hand, no details of any kind as to who, where or when – but yet it appears on the Jasta 40 list as a confirmed victory for him. Did it appear on the Kogluft records as well? This writer is inclined to believe that it did for Kogluft gave him written credit on 6 January 1919 for his next victory of 3 October 1918 as his sixth personal confirmed.

His seventh claim on 4 October 1918, though well documented in his own records with original combat reports, may never have reached Kogluft for unknown reasons. In Jasta 40 records it is listed as his seventh confirmed. His eighth claim on 7 October 1918 is not supported by written confirmation in his records by Kogluft documentation, although on that day, apparently following the action, Degelow nominated him for the Hohenzollern Haus-orden, stating that he had eight confirmed victories. His ninth, which he shrugged off as not being confirmed due to the end of the war was, in fact, confirmed by Kogluft as his seventh personal victory – and as the 49th victory of Jasta 40. This is the number of official confirmed victories he is usually credited with in most accounts. So, it appears that Rosenstein was victorious on 4 and 7 October 1918, and that these victories were not included in his tally at Kogluft. Therefore, this writer submits to those interested that Willy Rosenstein should have received credit for at least nine confirmed victories, plus one not confirmed moving him from position 240 to new position 183 on the Ace List of German aviators in World War I.

______________________________

History does not end: The past becomes the present.

Nearly a century had passed, and then, Willy Rosenstein once more appeared before the public. Well, to be specific, an image of Willy appeared before the public.

This occurred within Nikolai Müllerschoen’s above-mentioned, movie “The Red Baron”, the epilogue of which reveals the ultimate fates of the film’s protagonists: Manfred von Richtofen, Nurse Käte Otersdorf (about whom “No further records exist on her remaining life”), Captain Roy Brown, Manfred’s brother Lothar and cousin Wolfram, Werner Voss, and, Kurt Wolff. Regardless of the film’s historical inaccuracy and contrived plot (!), all these characters are solidly historical individuals. Obviously, they existed.

But…

…the epilogue includes another central character, who – in a film already largely and deliberately ahistorical in its presentation of events (true, the CGI depictions of aerial combat were superbly done, the aerial action having been depicted in the abrupt, “hand held” style so characteristic of contemporary films) – is revealed to the viewer to be completely fictional.

Who?

The Jewish pilot: Friedrich Sternberg. Tellingly, while the epilogue presents photographic images of the above-mentioned aviators, as well as Käte Otersdorf, Sternberg is not represented with the image of actor who played him, Maxim Mehmet. Rather; strikingly, the viewer is presented with the image – the same image at the “top” of this post – of Willy Rosenstein seated upon the fuselage of his black Albatross. This sepia-toned photo is accompanied by the following text:

DURING WW I MANY JEWISH PILOTS FOUGHT
FOR THE GERMAN EMPIRE.
MANY OF THEM WERE HIGHLY DECORATED
FIGHTER ACES.

THEY ARE REPRESENTED
BY THE FICTITIOUS CHARACTER OF
FRIEDRICH STERNBERG

You can view this “snippet” from the movie (the full film, uploaded by teo7121941, is available here) below:

This following sequence, which appears immediately after the movie’s opening scene (showing the childhood incident which allegedly inspired Manfred von Richtofen to become an aviator – well, hey, it makes a nice story) portrays von Richtofen leading a trio of pilots, as the group salutes – literally and symbolically – a fallen British aviator. Note that while the camera fleetingly captures – very quickly! – the personal insignia on all four Albatross fighters, the very first insignia to be shown is a Magen David on Sternberg’s aircraft.

The next two clips are fraught. Very, highly, fraught. They depict Sternberg and his comrades engaged in aerial combat with British bombers and fighters near Ypres. And then, Sternberg is shot down and killed.

In terms of Sternberg’s ultimate fate, let alone a bevy of minor and fleeting details which are not at all that minor (the Magen David upon Sternberg’s black Albatross, the fuselage of which is dotted with stars; the Hebrew characters painted upon the horizontal elevator of his plane; the revelation that Sternberg had been awarded the Pour le Mérite) this entire sequence is deeply symbolic and intentionally so, and in terms of actual history, more than a little ironic.

This kind of symbolism has been manifest in other military-themed movies and literary works featuring Jewish characters. A few examples: Sands of Iwo Jima; Objective Burma; Destination Tokyo (where the role of “Tin Can”, played by Dane Clark [Bernard Elliot Zanville], merits a blog post unto itself!); Steven Spielberg’s over-rated (like the bulk of his oeuvre, but I’ll leave that for another discussion…) Saving Private Ryan; Enemy at The Gates; James Jomes’ superb The Thin Red Line; Norman Mailer’s The Naked and The Dead; MacKinlay Kantor’s extraordinary Andersonville.

But, I digress. Perhaps I’ll save that topic for a future blog post. (Posts? There is lots of material there…)

*
* * *
* * * * * * *
* * *
*

Robert Gill’s article concludes with a single paragraph about Willy’s son, Ernest Willy. In its starkly enigmatic brevity this account stands in striking contrast to the information available about his father:

“The final irony was yet to come. His son, Ernest Willy, enlisted in the South African Air Force when he was 19 year of age. Following in his father’s footsteps, he became a fighter pilot. He was seconded to the Royal Air Force and assigned to No. 185 Squadron in Italy. While flying a Spitfire, this expatriot, German-born Jew was posted Missing in Action, later confirmed Killed in Action, on 2 April 1945, flying against his former countrymen. (3) He was 22 years of age. This writer has attempted, without success, to obtain the details concerning the young Ernest’s combat record and his last mission.”

Robert Gill was correct. This was the embodiment of irony; a deep and powerful irony. But, it was even more than mere irony – as seen in conventional terms. This was “unfair”, solidly unfair. But, it was far more than simple unfairness – as in everyday life. Rather, it seemed to be unjust, at an almost inexpressible, if not poetic level.

I became curious about this, and contacted Robert Gill for information about Ernest Willy. He replied rapidly, favorably, and with great generousity, providing me with photocopies of Ernest Willy’s Log Book, photographs, Attestation Papers, and related documents.

That material – which has been the impetus for “this” post, about the father – has become the basis of the “next” post, about the son…

______________________________

References

First and foremost, my sincere and deep thanks to Robert B. Gill, for providing me with material about Ernest Willy Rosenstein, and, for his research into the life of Willy Rosenstein.

______________________________

Willy Rosenstein (General)

Biography of Willy Rosenstein (at Wikipedia)

Genealogy of Willy Rosenstein, by Alex Calzareth (at geni)

Genealogy of Willy Rosenstein, by Rolf Hofmann (“Family Sheet Willy Rosenstein of Stuttgart + South Africa”) (at Alemannia Judaica)

Willy Rosenstein as pilot and racing car driver (“Karriere als Pilot und Autorennfahrer”) (at Wikiwand)

German Jewish Aces (at Militarian Military History Forum)

Willy Rosenstein in his Hansa Taub (postcard) (at ansichtskarten-center)

Matzeva of Willy Rosenstein (at Jewish Photo Library)

Cross & Cockade Journal, Winter 1984 (at Flying Tiger Antiques)

Willy Rosenstein (Aerial Victories)

List of aerial victories (at The Aerodrome)

Discussion of aerial victories (at The Aerodrome)

Willy Rosenstein (Aircraft)

Willy Rosenstein’s Pfalz E.1 (Marek Mincbergr)

Willy Rosenstein’s Fokker D.VII (at Modellversium)

Jasta 40’s Fokker D.VIIs

Pheon Decals – Decal Set 48005: Jasta 40 under Degelow (at Pheon Decals)

The Red Baron (Movie)

The Red Baron (at Internet Movie Database)

The Red Baron (at Wikipedia)

The Red Baron (at Rotten Tomatoes) – Tomatometer currently stands at 20%

The Red Baron (Discussion at A.E. Larsen’s blog)

Other References

World War One Luftstreitkraefte (at Wikipedia)

Jewish Knights of the Air (German Jewish aviators in the First World War) (at Dayton Holocaust Resource Center)

Kurt Katzenstein (at Wikiwand)

Keeping Faith: A Letter from an Orthodox Jewish Soldiers in the Germany Army During the Great War (at They Were Soldiers)

Books

Bailey, Frank W., and Coney, Christophe, The French Air Service War Chronology 1914-1918 – Day-to-Day Claims and Losses by French Fighter, Bomber and Two-Seat Pilots on the Western Front, Grub Street, London, 2001

Henshaw, Trevor, The Sky Their Battlefield: Air Fighting and The Complete List of Allied Air Casualties From Enemy Action in the First War (British, Commonwealth, and United States Air Services 1914 to 1918), Grub Street, London, 1995

Theilahber, Felix, Jüdische Flieger im Weltkrieg, 1924, Verlag der Schild, Berlin.

Wait, Adam M., Jewish Flyers in the World War, Original Title “Judische Flieger im Weltktrieg” – English-Language Translation, Adam M. Wait, 1988.

Notes

(1) Rolf Hofmann lists his birthplace as Wiesbaden.

(2) 55 photographs and 10 documents.

(3) Whether Ernest Willy would have been perceived as a fellow countryman – in 1945, let alone 2018 – remains open to conjecture.

