This week Sabine’s battlefield guide Saturday
Kurt Zehmisch extracts of his diary part two 1915
Kurt wrote a very detailed diary with locations most times very detailed, he didn’t see the opponent as the enemy, he even writes about his feelings, There is love and pain. As most places are known to me, it sometimes felt as I was walking next to him as an observer
11.03.1915
In the morning I searched the quarters for weapons and ammunition. At 10 o’clock the company bathed. Then I received my leave pass, which read: LT. De Reserve Zehmisch receives permission to stay in Lille from 11.03 -16.03.
After writing some letters and cards and having lunch, I took the electric train to Lille. There I went to the ’Kommandantur’ , where I got a pass for a hotel, named the ” Hotel Royal”, which was equipped with all modern facilities. There I was given a splendid little room. In the evening at 7 o’clock I went down for dinner. There I met Schmidt, who is also on leave from today. At 9 o’clock in the evening I went to bed.
The Kommandantur of Lille shared the premises of the Crédit du Nord, rue Jean Roisin. Every day at 10 a.m., a meeting is held there in which the mayor of Lille, the prefect, the bishop of Lille and General von Heinrich participate.
In 1916, von Grävenitz replaced von Heinrich.
13.03.1915
Around noon 12 to 1ish we were in the Lille Museum. Almost all the windows were shattered by the shellfire of October 1914. Only a few of the paintings were damaged by shrapnel. In the afternoon, we went for a walk with Comrade Lt. Piehler from the 5/134 to the Deule( river) and the Citadel. We met Hptm. Giese at the Hotel Royal.
I assume the museum he mentions is palais des beaux arts on the Place de la République
23.03.1915
At noon the British pushed several rifle grenades across. One dud got stuck in the 1 squad’s back defences. Afterwards another one hit the dugout of my platoon’s 1 group, seriously wounding 3 soldiers: Private Max Kluge, Recruit Wilhelm Weignel and Recruit Dietz. The first two died the day after in Quesnoy.
25.03.1915
In the morning the company is vaccinated against cholera.
27.03.1915
In the afternoon at 4 o’clock I went with the 1 group to the funeral in the cemetery( Quesnoy sur Deule). Weigel had already been buried 2 days earlier. Max Kluge is buried today with two comrades from 181 and 104. After I have reported to the assistant chaplain, the music band intones. Afterwards the field chaplain speaks. Then I give a short speech. Then the brother of Max Kluge, who is also serving with 134, goes to the grave. Then the other people. While the three men are being lowered into the grave, I give a presentation. The music plays. Finally we sang a song.
Quesnoy sur Deule cemetery background information
The German military cemetery at Quesnoy-sur-Deûle was established in November 1914 by the German troops, who buried their dead here until the end of November 1916. In 1920 and 1925, the French military authorities added more burials, including some from Comines. A field cemetery of the II Bavarian Army Corps was dissolved here. The 308 dead were given a common grave in Quesnoy. A large number of those resting here were killed in the heavy fighting on Belgian soil south of Ypres in October and November 1914 (1st Battle ) and in December at Armentières. The trench war in 1915 and 1916 claimed further heavy losses, but in 1918 only two German dead were buried here. The dead belonged to units whose home garrisons were mainly in Saxony and Bavaria, but also in Württemberg, Hesse, Mecklenburg, Silesia, Pomerania, Brandenburg, Alsace and Lorraine. At the time, the troops erected a central marker, while a memorial stone was placed on the communal grave.
17.04.1915
In the morning 10 o’clock rifle roll call, at 11 o’clock meeting of the officers with Hptm. Braune. In the evening heavy cannon fire at Ypres. I watched the fire from the top of the Rooster.
See map for location rooster it was on the main road from Ploegsteert to Warneton, N515 today houses and a bus stop
24.04.1915
In the morning, from the right wing of my position, I observe the English position in front of the Ploegsteert forest. Mines are suspected. Report of successes near Ypres. Towards evening, just like the last few days, the heavy bombardment at Ypres begins. Again great fire in the sky in the direction of Ieper. Towards the evening I receive a report that our troops have entered Ieper and that street fighting is taking place.( they did not enter town)
Soures :
Diary Kurt zehmish held in kenniscentrum IFFM
Library of Scotland ww1 maps
Mc Masters university ww1
Jürgen Schmieschek for allowing me to use an image of Kurt Zehmisch, he is second of the right in the photo