Story This Week: Grenadier Nikolaus Maurer

This week our story comes from Hermann Sattler of Ettlingenweier in the district of Ettlingen, whose grandfather on his mother's side fought in the Great War.

Nikolaus Maurer was born on December 6, 1882 and joined up to fight at the outbreak of war.

 







Nikolaus' Military Pass book, which was held by his company. The Military Pass recorded all the soldier's missions, the battles he had fought in and the type of warfare (such as trench warfare) that he had participated in. It also recorded any stays in the lazaret and vaccinations (as shown in the Pass above). The "Soldbuch" on the other hand, remained with the soldier and served as an identification document as well as recording the soldier's salary and the equipment he had been issued with.

The missions, battles and types of warfare are shown here, together with dates.


Nikolaus fought on the Western Front, with the 2nd Badische Grenadier-Regiment No. 110, at the Battles of the Somme and the Marne. He was wounded twice.

Nikolaus survived the war and died on March 15, 1956.




Hermann has also provided us with this photo of wounded soldiers sitting outside the lazaret set up at Ettlingen's Palace, in December 1915.