Infantry Against Tanks: A German Jewish Soldier at Cambrai, November, 1917

Stories and depictions of World War One combat, composed both during and after the “Great War”, are abundantly available in print and on the web.

A fascinating source of such accounts – but even moreso a source particularly; poignantly ironic – is the newspaper Der Schild, which was published by the association of German-Jewish war veterans, the “Reichsbundes Jüdischer Frontsoldaten”, from January of 1922 through late 1938, the latter date paralleling the disbandment of the RjF. Der Schild is available as 35mm microfilm at the Dorot Jewish Division of the New York Public Library, and in digital format through Goethe University Frankfurt am Main.

The screen-shot below shows the Goethe University’s catalog entry for Der Schild, which allows for immediate and direct access of the library’s holdings of the newspaper. All years of the publication, with the exception of 1924, are available; all as PDFs.

Of equal (greater?!) importance, accessing digital holdings is as simple as it is intuitive (and easy, too!) In effect and intent, this is a very well designed website! This is shown through this screen-shot, presenting holdings of Der Schild for 1933.

The total digitized holdings of Der Schild in the Goethe University’s collection comprise approximately 530 issues. “Gaps” do exist, with 1922 comprising only four issues (9, 10, 13, and 14) and 1923 comprising three issues (14, 15, and 17). However, holdings for all years commencing with 1925 are – I believe – complete, through the final issue (number 44, published November 4, 1938).

Not unexpectedly, Der Schild’s content shed’s fascinating and retrospectively haunting light on Jewish life in Germany during the 1920s and 1930s; on Jewish genealogy; on the military service of German Jews (not only in the First World War but the Franco-Prussian War as well), often focusing on Jewish religious services at “the Front”, rather than “combat”, per se (see the issue of April 3, 1936, with its cover article “Pesach vor Verdun”); on occasion about Jewish military service in the Allied nations during “The Great War”(1); on Jewish history, literature, and religion; on Jewish life and Jewish news outside of Germany.

There is much to be explored.

While reviewing Der Schild at the New York Public Library, I discovered a front-page article – published less than a year before the newspaper’s final issue – which was particularly striking both in its content and prominence: An account of an infantry battle against British tanks, at Cambrai, France, in November of 1917. Certainly Der Schild carried innumerable articles – lengthy and brief – about the military service of German Jews, but these items were not always so boldly displayed as one might assume. The prominence of this article prompted curiosity and in turn, an attempt at translation. Which, is presented below.

Unlike the letter of Martin Feist, Carl Anker’s article neither carries nor imparts any deep spiritual insights or moral messages.

It is simply an utterly direct story about a battle now almost a century gone by.

Erinnerungen an die
Tankschlacht bei Cambrai

Memories of the
Tank Battle at Cambrai

Der Schild
December 10, 1937

Unser Kam. Carl Anker, Hamburg, überlässt uns freundlicherweise seine interessanten Erinnerungen aus der grossen Durchbruchs-Schlacht bei Cambrai 1917 nach seinen Kriegstagebuch-Aufzeichnungen.

Our comrade, Carl Anker, of Hamburg, kindly leaves his interesting memoirs from the great breakthrough battle at Cambrai in 1917 according to the notes in his war diary.

In der Nacht vom 16 zum 17 November kamen wir, die 8. Komp. I.R. 84, von Noyelles nach vorne auf Wache. Ich hatte einen Unteroffizier-Posten, also mit 6 Mann eine Wache für mich. Um 8 Uhr abends kamen wir an, um 1 Uhr zog ich mit meinen 6 Mann nach __rne in die Feldwache. Drei Löcher, jedes für 2 Mann, in Abständen von ca. 30-40 Schritt, nahmen uns auf. Ich, als Wachthabender, hatte beständig von Loch zu Loch zu patrouillieren; dieses Vergnügen dauerte bis früh um 7 ½ Uhr. Dann wurde es so hell, dass man von hinten Uebersicht über das gesamte Gelände hatte, und wir zogen uns auf ein anderes grösseres Loch, das “Gruppennest” ca. 20 Schritte weiter hinten zurück und blieben dort von früh um 7 ½ bis abends 6 Uhr: – dann wurde es wieder so dunkel, dass die Posten besetzt werden mussten. Vom Greppennest wurde durch einen Mann Posten gestanden; von hier aus ging auch ein Verbindungsgraben nach hinten, – ca. 600 m zur Feldwache -, wo ein tiefer Unterstand mit dem Wachthabenden und der Ablösung lag. Von abends 6 Uhr lagen wir wieder vorne auf Posten,

In the night of the 16th to 17th of November we arrived, the 8th Company, 84th Infantry Regiment, forward on guard from Noyelles. I had a non-commissioned officer’s station, with 6 men on guard duty for me. We arrived at eight o’clock in the evening; at 1 o’clock I went with my 6 men to the field guard. Three holes, each for two men, in intervals of about 30-40 paces, were taken by us. I, [keeping watch], had to patrol constantly from hole to hole; this pleasure lasted until early in the morning at 7:30 hours. Then it was so bright, that we had an overview of the whole terrain from behind, and we moved to another larger hole, the “group nest” about 20 paces farther back, and stayed there from early morning at 7: 30 to 6 o’clock in the evening: – then it was again so dark again, that the posts had to be occupied. A man stood post by the group nest; from here a connecting trench also went to the rear – about 600 meters to the field guard -, where there was a deep dugout with the guard and the detachment. From the evening at 6 o’clock we were again located at the post,

ca. 49 Schritte vom englischen Graben entfernt.

about 49 steps from the English trench.

Nach Einsetzen der Dunkelheit erhielten wir Verpflegung. Um 1 Uhr Nachts kam unsere Ablösung von der Feldwache, nachdem wir also 24 Stunden vorne gewesen.

After darkness we received food. At 1 o’clock in the evening, our detachment came from the field guard, after we had been at the front for 24 hours.

Zwei mal 7 Stunden hintereinander auf Posten, ohne Bewegung, lautlos, in denkbar nächster Nähe des Gegners, am Tage ein Lager auf hartem Brett, in freier Luft, nur ein Stück Wellblech gegen Regen über dem Körper! Nicht rauchen, tagsüber der Qualm, nachts der Feuerschein!

Two times seven hours in a row, without a movement, silently, in the immediate vicinity of the enemy, in the day camping on a hard plank, in the open air, only a piece of corrugated iron over the body against the rain! Do not smoke, smoke during the day, the fire at night!

In der nacht vom 17. zum 18. wurde ich also abgelöst, kam kurz nach 1 Uhr in der Feldwache an und konnte bis früh um 6 Uhr schlafen. Da wurde alles alarmiert. Eine Gewaltspatrouille kam zur Durchführung. Lt. Hegermann, Lt. Störzel, am Tage vorher befordert, und noch einige andere Offiziere leiteten die Sache. Artillerie, Minen- und Granatwerfer riegelten das betreffende englische Grabenstück ab, die Patrouille drang vor, sprengte den Draht und brachte einen Vizefeldwebel und 6 Mann als Gefangene zurück. Wir selbst verloren Lt. Störzel als Toten und mehrere Verwundete. Der Gegner erwiderte unser Feuer sehr lebhaft, und auf einmal kam von vorne der Befehl: “Verstärkung nach vorne, der Feind macht einen Gegenangriff.” Ich musste mit meinen 6 Mann vor, stürmte los, traf aber unterwegs schon die zurückkehrende Patrouille mit den Gefangenen – die Verstärkung sei nicht mehr nötig. Also wieder zurück. Hpt. Soltau verhörte die Gefangenen, die bald nach hinten abgeschoben wurden, und nach einer weiteren Stunde Alarmbereitschaft hatten wir den Tag über wieder Ruhe.

In the night of the 17th to the 18th, I was relieved, came to the field guard shortly after one o’clock, and could sleep until early at 6 o’clock. Everything was alerted. A violent patrol came to pass. Lt. Hegermann, Lt. Störzel, who had been summoned the day before, and still a few other officers lead the affair. Artillery, mines, and mortars cordoned off the English trench, the patrol pushed forward, pulled the wire, and returned with a non-commissioned-officer and six men as prisoners. We ourselves lost Lt. Störzel (2) as dead and several wounded. The enemy repulsed our fire very vigorously, and suddenly the command came from the front: “Reinforcements forward, the enemy is making a counter-attack.” I had to go forward with my 6 men, storm, but on the way I met the returning patrol with the prisoners – the reinforcement was no longer necessary. So back again. Soltau interrogated the prisoners, who were soon shuffled off to the rear, and after a further hour on high alert, we had the rest of the day.

In der Nacht vom 18. zum 19. November musste ich um 1 Uhr nach vorne zur Ablösung. Die Nacht war ruhig, es fiel fast kein Schuss. Am 19. früh 9 Uhr, während wir im Gruppennest standen, bemerkte ich 2 Engländer an ihrem Drahtverhau. Am hellen Tage gingen sie aufrecht herum – für uns unfassbar. Ich beobachtete sie eine Zeitlang und vertrieb sie dann durch ein paar Schüsse.

In the night from the 18th to the 19th of November, I had to move forward at 1 am. The night was quiet, there were almost no shots. On the morning of the 19th, at nine o’clock, while we were standing at the group nest, I noticed two Englishmen at their wire entanglement. In the bright of the day they walked upright – for us incomprehensible. I watched them for a time, and then drove a few shots through them.

