Typhus fever is transmitted from one person to another by the common body louse Pediculus humanus  -- the bane of armies throughout history  The louse becomes infected with typhus fever by biting an infected person (or a rat) who has the disease.  About six days after eating his meal, the louse becomes infectious.  Rickettsia prowazeki multiplies in the louse's gut and is excreted in large amounts when the louse defecates.  When dry these feces retain their infective power for a considerable time.  Man can be infected when the dry feces are rubbed into the skin, fall on the eye, or is inhaled in the lungs.  Once in the victim's blood stream Rickettsia prowazeki begins to multiply.  About twelve days after infection, the clinical symptoms of the disease begin.  The onset is sudden, with a high fever, headache, chills, numbness, generalized body pains and marked prostration often leading to delirium, coma and cardiac failure.  The most characteristic symptom consists of reddish spots (pettechiae), looking like flea bites which rapidly darken in color and in severe cases may become confluent, involving the whole body.  Before antibiotics, the fatality rate varied from 10-80%.

 

In 1916, Royal Prussian Army Field Artillery Batteries utilized 4 guns, rather than 6; this allowed for the creation of more Artillery Batteries.  Each Battery had 4 officers, 112 NCOs and ORs, 101 horses, 4 guns with limbers, 4 munitions wagons, 1 observation wagon, 4 other wagons, and 1 field kitchen.

 

 

 

Emanuel Stern's entry in the Official Regimental History of the 43rd Field Artillery Regiment.  He was listed under the 4th Battery in the Regimental History at the time he was wounded. 

The notation 'Kr.Frw.' stands for "Kriegsfreiwillige", meaning he was a war volunteer.  This indicates he joined the Army voluntarily rather than being conscripted, i.e., he volunteered for active service before his year was called.  The term also denotes his rank as a Private.   He would have been considered to be of a higher rank than a conscripted Private.

The notation 'l. verw' stands for 'leicht verwundet', meaning lightly wounded.

The notation 'b. Vilosnes' stands for 'bei Vilosnes', meaning he was wounded 'at Vilosnes'.

Though by this time Emanuel had been wounded twice in action, and was therefore eligible to receive the Prussian Army's black Wound Badge, apparently there was an administrative oversight, and the badge was never applied for, and thus was never received by Emanuel.  This is what the black Wound Badge looks like:

Also in October, 1916 came the specter of the Judenzählung.  Faced with the need to explain their lack of success in the war effort to that date, the High Command attempted to place the blame with the Jewish members of their own Army.  According to author and historian Amos Elon,

 

"In October 1916, when almost three thousand Jews had already died on the battlefield and more than seven thousand had been decorated, War Minister Wild von Hohenborn saw fit to sanction the growing prejudices. He ordered a "Jew census" in the army to determine the actual number of Jews on the front lines as opposed to those serving in the rear. Ignoring protests in the Reichstag and the press, he proceeded with his head count. The results were not made public, ostensibly to "spare Jewish feelings." The truth was that the census disproved the accusations: 80 percent served on the front lines."

 

After Emanuel departed 4 Batterie, they would lose an additional 35 men between October 17, 1916 and February 1, 1919.  In addition, 71 men would be wounded in that same period.  Two of the casualties occurred after the Armistice was declared on November 11, 1918.

  

Back in action with the 43^rd, Emanuel was again very lucky; on December 16^th, 1916 the French began a massive offensive with resulted in the 14^th Infantry Division suffering a 65% casualty rate. 

December 5, 1916 - Emanuel observes his 21st birthday on the Western Front, at Verdun.

March 3, 1917 – Emanuel and his unit (9 Batterie) were operating in Forges-la-Forêt, approximately 8 miles from Verdun.  Emanuel sends a picture postcard to his sister, Mally Stern, of an exploded piece of French artillery.  While his unit is deployed in Forges-la-Forêt, one man in his unit is wounded.

Destroyed Artillery

 

This is what was written by my grandfather on the back of

the above photo postcard, dated March 3, 1917:

'Liebe Mally,

Beifolgend sende dir eine Aufnahme eines Rohrkrepierers + zwar - ist diese Auf-nahme von der Mündungsseite aus gemacht. Sonstiges brieflich. Mir geht es gut + hoffe gleiches auch von Euch allen.

