German soldier's eye witness report of First Battle of Flanders, taken from diary notes Oct 19 - 24. Northern front, near Channel Coast Nieuwport, Diksmude / Dixmuide on the Yser Canal.
summary of my grandfather's diary; written later in Berlin based on live notes taken in the field First Battle of Flanders/ near Diksmude, village north of Ieper / Yper, Belgium. The German attempt to cross and seize the Yser Canal failed at Diksmude / Dixmuide . In Wikipedia als Erste Flandernschlacht http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erste_Flandernschlacht aufgeführt. While hiking in Thuringia, the call to arms arrived my grandfather, Paul, on Aug 3, 1914. He returned to Berlin, his place of residence, and was drafted for Aug 17. On downtown Friedrichstr. he gathered with his comrades to board a train to Prenzlau, a small town about an hour's train ride northeast of Berlin. Constant Fear of foreign spies and sabotage was present. After 10 weeks of training, the bataillon was ordered to Wünsdorf, south of Berlin (later the Soviet HQ in East Germany) for exercises. There were already POWs from all nations at Wünsdorf. My grandfather and his comrades were in a bouyant mood and confident of a quick and easy victory. On Oct 13, Paul and his troops (Reserveregiment 207) were set on a train via Hannover, Düsseldorf, Lüttich (Liege), up to Gent, Belgium (Oct 15). From there, they marched on foot to the front of Dixmuidon (north of Yvern). That march took about three or four days. The bataillon stayed in private houses, schools etc. and were provided with fine food. My grandfather even enjoyed some red wine, a cigar and cognac. At noon of Oct 19, they reached the frontlines, the constant pounding of bombs in their ears. The Royal Navy bombarded German lines from the sea, only a few kilometers off the canal of Yser. My grandfather served in a reserve bataillon, supporting the 201st and 203rd regiments; they followed the active regiment for two or three days. Snipers posed an imminent threat to their lives. British air planes flew by but didn't attack. Oct 21: battaillon commander Oberstleutnant Graf von Bernsdorf issued a statement from the Kaiser who was visiting Gent at this time. Requisition was a punishment of the civilian population in Belgium who had supported the enemy. Cattle and bread was seized for the bataillon for better nourishment. The Germans and British were driving offensives in hope of enforcing a quick victory. Heavy fighting and bomb shelling continued for 24 hours or more. Shots in the belly were most common and dreaded for they were deadly. Head shots often resulted in inflammation of the brain for there was no proper medical treatment. British forces used shrapnell ammunition. The Germans had bajonettes placed on their guns. My grandfather's bataillon seized an abandoned British trench given up for a strategic retreat. The enemy was only 100 meters or so off. Snipers aimed at their heads. The next day, Oct 20, my grandfather and his buddies succeeded in repelling an offensive. While stumbling through a field of turnip, Paul lost his tornister (backpack). In a risky run he later got it back, he was very lucky. Later that day, a comrade, private Harch, was shot in the face, the bullet left the body in the shoulder. His corpse was carried away in the night and burried which was difficult because of constant firing. The British were using explosive ammunition which were irritating because it was hard to tell the enemy's distance. My grandfather, and each of his buddies, fired some 200 bullets that night (Oct 21 / 22). During the night, my grandfather was standing next to a comrade who didn't move at all, standing upright, gun at the ready. In the morning, he discovered that man, it was discovered that the man was shot in the forehead an instantly dead. He was burried next to a hedge that gave some cover of bullets. - The situation lasted throughout Oct 23 and up to Oct 24. Other German troops (Westfalen) joined my grandfather's bataillon. German heavy artillery was firing into Dixmuidon. All of sudden, shells dropped next to my grandfather's place: the guns barrels had become so steamy hot that the shells rocketed off early by themselves, failing to reach their destination. - After another shell impact close to my grandfather, Leutnant Spalding was forced to leave the frontline. His ears were bleeding and he had lost his hearing. ____________________ My grandfather tells of other casualties and dead comrades before closing his repport, unfinished it seems. To my mother he told later that he was wounded in his left thigh (shrapnel wound) and sent home in early 1915.