Mittags um 12 Ich war unruhig geworden, verliess mich nicht auf meinen Posten, sondern passte selbst auf und sah wieder 5 Mann am Draht herumlaufen. Ob sie die von unserer Patrouille gesprengte Lücke besichtigen oder ausbessern wollten oder was sonst, ich wusste es nicht. Ich alarmierte meine Leute, und wir gaben eine ruhig gezielte Salve ab, worauf sie verschwanden. Ich meldete den Vorfall sofort nach hinten.

At 12 o’clock I was restless, did not leave my post, but took care of myself and saw another five men running around the wire. Whether they wanted to see or repair the gap exploded by our patrol, or what else, I did not know. I alerted my people, and we gave a quiet salvo, whereupon they disappeared. I immediately reported back the incident.

Um 6 Uhr abends am 19. zogen wir wieder auf Posten. Bald kam der Feldwachhabende, Vizef. Sörensen und meldete mir, hinten sei alles

At 6 o’clock in the evening on the 19th, we moved back to the post. Soon came the field guard on duty, Senior NCO Sörensen (3), and told me, that everything behind was

in allerhöchster Alarmbereitschaft.

in very high alertness.

Beobachtungen und die Aussagen der Gefangenen liessen vermuten, dass für den kommenden Morgen ein grosser Angriff bevorstände. Die Gräben seien voll, alle Reserven seien herangezogen, auch alle höheren Stäbe etc. seien weit nach vorne geschoben. Dabei gab er mir gleich Instruktion, bei einem Infanterie-Angriff unbedingt zu halten, bei Artillerie-Feuer mich langsam zurückzuziehen. Na, dachte ich, denn man los! Aber die Nacht auf den 20. verlief wieder absolut ruhig. Um 1 Uhr wurde ich abgelöst und fand die Feldwache dicht an dicht besetzt. Hptm. Christiansen, der unsere Kompagnie übernehmen sollte, Lt. Simon und viele Leute hatten jeden Winkel dicht besetzt. So gut es ging, hockte ich mich mit meinen Leuten irgwendo hin zum Schlafen.

Observations and the statements of the prisoners suggested that a major attack would take place on the coming morning. The trenches were full, all the reserves were drawn up, and all the higher staff, etc., were pushed far forward. At the same time, he gave me the instruction, to hold on to an infantry attack, to retire slowly with artillery fire. Well, I thought, because you go! But the night on the 20th proceeded perfectly quiet again. At 1 o’clock I was relieved and found the field guard closely packed. Captain Christiansen, who was to take over our company, Lt. Simon, and many people had crowded [into] each corner. As best I could, I crouched with my people to sleep.

Am 20. früh 6 Uhr alles raus, gefechtsbereit, Handgranaten, Munition, etc. …

On the morning of the 20th at 6 o’clock everything went out, ready at hand, hand grenades, ammunition, etc. …

Ich arbeitete Schützenstände aus, damit für den Fall eines Angriffs jeder Mann Licht- und Schussfeld habe. Es blieb alles ruhig. Um 7 Uhr hiess es, die Alarmbereitschaft sei zu Ende, die Leute könnon zur Ruhe gehen. Ich sprach mit Vizef. Sörensen, na, nun sei es hell, und es sei nichts mehr zu befürchten, es sei wieder mal blinder Alarm gewesen. Da, mitten im Satze – das werde ich wohl nie vergessen – wie ein einziger dauernder riesiger Blitzschlag in allernächster Nähe ein schlagartiger Angriff riesiger Artilleriemassen. Alle Schüsse sausten über uns hinweg, gingen in unsere vorderste Linie und weiter nach hinten zu unseren Reserven und zur Artillerie. Ich sah nach hinten. Es war, als sei Weltuntergang, ein furchtbares Krachen und Sausen; der ganze Horizont war, trotzdem es schon hell war, blutig rot von den platzenden Granaten, berstenden Schrapnells. Im Nu wurde durch diesen schlagartigen Angriff hinten alles zusammengeschossen, – es feuerte eine Unzahl Geschütze gleichzeitig und so andauernd, wie ich nie vorher gehört. “Aha,” sagt Sörensen, “das ist die Vergeltung.” “Nein,” sage ich, “das ist viel mehr, das ist der Angriff!”

I worked at gunnery stations, so that in the event of an attack every man had light and a shooting area. Everything remained quiet. At 7 o’clock it was said that the alert was over; the people could go to rest. I spoke with Senior NCO Sörensen, well, now it was bright, and there was nothing to fear, it was once again a blind alarm. There, in the middle of the sentence – I shall never forget – like a single giant lightning bolt in the immediate vicinity, a sudden strike of giant artillery. All the shots rushed over us, went into our front-most line, and farther back to our reserves and artillery. I looked back. It was as if there was an end of the world, a terrible crash and a whirl; the whole horizon was still bright, blood-red from the exploding shells, bursting shrapnel. In an instant, this sudden attack brought everything back to the ground, firing an immense number of guns at the same time, as I never heard before. “Ah,” said Sörensen, “that is the retribution.” “No,” I say, “that is much more, that’s the attack!”

Unsere Leute waren von selbst alle heraus und auf ihren Ständen. Das riesige, nicht zu überbietende Trommelfeuer hielt an; aber auf uns, die wir so weit vorne lagen, fiel nicht ein Schuss. Plötzlich liefen von vorn auf uns Leute zu. Unsere M.G.’s setzten mit rasender Schnelligkeit ein. “Halt, halt!”, brüllte ich, “das sind ja unsere!” Unsere Wachtposten von vorne kamen an, Sörensen stoppte unser M.G.-Feuer und die Leute kamen richtig zu uns in den Graben.

Our people were by themselves all out and on their [firing] stands. The huge barrage [drum-fire], which was not to be surpassed, continued; but not a shot fell on us, who were so far ahead. Suddenly people came running towards us. Our machine guns set in with rapid speed. “Stop, stop!” I yelled, “these are ours!” Our guard posts came from the front, Sörensen stopped our machine gun fire and the people came to us right into the trench.

Wir standen und warteten. Nichts als das andauernde ungeheure, fürchterliche Bombardement nach hinten. Ich bereitete mich auf mein Ende vor; denn dass nach dieser kolossalen Vorbereitung ein gewaltiger Stoss erfolgen würde, war mir gewiss. Die 3 Jahre Krieg zogen blitzschnell in Gedanken vorbei, – na, und dann stand ich da: schussbereit, totbereit. Alles war ruhige. Entschlossenheit, kalte Vernunft, zielbewusste Energie.

We stood and waited. Nothing but the protracted, tremendous, terrible bombardment to the rear. I prepared myself for my end; because after this colossal preparation, a tremendous blow would take place, I was certain. The three years of war passed quickly, and then I stood there, ready to shoot, ready to kill. Everything was quiet. Determination, cold reason, purposeful energy.

Das Feuer liess nicht nach, es lag dauernd in unerhörter Stärke hinter uns. Der Engländer musste hunderte Geschütze aufgefahren haben, die ohne Pause das entsetzlichste Trommerlfeuer unterhielten.

The fire did not stop; it was always behind us, in unheard of strength. The Englishman had had to take hundreds of guns, which kept the most terrible barrage fire [drum fire] without pause.

Da tauchte vor uns aus Nebel und Rauch etwas Dunkles auf.

Then darkness, fog and smoke appeared in front of us.

Ich sah etwas Grosses Schwarzes. “Das ist ein Tank” sagt Sörensen so ruhig wie nur was. Wahrhaftig, jetzt erkenne ich es auch. Langsam aber sicher schiebt sich das Ungeheuer feuernd und krachend auf uns zu, entsetzlich wie ein unabwendbares Verhängnis. Unempfindlich gegen Kugeln und Handgranaten, ist es nur durch Artillerie-Volltreffer zu vernichten. Es kommt näher, vielleicht 50 Schritt noch! Ueber uns, ganz, ganz niedrig, kreisen die Flieger und bestreichen uns mit M.G. Hilfe von hinten ist ausgeschlossen -: durch solch ein Sperr- und Vernichtungsfeuer kommt kein Hund lebendig!

I saw something large and black. “This is a tank,” says Sörensen as quiet as that. Now I also truly recognize it. Slowly but surely, the monster is firing and crashing toward us, terrible as an inevitable doom. Immune to bullets and hand grenades, it is only to be destroyed by artillery hits. It comes closer, maybe no more than 50 paces! Above us, all, very low, airplanes circle and spread machine gun fire. Help from behind is impossible -: by such a block and destructive fire no dog comes [out] alive!

Da, jetzt endlich ist es Zeit! In dichten Massen schreiten aufrecht hinter dem Tank, der sie völlig schützt, die Engländer. Aber der geht an uns vorbei, mehr nach links, er geht geradezu seitlich an uns vorbei, so dass wir die Massen dahinter flankierend fassen können. Natürlich, der Tank geht parallel mit unserem Graben direkt auf unsere Hauptstellung zu.

There, now finally it’s time! In dense masses, the British are standing upright behind the tank, which protects them completely. But it goes past us, more to the left; it goes to the side of us, so that the masses behind it can be flanked. Of course, the tank goes directly to our main position parallel to our trench.

