This week Sabine’s battlefield guide Saturday
A misbehaving major
We start off in October 1914 in the area of Beselare – Zonnebeke where RIR 243 was on the side of several other regiments .
In several blogs I had written in 2021 about RIR 241 and the battle for Broodseinde cross roads we know where they are , RIR 243 is on the left , east of Molenaresthoek between de road and ‘calvaire wald.’ They are under fire from the British and the II battalion was hit severely by enemy shrapnel fire. Major Pank tried to get into the front line himself and was wounded in the knee by a shrapnel bullet. Now it gets interesting , he end up in the hospital ‘reserve lazarett II abt. I ( St. Georg) in Leipzig from the 30th of October 1914 till 10th of Marsh 1915 the doctor who treated him was Dr. Fritzsche
An investigation was started against our major, since he misbehaved ( I was lucky to get the paperwork d from Jürgen)
During his stay in the military hospital, Major Pank complained to the chief physician about orders issued by staff physician Dr Fritzsche, which the chief physician had initiated following a complaint from nurse Hedwig Hülse about Major Pank and which related to the fact that the Major should only be cared for by male personnel.
Major rrank’s complaint was investigated but so was the staffs complaints.
Major rrank’s complaint was investigated but so was the staffs complaints.
The Council of Honour found that:
1) The sisters felt their dignity had been violated by Major Pank because they always believed they saw a certain intention in Major Pank’s behaviour. Major Pank, for example, washed himself in their opposite direction and was almost completely undressed. According to sister Liddy Wunderlich, she confronted him about this. Sister Hedwig Hülse also stated that she had held out the shirt to Major Pank because she was uncomfortable with this kind of washing in her presence, but he had said that he only wanted to put the shirt on when he was lying in bed.
2) that Major Pank did nothing to prevent the female staff from entering his room while he was washing himself almost completely undressed.
3) That major Pank after credible assurance of the persons in question, who have been made aware of the obligation to swear to their statements in a court of law :
a) sister Liddy Wunderlich, he grabbed her arm and said to her: Come into my arms.
b) that he called sister Hedwig Hulse ‘heddy’ and ‘schwesterchen’ and washed himself undressed in her presence.
a) sister Liddy Wunderlich, he grabbed her arm and said to her: Come into my arms.
b) that he called sister Hedwig Hulse ‘heddy’ and ‘schwesterchen’ and washed himself undressed in her presence.
c) That he got so close with his face to the maid Anna Naumann as if he was going to kiss her.
d) That he kissed the housemaid Klara Schnabel on the neck.
e)That once he held the maid Klara Gerstner by the shoulder with his arm as if he wanted to kiss her
The head physician of the hospital believed that major Pank’s behaviour is due to erotic intentions towards the female staff.
In view of the above, the Council of Honour came to the conclusion that the Major, by the way he behaved towards the female staff in the St. Georg reserve hospital during his stay there, had violated the duties of an officer and general professional ethics in such a way that his actions require a sentence of honor. However, with regard to the continuation of the proceedings against Major Pank, the Council of Honour considers it appropriate to refer the matter to the court of honour on the basis of its last hearing and the information provided by the head of the reserve hospital I Leipzig (Tauchaerweg), where Major Pank is currently being held.
In view of the above, the Council of Honour came to the conclusion that the Major, by the way he behaved towards the female staff in the St. Georg reserve hospital during his stay there, had violated the duties of an officer and general professional ethics in such a way that his actions require a sentence of honor. However, with regard to the continuation of the proceedings against Major Pank, the Council of Honour considers it appropriate to refer the matter to the court of honour on the basis of its last hearing and the information provided by the head of the reserve hospital I Leipzig (Tauchaerweg), where Major Pank is currently being held.
the order was not communicated to the major in person. With the consent of the major, the complaint was declared closed on 10 March 2015.
But on 10/03/15, Major Pank complained to head nurse Prohaska about the ward nurse Liddy Wunderlich because she had not administered a priessnitz bandage to his knee that he had received between 9am and 10pm without a doctor’s prescription.
He even had written a letter to complain about the fact the nurse Liddy had not greeted him
On 9.03.15, shortly before his discharge from the hospital, major Pank wrote a letter to matron Zimmermann, following a request he had already made on 17.02.1915, complaining further about nurse Liddy because she did not greet him and his friends, because she had not yet apologised and because she was irresponsibly neglecting his room. He described nurse liddy as unsuitable as an Albertine and explained this in more detail in his letter.
Das Kgl. Sächs. Res.-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 243 im Weltkriege 1914-1918
Jürgen for helping me once again when I lost my inspiration.