Herzl. Gruß + Kuß,

Euer

Emanuel'

Translation:

___________________________________________________________________

April 14, 1917 – The 14^th Infantry Division was relieved and withdrew; on April 20 they entrained at Sivry Sur Meuse and Vilosnes, whereupon the 14^th Infantry Division was sent to Aisne.  While stationed in Aisne, Emanuel visits the Vauclair Abbey in Laon and takes a Picture postcard of the interior.

 

'Kloster Coucy Innenansicht'

Translation: "Coucy Monastery, interior view"

While Emanuel had labeled the photo as 'Kloster Coucy', it is actually a photo of Abbey Vauclair, a 12^th century Cistercian Abbey founded by Saint Bernard in 1134. 

Abbey Vauclair is located in Laon, France.

*Enter "vauclair" under 'Nom de l'edifice'

At the time of its destruction, the German Army was using the Abbey as an ammo and supply dump, and supposedly the French blew it up during the Nivelle offensive.  Sadly, Abbey Vauclair was reduced to ruins in the the course of the offensive of April 1917.

___________________________________________________________________

 

May 7, 1917 – The men of the 14^th Infantry Division took their place in the Western Front on the line, replacing the 1^st Guard Division; they remained on the line through May 12, whereupon they were sent to rest east of Laon.

May 14, 1917 – Unit (9 Batterie) was operating in Bièvres.  They may have operated in this area through July or August.  While in Bièvres, 5 men are killed and 11 men are wounded.

Emanuel Stern, 43rd Field Artillery Regiment, now with the 9th Battery (Second from Left).  This postcard was dated May 14, 1917. 

 This is what my grandfather wrote on the back of the postcard above:

Mein lieber Simon
Beifolgend eine
Aufnahme aus unserer
letzten Stellung vor V. Hast
du keine mehr von dir, die
du mir evtl. schicken könntest.
Herzl. Gruß dem Bruder,
Emanuel

Translation:
My dear Simon,
Here is a photo from our last position in front of

During the time in which this postcard was written, Emanuel's unit had been sent to rest.  According to the book "Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-one Divisions of the German Army which Participated in the War (1914 - 1918)", the following were the movements of the 14th Infantry Division in May 1917:

__________________________________________

 

'Kathedrale vol Laon en September 1917'

Translation: 'Laon Cathedral (France) in September, 1917'

You can read more about Laon Cathedral here:

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/laon-cathedral.htm

Not long after the picture above was taken, the 14th Infantry Regiment was in for some terrible fighting.  According to the book "Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-one Divisions of the German Army which Participated in the War (1914 - 1918)",

 

__________________________________________________________________________

In late 1917 – early 1918, Royal Prussian Army Field Artillery Batteries used 4 guns (9th Batterie, unlike 4th Batterie, was using heavier, long-range 105 mm howitzers) and had 6 officers, 130 NCOs and ORs, ? horses, 1 bicycle, 4 guns with limbers, 4 munitions wagons, 1 observation wagon, 4 other wagons, 1 field kitchen and 2 machine-guns.

 

September 15 – October 22, 1917: Position fighting at Chemin de Dames

October 23, 1917: Battle of Chavignon.  The Allied armies go on the offensive against the 14th Infantry Division, inflicting heavy losses on the Division with what they termed ‘preparation fire’.  In its haste to retreat, the 14th Infantry Division leaves behind much of their artillery, 1,763 men and 43 Officers, who are captured by the French.  The remaining men of the 14th Infantry Division, about 1,400 strong, manage to escape and regroup; to give a sense as to how dire their circumstances were at this point in the war, their numbers were replenished with walking wounded and troops borrowed from other parts of the German Army.

October 24 – November 2, 1917: Rear Guard actions in and south of Ailette.  On October 26, 1917, Emanuel attends and takes a picture postcard of Yom Kippur services in Laon.

November 3-21, 1917: Emanuel and his unit rest.