Nun, wir schossen, so lange wir Munition hatten. Bald war der Tank links an uns voruber, die englische Infanterie also vor uns. Gruppenweise kamen sie auf uns zu. Ich nahm mir einen ihrer Führer, der sie mit der Hand auf uns zu dirigierte, aufs Korn. Hinter uns lag noch immer das furchtbare Artilleriefeuer, von dem wir glücklicherweise garnichts abbekamen; rechts zog sich der Graben nach unserem Gruppennest. Langsam rückten wir alle in dieser Richtung vor, immer im Graben entlang und feuernd. Neben mir schrien Verwundete auf. Wir bekamen jetzt starkes Infanteriefeuer. Ich liege auf dem Grabenrand, ziele und schiesse dauernd; da fällt neben mir Sörensen herab; Schuss in die Schädeldecke. Kein Ton, kein Laut. Er wird blau im Gesicht, das Haar raucht vom warmen Blut. Nun denke ich, einer nach dem anderen, heraus kommt hier keiner.

Well, we shot as long as we had ammunition. Soon the tank was on our left; the English infantry before us. They came to use in groups. I took [killed] one of their leaders, who directed them to us with his hand. Behind us still lay the terrific artillery-fire, which we were fortunate not to mention; to the right, the trench moved to our group nest. Slowly we all advanced in this direction, always along the trench and firing. Beside me, the wounded cried. We are now given strong infantry fire. I am lying on the edge of the ditch, aiming and shooting; Sörensen falls next to me; shot in the cranium. No sound, no sound. He becomes blue in the face; the hair fumes of the warm blood. Now I think, one by one, no one comes out here.

Bald hatten wir

Soon we had

keine Munition mehr.

no more ammunition.

Vor uns links bewegte sich der Tank vorwärts und ihm nach die Massen des Gegners; hinten lag dauernd das unheimliche Trommelfeuer, vor uns kam der Gegner in Gruppen heran. Wir zogen uns nach rechts, also nach vorne zu, weiter. So kamen wir bis fast ans Gruppennest. Auch hier bereits alles voll vom Gegner. Unsere Munition war ja verschossen. Da, ein Ruck – und ein leichter Schmerz an der rechten Schulter…

In front of us, on the left, the tank moved forward, and after him the masses of the enemy; in the rear was the eerie barrage [drum] fire, before us the enemy came in groups. We moved to the right, so forward. So we came almost to the group nest. Here too, everything is full of the enemy. Our ammunition was gone. There, a jerk – and a slight pain on the right shoulder …

In unserem Löchern sassen Gruppen des Gegners, die uns mit der Pistole in der Hand den Weg in ihren Graben wiesen…

There were groups of our opponents in our holes, who pointed at us with their pistols in their hands…

Ein anderer Kamerad, Dr. Caspary, Stettin, hat die Tankschlacht bei Cambrai beim Inf. Regt. 50 mitgemacht (S. Regt. Gesch. S. 280). Er geriet mit seinen Leuten in die Gewalt der Engländer und wurde in einem der bekannten “Nester” gefangen gehalten, die eine Spezialität der Engländer waren. Kam. Dr. Casparys Plan, mit den Seinen weider Verbindung aufzunehmen, gelang – wie er selbst berichtet – vornehmlich durch die Kaltblütigkeit eines seiner Krankenträger. Zwar war die Situation mehr als schwierig, allein um so schöner der Erfolg, als er ausser der Befreiung noch die Gefangennahme von 3 englischen Offizieren, 46 Mann und 2 Maschinen-Gewehren einbrachte.

Another comrade, Dr. Caspary, Stettin, participated in the tank battles at Cambrai at the 50th Infantry Regiment. He fell into the hands of the British with his men, and was imprisoned in one of the well-known “nests”, which were a specialty of the English. Comrade Dr. Caspary’s plan to connect with his two partners was, as he himself reports, chiefly due to the cold-bloodedness of one of his patients. The situation was more than difficult, but it was all the more successful when, besides the deliverance, he brought in as prisoners three English officers, 46 men, and two machine guns.

______________________________

I’ve been unable to find any record “Carl Anker” – or even an approximation of his name – in Yad Vashem’s Central Database of Shoah Victims Names. This would suggest, though not definitively confirm, that he was able to escape Nazi Germany and perhaps German-Occupied Europe, “in time”. To where, and when, is unknown.

What happened to him after 1937?

Notes

(1) See the issue of June 24, 1938, which includes coverage of the Evian Conference (as did three issues in July), and – on the first page – an illustrated article about the commemoration of a memorial to French Jewish soldiers fallen at the Battle or Verdun.

(2) “Lt. Storzel” was probably Leutnant Georg Storzel, who is listed as having been killed on November 18, 1917. He is buried at Kriegsgräberstätte in Neuville-St.Vaast (France), Block 1 Grab 516.

(3) “Sorensen” was probably Offiziersstellvertreter Friedrich Sørensen. He was born in Haderslav, Denmark, on October 25, 1889.

These men were identified from reference works (listed below) available at denstorekrig1914-1918.

The three images of displayed above are scans of photocopies made at the Dorot Jewish Division of the NYPL, Photoshop-“ed” for clarity. Ironically, the quality of these images – derived from a physical media: paper, from a plain ‘ole microfilm photocopier – is better than that of the PDF available via the Goethe University’s Website. Notably, the article is appropriately headed with a sketch of a British Mark I tank (drawn by “Adam Zeichnung” and…simply and aptly labeled as “Englisher Tank ’17”) advancing over the lip of a trench.

Some other German Jewish military casualties on March 20, 1917 include…

– .ת. נ. צ. ב. ה –

Hagedorn, Josef, Soldat, Garde-Schutz Bataillon 2
Born in Padberg 6/28/97 / Resided in Giershagen
Casualty Message (Verlustmeldung) 820
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen des Deutschen Heeres, Deutschen Marine und der Deutschen Schutztruppen 1914-1918 – Ein Gedenkbuch – page 314

Rosenthal, Isak, Soldat, Garde Regiment 11, Bataillon 3, Kompagnie 9
Born in Beuthen (O.S.) 1/7/88 / Resided in Bitschin / Gleiwitz
Casualty Message (Verlustmeldung) 814
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen des Deutschen Heeres, Deutschen Marine und der Deutschen Schutztruppen 1914-1918 – Ein Gedenkbuch – page 169

Simmenauer (first name unknown), Soldat, Garde Regiment 11, Bataillon 3, Kompagnie 9
Born in Breslau 8/4/95 / Resided in Halle / S.
Casualty Message (Verlustmeldung) 814
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen des Deutschen Heeres, Deutschen Marine und der Deutschen Schutztruppen 1914-1918 – Ein Gedenkbuch – page 182

Westheimer, Heinrich, Soldat (Landsturmrekrut), Reserve Infanterie Regiment 263, Bataillon 3, Kompagnie 10
Born in Grosseicholzheim 2/19/81 / Resided in Grosseicholzheim
Kriegsgräberstätte in Neuville-St.Vaast (Frankreich), Block 9, Grab 315
Casualty Message (Verlustmeldung) 851
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen des Deutschen Heeres, Deutschen Marine und der Deutschen Schutztruppen 1914-1918 – Ein Gedenkbuch – page 230

References

Books

Banks, Arthur, A Military Atlas of the First World War, Leo Cooper (Pen & Sword Books), Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, 2001.

Chamberlain, Peter, and Ellis, Chris, Pictorial History of Tanks of the World 1915-1945, Galahad, Books, Harrisburg, Pa., 1972.

Die Jüdischen Gefallenen Des Deutschen Heeres, Deutschen Marine Und Der Deutschen Schutztruppen 1914-1918 – Ein Gedenkbuch, Reichsbund Jüdischer Frontsoldaten, Forward by Dr. Leo Löwenstein, Berlin, Germany, 1932

Erindringsboger tyske regimenter Udgivet under medvirken af Rigsarkivet – Infanterie-haefte 11 – Infanterie-Regiment von Manstein (Schleswigsches) Nr. 84, Oldenburg i.O/Berlin, 1922 / Dansk udgave: Jørgen Flinthom – 2016 (“Memorial Books of German Regiments, Published under the auspices of the National Archives – Infantry – Record Book 11 – Manstein 84th Infantry Regiment“) (denstorekrig1914-1918.dk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/IR-84-kampkalender-udvidet.pdf) (at Den Store Krig 1914-1918)

Geschichte des Infanterie-Regiments von Manstein (Schleswigsches) Nr. 84, 1914-1918, in Einzeldarstellungen von Frontkämpfern, Band III – herausgegben von Hülsemann, Oberstleutnant a.D., im felde Hauptmann und Komp.-Chef. 6./84 und Fuhrer des II. Bataillons / Revideret udgave: Jørgen Flinthom – 2011 (“History of the Manstein 84th Infantry Regiment, 1914-1918, Volume 3“) (at Den Store Krig 1914-1918)

Geschichte des Infanterie-Regiments von Manstein (Schleswigsches) Nr. 84, 1914-1918, in Einzeldarstellungen von Frontkämpfern, Band IV – herausgegben von Hülsemann, Oberstleutnant a.D., im felde Hauptmann und Komp.-Chef. 6./84 und Fuhrer des II. Bataillons / Revideret udgave: Jørgen Flinthom – 2011 (“History of the Manstein 84th Infantry Regiment, 1914-1918, Volume 4“) (at den Store Krig 1914-1918)

Sønderyjske Soldatengrave 1914-1918 – Sorteret efter efternavn (“Soldiers’ Graves 1914-1918 – Sorted by Surname“) (at Den Store Krig 1914-1918)

Web

Bund jüdischer Soldaten (Home Page)

Bund jüdischer Soldaten (YouTube Channel)

Den Store Krig 1914-1918 (“Danes in the German Army – 1914-1918”)

Der Schild (digital version) (at Goethe University Frankfurt website)

German War Graves (at Volksbund.de)

Reichsbund jüdischer Frontsoldaten (at Wikipedia)

Vaterländischer Bund jüdischer Frontsoldaten (Patriotic Union of Jewish Front-Line Soldiers”)

Yav Vashem – Central Database of Shoah Victim’s Names (at Yad Vashem)

God’s Decree is Unsearchable: One of 12,000 – Thoughts of A German Jewish Soldier in the Great War – II

In my prior post, I described the varied books published in Germany during, after not long after, the First World War, which covered the experiences of German Jewish soldiers through prose – soldiers’ letters and diaries – as well as statistics.

