First Offensive- The Marine Campaign for Guadalcanal
Oct 10, 2026 · 5 hr 20 min · 26 segments
"German Deserter's War Experience-Anonymous" offers a poignant and unfiltered glimpse into the life of a soldier who chose to abandon his post during wartime. This powerful narrative sheds light on…
Part of our men were seized by an indescribable enthusiasm.
Others became subject to a feeling of great depression.
The declaration of war was in the air.
I belonged to those who were depressed, for I was doing my second year of military service and was to leave the barracks in six weeks' time.
Instead of the long-wished-for return home, war was facing me.
Also during my military service, I had remained the anti-militarist I had been before.
I could not imagine what interest I could have in the mass murder, and I also pointed out to my comrades that under all circumstances, war was the greatest misfortune that could happen to humanity.
Our sapper battalion, number thirty, had been in feverish activity five days before the mobilization.
Work was being pushed on day and night so that we were fully prepared for war already on the twenty-third of July, and on the thirtieth of July, there was no person in our barracks who doubted that war would break out.
Moreover, there was the suspicious amiability of the officers and sergeants, which excluded any doubt that anyone might still have had.
Officers who had never before replied to the salute of a private soldier now did so with the utmost attention.
Cigars and beer were distributed in those days by the officers with great uncommon liberality, so that it was not surprising that many soldiers were scarcely ever sober and did not realize the seriousness of the situation.
But there were also others.
There were soldiers who also in those times of good humor and the grinning comradeship of officer and soldier could not forget that in military service they had often been degraded to the level of brutes, and who now thought with bitter feelings that an opportunity might perhaps be offered in order to settle accounts.
The order of mobilization became known on the first of August, and the following day was decided upon as the real day of mobilization.
But without awaiting the arrival of the reserves, we left our garrison town on August first.
Who was to be our enemy, we did not know.
Russia was for the present the only country against which war had been declared.
We marched through the streets of the town to the station between crowds of people numbering many thousands.
Flowers were thrown at us from every window.
Everybody wanted to shake hands with the departing soldiers.
All the people, even soldiers, were weeping.
Many marched arm in arm with their wife or sweetheart.
Part of our men were seized by an indescribable enthusiasm.
Others became subject to a feeling of great depression.
The declaration of war was in the air.
I belonged to those who were depressed, for I was doing my second year of military service and was to leave the barracks in six weeks' time.
Instead of the long-wished-for return home, war was facing me.
Also during my military service, I had remained the anti-militarist I had been before.
I could not imagine what interest I could have in the mass murder, and I also pointed out to my comrades that under all circumstances, war was the greatest misfortune that could happen to humanity.
Our sapper battalion, number thirty, had been in feverish activity five days before the mobilization.
Work was being pushed on day and night so that we were fully prepared for war already on the twenty-third of July, and on the thirtieth of July, there was no person in our barracks who doubted that war would break out.
Moreover, there was the suspicious amiability of the officers and sergeants, which excluded any doubt that anyone might still have had.
Officers who had never before replied to the salute of a private soldier now did so with the utmost attention.
Cigars and beer were distributed in those days by the officers with great uncommon liberality, so that it was not surprising that many soldiers were scarcely ever sober and did not realize the seriousness of the situation.
But there were also others.
There were soldiers who also in those times of good humor and the grinning comradeship of officer and soldier could not forget that in military service they had often been degraded to the level of brutes, and who now thought with bitter feelings that an opportunity might perhaps be offered in order to settle accounts.
The order of mobilization became known on the first of August, and the following day was decided upon as the real day of mobilization.
But without awaiting the arrival of the reserves, we left our garrison town on August first.
Who was to be our enemy, we did not know.
Russia was for the present the only country against which war had been declared.
We marched through the streets of the town to the station between crowds of people numbering many thousands.
Flowers were thrown at us from every window.
Everybody wanted to shake hands with the departing soldiers.
All the people, even soldiers, were weeping.
Many marched arm in arm with their wife or sweetheart.
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