Emil Eduard Karl Ilse was born in Kempfeld on March 14, 1864. Exactly one month after his nineteenth birthday, he joined the Prussian Army’s Lower Saxony Foot Artillery Regiment Number 10 (based in the Alsatian town of Strassburg) with the rank of second lieutenant.
In October 1885, Ilse began his studies at the United Artillery and Engineering School in Charlottenburg… where he graduated two years later. He then became a first lieutenant on April 17, 1890… and entered Berlin’s Prussian War Academy six months later. Upon his completion in July 1893, Ilse attained the rank of captain… and later in September, he was appointed company commander of the Lower Saxony Foot Artillery Regiment Number 10 in Strassburg.
On March 19, 1896, Ilse was named adjutant to Inspector General Ernst von Kuhlmann of the General Inspectorate of Foot Artillery in Berlin. Four months later, he joined the Great General Staff. Two more promotions were given to Ilse: major in September 1899 and lieutenant colonel in April 1906.
On May 22, 1907, Ilse became Hermann von Eichhorn’s Chief of Staff with the XVIII Corps based in Frankfurt am Main. Two years later, he became a full colonel. Then in July 1910, Ilse rejoined and took command of the Lower Saxony Foot Artillery Regiment Number 10 in Strassburg. His military career continued to progress… and in October 1912, Ilse became commander of the Fifth Foot Artillery Brigade in Cologne with the rank of major general.
When the Great War began, Ilse’s brigade fought on the Western Front. On August 20, 1914, he relinquished command and became Chief Artillery Officer for the German Second Army (led by Generaloberst Karl von Bülow) . Just one month later, Ilse transferred again to the German Fourth Army and became Chief of Staff to the Duke of Württemberg, Herzog Albrecht.
Another promotion was given to Emil Ilse on August 18, 1915: the rank of lieutenant. He was also awarded the Bavarian Military Order of Merit, Second Class (with star and swords) on October 20, 1915. Three months later, he was decorated with the Order of the Red Eagle, Second Class (with oak leaves and swords). Finally on August 28, 1916, Ilse was given Germany’s highest military honor: the Order Pour le Mérite.
On May 24, 1917, Ilse replaced Berthold von Deimling as commander of XV Corps. Five months later, his unit was in the area north of Reims, France… referred to as “Group Brimont”. At the beginning of the Third Battle of the Aisne in late May 1918, “Group Ilse” formed the right wing of the German First Army. With the launch of the decisive Second Battle of the Marne on July 15, 1918, Ilse’s troops tried in vain to break through between Berry-au-Bac and Brimont. Unsuccessful, XV Corps had no choice but to retreat back to the Aisne.
After the armistice was signed at Compiègne later that November, Ilse’s XV Corps returned to Kassel, Germany for demobilization. He was released from military service by his own request in April 1919.
On Tannenberg Day (the 25th anniversary of the victory over the Russians on August 27, 1939), Emil Ilse was given the character rank of General der Artillerie. He witnessed the early successes (and later defeats) of Nazi Germany in the Second World War before dying on April 14, 1943 in Cologne, exactly one month after his 79th birthday.