But, descriptions can go only “so far”.

This post presents the letter from soldier Martin Feist, of Frankfurt, which appears in Kriegsbriefe – gefallener Deutscher Juden.

____________________

Images of the cover of Kriegsbriefe – gefallener Deutscher Juden, Max Liebermann’s sketch, and Martin’s letter (outlined in red) on pages 19 and 20, are presented below:

The book’s cover.

The title page.

Max Liebermann’s art: An allegory of mourning.

Excerpt of Martin’s letter, commencing on page 19. The format of the “header” – comprised of the soldier’s name, rank, and military unit; date and place of birth; date and place of death; date and place where the letter was actually written – is followed (with variations) for the 73 other writings in the book.

Excerpt of Martin’s letter, concluding on page 20.

____________________

Martin’s letter, in German transcription and English translation, is presented below. (Note the ellipses, indicating sections of the letter which were deleted left unpublished. More about those in a moment..)

Martin Feist
Gefreiter
Inf. Regt. 81
Geboren: 3.11.1891, Frankfurt / M.
Gefallen: 7.1.1915, Frankreich

Martin Feist
Corporal
81st Infantry Regiment
Born: November 3, 1891, Frankfurt on Main
Fallen: January 7, 1915, France

Im schützengraben bei Andochy, 2.11.14
In a Trench at Andochy, November 2, 1914

…Ich will in meinem gestrigen Bericht fortfahren. Die Nacht vom Donnerstag auf Freitag verlief wider Erwarten ruhig. Der Freitag selbst brachte uns etwas Ruhe, und ermattet von den Strapazen, ruhten wir ermüdet in unseren Gräben. Der Schabbos begann, und wieder hiess es, leise sich von einem Schützengraben zum anderen wiederholend: “Tornister packen, alles gefechtsbereit, Seitengewehr aufpflanzen.” Ein Gefühl des Schauerns durchzog mich, als ich auf diese Weise den Befehl ermittelte: “Heute nacht Sturm.” Stumm lehnte ich mich an die Brüstung des Schützengrabens, scharf nach vorn aus lugend, von wo wir den Feind erwarteten: der volle eben aufgegangene Mond erleichterte die Aufgabe, das hügelige Gelände zu überschauen. Ich sprach mein Maariw gebet, und dann schweiften meine Gedanken zurück zu Euch meine Lieben. Ich sah Euch vereint um den Sabbathlichen Tisch, weihevoll und doch besimchoh schel Mizwoh aufgehend.

…I want to continue in my report of yesterday. The night, from Thursday to Friday, was calm. Friday itself brought us some rest, and weary of the hardships, we rested tired in our trench. Shabbos began, and again it was said, quietly from one trench to the other: “Pack knapsacks, everything ready for battle, plant bayonets [seitengewehr 98].” A shuddering feeling ran through me when I understood the order: “Night assault.” Silently I leaned back against the parapet of the trench, leaning forward, from where we expected the enemy: The full moon, which had just risen, facilitated the task of surveying the hilly terrain. I spoke my Maariv prayer, and then my thoughts wandered back to you my dears. I saw you gathered together around the Sabbath table, sanctified, and yet sober, mischievous.

Ich dachte an alle Freunde und Verwandte, an ihn vor allen, den teuren Freund, mit dem warmen Herzen und den glühenden Idealen in der Brust… Fernab von der Heimat traf ihn die Kugel des Feindes und machte seinem jungen Leben ein allzufrühes Ende; nichts blieb mir von ihm zurück als die Erinnerung an die frohen und trüben Tage der Jugend, die wir gemeinsam verbrachten. Gottes Ratschluss ist unerforschlich. Und so zogen stundenlang meine Dedanken. Sie hielten inne, als ich der Entsetzlichkeiten gedachte, die meine Augen geschaut haben. Ihr Zuhausegebliebenen, was könnt ihr von Glück sagen, dass es Euch erspart blieb, die Schrecken des Krieges zu erfahren… Möge auch diese Zeit, so gingen meine Gedanken weiter, reinigend hineinfahren in unsere Frankfurter Gassen, möge man verstehen lernen, dass man bisher zuviel danach gefragt, wer reich, wer arm ist. Weg mit der Anbeter ei des Reichtums, entfernen wir diesen Götzen aus unserem Herzen, und unser Frankfurt wird sehen, dass es noch ein Höheres gibt, und das heisst “Mensch sein”. Möge dieser Moment ein grosses Geschlecht finden, möge er uns veranlassen, uns selbst zu erziehen, dass wir nach dem Kriege ein Leben mit neuen Begriffen, neuen Vorstellungen beginnen können.

I thought of all the friends and relatives, of him before all, the dear friend, with a warm heart and glowing ideals in his chest… Far away from home, the bullet of the enemy struck him, and made of his young life too early an end; nothing remained for me of him but the memory of the joyful and gloomy days of youth that we spent together. God’s decree is unsearchable. And so my thoughts went on for hours. They stopped when I thought of the horrors that my eyes had seen. Your own home, you can fortunately say was spared to remain, to learn the horrors of the war… May this time also, my thoughts went on, be a cleansing of our Frankfurter streets; may one understand, that one has asked too much about it so far, of who is rich; who is poor. Away with the worship of wealth; may we remove these idols from our hearts, and our Frankfurt will see that there is still a higher one, that is to say, “to be human.” May this great moment find a great lineage; may it lead us to educate ourselves that after the war we can begin to live with new things; can start new ideas.

Der Mond verschwand hinter inzwischen düster aufgezogenen Wolken, meine Blicke verfolgten ihn, wie er sich immer wieder durch die Wolken emporzuarbeiten versuchte. Still und schwarz wurde es um mich her, da setzte rechts von mir ein heftiges Gewehrfeuer ein, die Kanonen donnerten, Maschinengewehre ratterten unaufhörlich, der Angriff der Franzosen begann. Der Morgen fand uns als Sieger; aber manch braven Kameraden hatte es das Leben gekostet.

The moon disappeared meanwhile behind dark clouds; my eyes watched it as it tried to work its way up through the clouds again and again. There was about me stillness and blackness; violent rifle fire set in on my right, the cannons thundered, machine guns rattled incessantly, the attack of the French began. The morning found us as victor; but had cost the lives of many good comrades.

Den Samstag verbrachten wir in Ruhe. Ich machte abends Hawdoloh mit altem Kaffee aus meiner Feldflasche, einer alten Petroleumfunzel und Zigarre als Besomim, und sang dann für mich allein die Semiraus. Das Vertrauen zu hakodausch boruchhu begleitet mich von diesem Schabbos in die Woche hinaus, er wird mich behüten und beschützen, und mit seiner Hilfe werden wir uns gesund wiedersehen…

We spent the Saturday in silence. In the evening I made a Havdalah with old coffee from my canteen, an old petroleum fuse and a cigar as Besamim, and then sang the Zemirot alone. The trust to HaKadosh Baruch Hu accompanies me from this Shabbos forth into the week; He will guard and protect me, and with His help we shall be well again…

____________________

Kriegsbriefe – gefallener Deutscher Juden is not the only source of information about Martin.

Remarkably, the Center for Jewish History possesses the entirety of his correspondence, which (doubly remarkably!) includes the original text of the letter as excerpted in Kriegsbriefe – gefallener Deutscher Juden. Listed – appropriately enough – as the Martin Feist Collection, the documents, donated by Sonya Benjamin, are described as, “letters [sent] to his family over the course of two years, first as a businessman in Paris and then as a German infantryman in France.”

The collection is comprised of four sequentially arranged folders, covering 1913, 1914 (January to October), 1914 (November to December), and 1915. The first folder commences with a descriptive note penned by Sonya in 1991, contaning the following statements, “Martin, as did his 2 brothers, worked for the firm Beer-Sondheimer, both in Paris and in London, whence he returned home to enlist when war broke out in August, 1914. He stayed in close touch with his five brothers and sister. He was the second eldest. Their father had died in 1912.”