November 22, 1917 – January 15, 1918: Fighting between the Meuse and Moselle (Fighting between Flierey and Richecourt)

December 5, 1917 - Emanuel passes another birthday, his 22nd, on the line in France.

'Weihnachten 1917 auf dem Gefechtsstand bei Euvezin'

Christmas 1917 at the command post in Euvezin (Emanuel Stern is standing in the rear of the photo to the right) .

January 16 – March 23, 1918: Emanuel and his unit rest.

March 24, 1918 – April 6, 1918: Great battle in France

March 25-31, 1918: Tracking battles at Montdidier-Noyon

April 1-28, 1918: Fighting on the Ancre, Somme and Avre.  Eight men from his unit are killed and 14 are wounded

April 24-26, 1918: Battles of Villers-Brettonneux at the Luce and Avre

April 29 – May 21, 1918: Period of training behind the Second Army Front

May 22 – May 26, 1918: Emanuel and his unit rest.

May 27 – June 13, 1918: Battle of Soissons and Reims

May 28 – June 1, 1918: Tracking battles between the Oise and Aisne

May 30 – June 13, 1918: Attack fighting west and south of Soissons.  During this period, fourteen men from his unit are wounded and two are killed.

June 14 – 30, 1918: Position battles between Oise and Marne.  While operating in Dommiers, three men from his unit are wounded and one is killed.

July 1-4, 1918: Emanuel and his unit rest.

July 5- 17, 1918: Position fighting west of Soissons.  While operating in Aisne, one man from his unit is killed, and while operating in Chateaux Thierry, three men from his unit are wounded.  While operating along the Marne, one man from his unit was killed.

'Waisenhaus St. Felix bei Taunbuin (Soissons)'

Translation: “St. Felix Orphanage by Taunbuin (Soissons)"

The 14th Infantry Division (of which Emanuel's unit was a part) took part in the defense of Soissons, France in July 1918.  The Battle of Soissons, waged from July 18th to July 28th 1918, was significant for a number of reasons; it was the first time that the French army used a large-scale attack with tanks supported by a surprise artillery bombardment, and it was the first time that full-size US divisions went on the offensive, incorporated in the French army.  Most importantly, it was the opening of the Second Battle of the Marne. It was not known at the time, although suspected by many, that this battle was the death-knell of the German army.

July 18 – 25, 1918: Defensive battle between Soissons and Reims

July 26 – August 3, 1918: Moving defensive battle between the Marne and Vesle

August 4 – 16, 1918: Position battles between Oise and Aisne

August 17 – 27, 1918: Defensive battle between Oise and Aisne

August 28-August 31, 1918: Emanuel and his unit rest.

September 1 – October 15, 1918: Defensive battle on the Champagne and on the Meuse.  Emanuel takes a picture postcard of the Cathedral in Laon sometime in September 1917.

October 21, 1918 – Emanuel is transferred from the 9^th Battery to the 3^rd Battery of the 43^rd FAR.

October 28, 1918 – Emanuel and the 3^rd Battery were engaged in battle in and around Hermannstellung, or the ‘Hermann Line’ in Flanders; it was the last major defensive system west of the Rhine.  The Hermannstellung was described in "Battlefields of the World War" by Douglas Wilson Johnson, and it gives you an idea of what it was like for Emanuel in the final days of the war:

November 11, 1918 – Armistice is announced, and formal hostilities cease.  Emanuel is in Englefontaine with his unit when the Armistice is announced.

December 5, 1918 - Emanuel observes his 23rd birthday in France.  Though hostilities have ceased, he is still attached to his unit.  He is anxiously awaiting his demob order, which will come in 11 days.

December 16, 1918 – Emanuel is discharged from the Royal Prussian Army.  Sometime between May 20, 1917 and the end of the war, Emanuel is promoted once again to Unteroffizier; the exact date of his final promotion was not recorded in his service record.

In his discharge papers was noted the following:

Thus, after nearly four years of loyal military service on both the Eastern and Western Fronts, and after nearly dying of Typhoid and being wounded twice in the line of duty (by bullet and by poison gas), my grandfather was sent back home to Fulda with empty pockets and the clothes on his back, sent by train in a 3rd Class seat.