“The letters describe an arc of changing attitudes and emotions in the mind of a young German Orthodox Jew, well-educated in an affluent home, as he embraces the lifetstyle of a young businessman in Paris, then adapts to the life of a German infantryman, imbused by the righteousness of his cause, and finally experiences deep sorrow and disillusionment, tempered only by abiding faith.”

Thanks to the CJH’s policy of making the Martin Feist collection freely available in digital format, I was able to locate the letter from Kriegsbriefe – gefallener Deutscher Juden within the “3rd” folder.

The four pages of Martin’s original (typewritten) letter are presented below:

First page.

Second page.

Third page.

Fourth, and final page.

____________________

This “full” version of Martin’s letter is – unsurprisingly – much lengthier than the book version, and in some parts is actually light-hearted. Amidst all, Martin retained a sense of humor.

More importantly, a careful reading and comparison of the two versions reveals where the editors of Kriegsbriefe – gefallener Deutscher Juden significantly redacted the original text.

For example in discussing an unidentified friend, the book presents, “I thought of all the friends and relatives, of him before all, the dear friend, with a warm heart and glowing ideals in his chest… Far away from home, the bullet of the enemy struck him, and made of his young life too early an end; nothing remained for me of him but the memory of the joyful and gloomy days of youth that we spent together.”

Martin’s actual statement is, “I thought of all the friends & relatives, of him before all, the dear friend, with a warm heart and glowing ideals in his chest. He began to rise more and more to the true, the beautiful and the good. He should not achieve his goal. Far away from home, the bullet of the enemy struck him, and made of his young life too early an end; nothing remained for me of him but the memory of the joyful & gloomy days of youth that we spent together.

Likewise, the book presents, “God’s decree is unsearchable. And so my thoughts went on for hours. They stopped when I thought of the horrors that my eyes had seen.“.

In the same place, Martin’s original letter has the following, “God’s decree is unsearchable. And so my thoughts went on for hours. They stopped when I thought of the horrible abominations that my eyes had seen.”

Other differences include the use of the word “and” in place of Martin’s liberal sprinkling of ampersand (“&”) symbols.

____________________

The transcription and my translation are presented below:

Martin Feist
Gefreiter
Inf. Regt. 81
Geboren: 3.11.1891, Frankfurt / M.
Gefallen: 7.1.1915, Frankreich

Martin Feist
Corporal
81st Infantry Regiment
Born: November 3, 1891, Frankfurt on Main
Fallen: January 7, 1915, France

Im Schützengraben bei Andochy, 2.XI.14, nachmittags
In a trench at Andochy, November 2, 1914, in the afternoon

Meine Lieben,
My dear,

Meinen gestrigen Brief werdet Ihr wohl erhalten haben. Inzwischen kam gestern Abend wieder die Feldpost und beschenkte mich reichlich. Von

You will probably have received my letter [of] yesterday. In the meantime the field post came yesterday evening and gave me plenty. From

Schames: Tabak, Honig Kaffee (speziell der Honig mundete vorzüglich er stammt von Röbig & Funk ist besser als der von Pabst & Türk, sendet mir recht häufig von dieser Qualität.)

Schames: Tobacco, honey coffee (especially the exquisite honey coming from Röbig & Funk is better than that of Pabst & Türk; send me this quality quite frequently.)

Ludwig Beer: Chokolade, Cigarren

Ludwig Beer: Chocolate, cigars

Damen der Firma: einem Kopfschutz

Ladies of the Firm: A head guard

A. Klibansky: 3 Fläschchen Cognac, besonders gut bei der jetzigen Jahreszeit.

A. Klibansky: 3 bottles of cognac, especially good at the present season.

Gretel: Cognac, Cacao Tube

Gretel: Cognac, cocoa [butter] tube

Tante Lina: Sardellenbutter (Ia.Ia), Milch – Cacao Tuben, Bonbons, Taschentücher, Fusslappen, Biscuits, Papier für geheimnisvolle Zwecke (herrlich verwendbar), Feuerzeug (do.)

Aunt Lina: Anchovy butter (yes, yes), milk – cocoa [butter] tube, sweets, handkerchiefs, sandals, biscuits, paper for mysterious purposes (gloriously usable), lighter (ditto.)

Montefiore Verein: Cigarren, Cigaretten (ich schreibe direkt)

Montefiore Club: Cigars, Cigarettes (I write directly)

Selma Sondheimer: Chokolade

Selma Sondheimer: Chocolate

Frau Dr. Roos: Wurst

Frau Dr. Roos: Sausage

Ferner von Euch: 1 Paar Strümpfe, Unterhosen, Tuben, Pfeffermünz, Chokolade, Cigaretten, Kuchen, Theebomben, Tabak.

Further from you: 1 pair of stockings, underwear, tubes, peppermint, chocolate, cigarettes, cakes, Theebomben [pre-mixed and packaged tea in jute bags], tobacco.

Ganz besondere Freude machte mir das erste Paket Wäsche & der feine englische Kuchen, die Wäsche zog ich sofort an, nachdem ich bald 4 Wochen die bisherige auf dem Leibe trug & der Kuchen hatte rasch das Zeitliche gesegnet. Sagt Rosa meinen besten Dank, hoffentlich kommt bald Weiteres. – Briefe erhielt ich von:

I was particularly delighted with the first package of underwear & the fine English cake; I immediately put on the underwear after I had worn the old one on my body for four weeks & the cake had swiftly blessed the time. Say my best thanks to Rosa; hopefully coming soon. – I received letters from:

Tante Helene, Frau Dr. Roos, Perez Mosbacher, Rosy & Philipp von 20 / 22 X., da an das Bataillon gerichtet war, Frl. Sender, Frau Dr. Pick, Karten von Euch aus Mainz, Rosy mit der freudigen Mitteilung, do. Frau Moser, Marcus Roos, Lisel & Erni, Aba, Else Cassel und Ludwig Beer.

Aunt Helene, Frau Dr. Roos, Perez Mosbacher, Rosy & Philipp of 20 / 22 X., since the battalion was directed; Miss Sender, Frau Dr. Pick, cards from you from Mainz, Rosy with the joyous message, ditto Frau Moser, Marcus Roos, Lisel & Erni, Aba, Else Cassel and Ludwig Beer.

Allen sagt bitte herzlichen Dank, es ist mir durch die Fülle der Sendungen nicht möglich, jedem Einzelnen zu schreiben, am Tage ruhen wir eben stets, mit Ausnahme von eingien Stunden Wache, damit wir nachts gut wachen können und der Schlaf, den ich mir entziehe, möchte ich dazu benutzen, Euch recht eingelhend von mir zu berichten. Ich habe mich mit allen seht gefreut & kann alles vorzüglich gebrauchen, es herrscht jedes Mal eine grosse Freude im Schützengragen, wenn die Feldpost kommt. Ich fühle mich eben wie neugeboren, die Wäsche gewechselt, ein ordentliches Honigsbrot verzehrt, eine Wurst in Angriff genommen (die jetzt gesandten sind besser & handlicher als die Salami Würste) jetzt fehlt nur noch sich einmal frisch waschen zu konnen, was seit Donnerstag nicht mehr der Fall war. – Doch ich will fortfahren in meinem gestrigen Berichte. Die Nacht vom Donnerstag auf Freitag verlief wider Erwarten ruhig, der Freitag selbst brachte uns etwas Ruhe & ermattet von den Strapazen, ruhten wir ermüdet in unseren Gräben. Der Schabbos began & wieder hiess es, leise sich von einem Schützengraben zum anderen wiederholend: “Tornister packen, alles gefechtsbereit, Seitengewehr aufpflanzen.” Ein Gefühl des Schauern durchzog mich als ich auf diese Weise den Befehl ermittelte, heute Nacht “Sturm”. Stumm lehnte ich mich an die Brüstung des Schützengrabens, scharf nach vorn aus lugend, von wo wir den Feind erwarteten: der volle, eben aufgegangene Mond erleichterte die Aufgabe, das hügelige Gelände zu überschauen. Ich sprach mein Maariw gebet & dann schweiften meine Gedanken zurück zu Euch, meine Lieben. Ich sah Euch vereint um den Sabbathlichen Tisch, weihevoll und doch besimchoh schel Mizwoh aufgehend, unner kleines Hausamütterchen für alles sorgend, unsere zwei sonnenstrahlen das Bild erheiternd & verschönernnd. Ich dachte an alle Freunde & Verwandte, an ihn vor allen, den teuren Freund, mit dem warmen Herzen und den glühenden Idealen in der Brust. Er ging darin auf, sich immer mehr aufzuringen zu dem Wahren, Schönnen und Guten. Er sollte sein Ziel nicht erreichen. Fernab von der Heimat traf ihn die Kugel des Feindes und machte seinem jungen Leben ein allzu frühes Ende; nichts blieb mir von ihm zurück als die Erinnerung an die frohen & trüben Tage der Jugend, die wir gemeinsam verbrachten. Gottes Ratschluss ist unerforschlich. Und so zogen stundenlang meine Gedanken, sie hielten inne, als ich der Gräueltaten Entsetzlichkeiten gedachte, die meine Augen geschaut haben. Ihr Zuhausegebliebenen, was könnt ihr von Glück sagen, dass es Euch erspart geblieben blieb, die Schrecken des Krieges zu erfahren. Oh könntet Ihr es richtig verstehen, Ihr Reichen, doppelt würdet Ihr Hand uns Kerz öffnen, um die Not und das Elend zu lindern, würdet Euch gross als Menschen und noch grösser in Euren Pflichten als Juden zeigen; Ihr würdet verstehen, dass es in dieser Zeit doppelt am Platze ist, zu spenden und zu geben. Wohl sind Euch in diesem Jahre Einnah__equellen versiegt, ja vielleicht Verluste wahrscheinlich, doch Gott gag Euch ja so viele Jahre des Wohlstandes. Möge auch diese Zeit, so gingen meine Gedanken weiter, reinigend hineinfahren in unsere Frankfurter Gassen, möge man verstehen lernen, dass man bisher zu viel danach gefragt, wer reich, wer arm. Weg mit der Anbeter ei des Reichtums, entfernen wir diesen Götzen aus unserem Herzen, & unser Frankfurt wird sehen, dass es noch ein Höheres gibt und das heisst “Mensch sein”. Möge dieser grosses Moment ein grosses Geschlecht finden, möge er uns veranlassen, uns selbst zu erziehen, dass wir nach dem Kriege ein Leben mit neuen Begriffen, neuen Vorstellungen beginnen können. – Der Mond verschwand hinter inzwischen düster aufgezogenen Wolken, meine Blicke verfolgten ihn, wie er sich immer wieder durch die Wolken emporzuarbeiten versuchte, still & schwarz wurde es um mich her — da setzte rechts von mir ein heftiges Gewehrfeuer ein, die Kanonen donnerten, Maschinengewehre ratterten unaufhörlich, der Angriff der Franzosen begann.

Please say many thanks to all; it is not possible for me to write to each individual because of the abundance of the parcels; during the day we are always at rest, except for a few hours’ watch, so that we can all keep watch well at night and sleep, which I deprive myself of; I would like to use on the other hand to report to you about me. I was very pleased with all of them & can use everything excellently; there is always great joy in the trench, when the field post comes. I feel like a newborn; the underwear changed, a decent honeybread consumed, a sausage taken in attack (those sent now are better & handier than the salami sausages) now the only thing missing is to be able to freshly wash, which since Thursday was no longer the case. – But I want to continue in my report of yesterday. The night, from Thursday to Friday, was calm. Friday itself brought us some rest, & weary of the hardships, we rested tired in our trench. Shabbos began, & again it was said, quietly from one trench to the other: “Pack knapsacks, everything ready for battle, plant [seitengewehr 98] bayonets.” A shuddering feeling ran through me when I understood the order: “Night assault.” Silently I leaned back against the parapet of the trench, leaning forward, from where we expected the enemy: The full moon, which had just risen, facilitated the task of surveying the hilly terrain. I spoke my Maariv prayer, & then my thoughts wandered back to you my dears. I saw you gathered together around the Sabbath table, sanctified, and yet sober, mischievous, a little house-maid caring for everything, our two sun-beams amusing & beautifying the picture. I thought of all the friends & relatives, of him before all, the dear friend, with a warm heart and glowing ideals in his chest. He began to rise more and more to the true, the beautiful and the good. He should not achieve his goal. Far away from home, the bullet of the enemy struck him, and made of his young life too early an end; nothing remained for me of him but the memory of the joyful & gloomy days of youth that we spent together. God’s decree is unsearchable. And so my thoughts went on for hours. They stopped when I thought of the horrible abominations that my eyes had seen. Your own home, you can fortunately say was spared to remain, to learn the horrors of the war. Oh, if you could understand it properly, to open your hand and your heart and would doubly extend, to alleviate need and misery, would show you great as people and even greater in your duties as Jews; you would understand that in this time it is twice the place, to donate and give. Well in this year your sources of income may fail, yes presumably perhaps losses, but God will give you so many years of prosperity. May this time also, my thoughts went on, be a cleansing of our Frankfurter streets; may one understand, that one has asked too much about it so far, of who rich, who is poor. Away with the worship of wealth; may we remove these idols from our hearts, & our Frankfurt will see that there is still a higher one, that is to say, “to be human.” May this great moment find a great lineage; may it lead us to educate ourselves that after the war we can begin to live with new things; can start new ideas. – The moon disappeared meanwhile behind dark clouds; my eyes watched it as it tried to work its way up through the clouds again and again. There was about me stillness & blackness — violent rifle fire set in on my right, the cannons thundered, machine guns rattled incessantly, the attack of the French began.

Der Morgen fand uns als Sieger, aber manch braven Kameraden hatte es das Leben gekostet. Den Samstag verbrachten wir in Ruhe. Ich machte abends Hawdoloh mit altem Kaffee aus meiner Feldflasche, einer alten Petroleumfunzel und Cigarre als Besomim & sang dann für mich allein die Semiraus. Das Vertrauen zu Hakodausch boruchhu begleitet mich von diesem Schabbos in die Woche hinaus, er wird mich behüten und beschützen und mit seiner Hilfe werden wir uns gesund wiedersehen. – Mit der Nachricht des ersten lang erschuten Sondheimers habe ich mich ganz besonders, gefreut, ich gratulliere Euch allen, kein jirbu, an grüsst Euch alle

The morning found us as a victor; but had cost the lives of many good comrades. We spent the Saturday in silence. In the evening I made Havdalah with old coffee from my canteen, an old petroleum fuse and a cigar as Besamim & then sang the Zemirot alone. The trust to HaKadosh Baruch Hu accompanies me from this Shabbos forth into the week; He will guard and protect me, and with His help we shall be well again. – With the first long news of the Sondheimers I am quite particularly pleased; I congratulate you all, may there be more, greetings to you all.

Euer Martin

Viels Grüsse an die Mädchen.

Many greetings to the girls.

Herr Geis möchte gerne Verschiedenes aus meinen Briefen in seiner Zeitung wiedergeben. Ich gebe ihm hierzu die Erlaubnis.

Mr. Geis would like to present a variety of my letters in his newspaper. I give him permission to do so.

____________________

The fourth and final folder of the Martin Feist collection includes the telegram notifying Martin’s family of his death:

Martin’s name – like the names of thousands of other German Jewish soldiers who lost their lives in the First World War – can be found in Die Jüdischen Gefallenen Des Deutschen Heeres, Deutschen Marine Und Der Deutschen Schutztruppen 1914-1918 – Ein Gedenkbuch. There, his name appears on page 211, where are listed – identical to all other entries in the book – his date and place of birth, date of death, the military unit in which he was serving (4th Company of the 81st Infantry Regiment), rank (Gefreiter), and the official casualty list in which his name was reported.

Martin was not the only German Jewish soldier to lose his life on Wednesday, January 7, 1915. The other German Jewish soldiers who lost their lives that day included:

– .ת. נ. צ. ב. ה –
תהא
נפשו
צרורה
בצרור
החיים

Soldat Julius Asch, 5th Reserve Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion, 12th Company
Born in Breslau, April 20, 1897; Resided in Schonlanke

Soldat Siegfried Baendel, 21st Reserve Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion, 10th Company
Born in Gleiwitz, August 14, 1882; Resided in Gleiwitz

Soldat Martin Elsbach, 234th Reserve Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 5th Company
Born in Kassel, June 26, 1891; Resided in Walldorf

Gefreiter Otto Loser, 30th Reserve Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 7th Company
Born in Dusseldorf, July 3, 1888; Resided in Dusseldorf

Soldat Jakob Marx, 75th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, 3rd Company
Born in Lehmen (Mosel), May 6, 1892; Resided in Gondorf

References

“cacao tube”, at http://www.marichesse.com/article-elle-s-est-collee-les-deux-levres-en-confondant-son-beurre-de-cacao-avec-un-tube-de-colle-forte-118792411.html.

“Honig mundete”, at https://steinhorster.blogspot.com/2016/02/burgerversammlung-koschale-eeten.html, and,
https://www.opentable.com/solevino-restaurant-and-sommergarten-a-la-provence.

“Theebomben”, at http://www.djk-adler-koenigshof.de/index.php/spielberichte/adlerfreunde/1094-adlerfreunde-besuchten-teekanne-in-duesseldorf

Martin Feist Collection at the Center for Jewish History

Martin Fiest Place of Burial, at FindAGrave

Einer von den 12000, (Illustration by Siegfried Ziegler), Der Schild, December 20, 1935, p. 5

Kriegsbriefe – gefallener Deutscher Juden, Reichsbund Jüdischer Frontsoldaten E.V., Berlin, Germany, 1935

And, an acknowledgement

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to my friend (and, Yiddish teacher / composer / choir director) Alexander Botwinik, for his assistance in accessing a copy of Kriegsbriefe – gefallener Deutscher Juden.

God’s Decree is Unsearchable: One of 12,000 – Thoughts of A German Jewish Soldier in the Great War – I

Einer von den 12,000
Makkabäer von 1914-18

Ein jüdischer Frontsoldat, der nicht-mehr zurückgekehrt ist. Aus dem Soldaten-Skizzenbuch von Siegfried Ziegler – München.
(Kriegswinter 1917).

One of the 12,000
Maccabees from 1914-18

A Jewish front soldier, who has not returned. From the soldier sketchbook by Siegfried Ziegler – Munich.
(War winter 1917).
(From Der Schild, December 20, 1935)

____________________

Whether in the life of nation, the life of a group, or the life of a man, every event – every moment – is remembered in its own manner. Through unspoken memories; with tales and stories; by anecdotes; in images and visions.

And, through the written word.

Every era; every historical event, produces a body of writing by those who witnessed or participated in it. This is especially so of war, which by its nature compels men to communicate their experiences and observations – whether by letters, diaries, or random jottings – to family, friends, and love ones, or simply “the world” at large. The need may be driven by a sense of personal, moral responsibility to fallen comrades; to retain a spiritual and psychological connection with “home” – a place still at peace; and ultimately, from a realization of the historical imperative to record the nature of the present for the sake of the future.

In terms of the experiences of German Jewish soldiers in the First World War, this was epitomized by the publication of the book Kriegsbriefe – gefallener Deutscher Juden (War Letters of Fallen German Jews) by the Reichsbund Jüdischer Frontsoldaten (RJF, or, Reich Federation of Jewish Front Soldiers) in 1935.

Whether the book’s publication was prompted by the Enabling Act of March 1933, is unknown.

Kriegsbriefe – gefallener Deutscher Juden is actually one of several books published in Germany from the latter part of World War One, through the 1920s and 30s, covering the experiences, memories, and military service of German Jewish soldiers in the Great War.

Such works fall within four general categories.

First, some books, in varying style and format, are composed of biographical profiles of fallen soldiers, in combination with transcribed letters, diary excerpts, and photographs. Exemplified by Kriegsbriefe – gefallener Deutscher Juden, this category includes:

1) Unseren Gefallenen Kameraden – Gedenkbuch für die im Weltkrieg Gefallenen Münchener Juden (Our Fallen Comrades – Memorial Book of the World War for Fallen Jews of Munich), Verlag B. Heller, (B. Heller Publishers) Munich, 1929.

2) Kriegsgedenkbuch der Israelitischen Kultusgemeinde Nürnberg (War Memorial Book of the Jewish Community of Nurnberg), J. Rosenfeld’s Druckerei (J. Rosenfeld Publishers), Nürnberg, 1920.

A second group describes the military service of German Jews, not restricted to men who fell in battle.

Examples are:

1) Jüdische Flieger im Kriege – ein Blatt der Erinnerung (Jewish Aviators in the War – Pages of Memory), von Dr. Felix A. Theilhaber, Verlag von Louis Lamm, (Louis Lamm Publishers) Berlin, 1919

2) Jüdische Flieger im Weltkriege, Verlag der Schild, (Jewish Aviators in the World War, Shield Publishers) Berlin, 1924 (Dr. Theilhaber’s highly revised version of the above book.)

3) Ein Jahr an der Somme (A Year on the Somme), Feldrabbiner Dr. Martin Salomonski, Druck und Verlag der Königlichen Hofbuchdruckerei Trowitzsch & Sohn, (Printing and Publishing by the Royal Court Book Printing Company, Trowitzsch and Son), Frankfurt a.D., (Frankfurt on the Oder) 1917

4) Die Juden im Weltkriege – Mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Verhältnisse für Deutschland, (The Jews in the World War – With Special Consideration of the Conditions for Germany) Dr. Felix A. Theilhaber, Welt-Verlag, Berlin, 1916

A third category – actually, epitomized by a single book – Die deutschen Juden als Soldaten im Kriege 1914 / 1918 – Eine statistische Studie (Hilo-Verlag, Berlin, 1922) (The German Jews as Soldiers in War 1914 / 1918 – A Statistical Study) is (as per the title!) statistical in nature. Author Dr. Jacob Segall used various sources of information to calculate and show the relative percentage of Jews in military service vis-a-vis the German population as a whole, in terms of such criteria as place of residence or branch of service.

A fourth category is embodied in two books, which present the names of all then-identified Jews, from all branches of the German military, who lost their lives (from all causes) during World War One. The books are:

1) Die Jüdischen Gefallenen des Deutschen Heeres, Deutschen Marine und der Deutschen Schutztruppen 1914-1918 – Ein Gedenkbuch (Reichsbund Jüdischer Frontsoldaten (The Jewish Fallen of the German Army, German Navy and the German Special Troops 1914-1918 – A Memorial Book (Reich Federation of Jewish Front Soldiers, Berlin, 1932). This book covers the entirety of Germany, and includes nominal biographical information about each of the tens of thousands of serviceman listed within its pages. (A page of which is presented at the end of this post.)

2) Jüdische Frontsoldaten aus Württemberg und Hohenzollern (Herausgegeben vom Württembergischen Landsverband des Centralvereins deutscher Staatsbürger jüdischen Glaubens (Jewish front soldiers from Wurttemberg and Hohenzollern ((Edited by the Wurttemberg Landsverband of the Central Association of German Citizens of Jewish Faith, Stuttgart, 1926)). As implied by the title, this book is limited to coverage of Jewish soldiers from the state of Württemberg, and, the region of Hohenzollern.

The impetus for the creation of these books arose, I suggest, from different, overlapping, yet entirely complementary and understandable motivations: To validate, if not prove, the patriotism of German Jewry in the eyes of Germany and German society, as a whole.* To serve as epistolary memorials to fallen soldiers on behalf of their loves ones. And, from a genuine, sincere, and deep expression of patriotism and love of country – simply for its own sake, on the part of German Jewry.

In terms of recording and commemoration of Jewish military service during World War One, German Jewry seems to have gone to far greater effort, in terms of intellectual effort, and, the total number of works that were eventually created (both wartime and postwar) than Jewish communities of other nations, regardless of whether those nations had been members of the Allies, or, the Central Powers. Remarkably, unlike the Jewish communities of Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom (specifically England and Australia), no such body of work was ever produced covering American Jewish military service of the First World War, a topic beyond the scope of this post…)

____________________

To the best of my knowledge, there have been no German-to-English translations ofthe above-mentioned German works. To that end, I’ve created preliminary translations of Unseren Gefallenen Kameraden – Gedenkbuch für die im Weltkrieg Gefallenen Münchener Juden, and, Kriegsgedenkbuch der Israelitischen Kultusgemeinde Nürnberg, which I hope to finalize in the future.

More importantly, I have finished a translation of Kriegsbriefe – gefallener Deutscher Juden, which I hope to make widely available.

____________________

Kriegsbriefe – gefallener Deutscher Juden is comprised of letters and / or diary excerpts from 74 soldiers, and includes 13 poems composed by 8 different authors (4 of those 8 authors being among the 74 soldiers). The contents are arranged alphabetically (the exception being Soldat Walter Heymann’s letter, which appears first), with the poems being interspersed at relatively even intervals through the text. Otherwise, there is neither a table of contents nor an index.

The book also includes a color sketch by artist Max Liebermann, showing an allegory of mourning: a woman – the mother of a fallen soldier – a scarf covering her hair, is seated upon the bier of her son, over which is draped the black-white-red tricolor flag of the German Empire, with a larger version of the same flag suspended above.

Some of the passages in Kriegsbriefe – gefallener Deutscher Juden are lengthy; others are brief. A few are profound, approaching questions of philosophy, religion and theodicy with great power. Others are relatively straightforward, focusing on the practicalities of life in the trenches or varied combat theatres. Some letters present vivid – sometimes humorous; sometime appalling – and straightforward depictions of warfare and suffering, in quite startling detail, depth, and clarity.

Each passage is moving in its own way, especially in light of what the future would hold for the families of these soldiers, and the Jewish people as a whole, two decades hence.

But, it has always been the case that foreknowledge is not given to men or peoples.

We can only know, what we know now.

____________________

One particular writing of 74 authors stands out: A letter by Gefreiter Martin Feist, of the 81st Infantry Regiment. Born in Frankfurt on Main on November 3, 1891, Martin was an Orthodox Jew, and – to the extent possible, as indicated by his letter – did his best to maintain religious observance, and religious faith, in the midst of his experiences as a front-line infantry soldier.

The excerpt of his letter in Kriegsbriefe – gefallener Deutscher Juden concludes with the text, “Das Vertrauen zu hakodausch boruchhu begleitet mich von diesem Schabbos in die Woche hinaus, er wird mich behüten und beschützen, und mit seiner Hilfe werden wir uns gesund wiedersehen…” [The trust to HaKadosh Baruch Hu accompanies me from this Shabbos forth into the week; He will guard and protect me, and with His help we shall be well again…]

Martin did not survive the war.

He was killed in action almost two months later, on January 7, 1915.

He is buried at the Alter Jüdischer Friedhof (Old Jewish Cemetery) at Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

____________________

I will present translations of two versions of his letter in my next post.

* This would have rested on the understandable yet fallacious assumption that antisemitism can be refuted by logic and reason.

References

Einer von den 12000, (Illustration by Siegfried Ziegler), Der Schild, December 20, 1935, p. 5, at http://sammlungen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/cm/periodical/titleinfo/4911661.

Kriegsbriefe – gefallener Deutscher Juden, Reichsbund Jüdischer Frontsoldaten E.V., Berlin, Germany, 1935