Memoirs of the World War I 1914 - 1918 by Josef Sramek from Usti nad Labem

Memories of World War I
l9l4-l9l8 by Josef Sramek from Usti nad Labem (CZ)

		1914	1915	1916	~1917...
	Introduction	In the Austrian army	Serbian captivity	Italian captivity	French captivity
original	Úvod	V rakouské armádě	Srbské zajetí	Italské zajetí	Francouzské zajetí
	Einleitung	In österreichischer Armee	Serbische Gefangenschaft	Italienische Gefangenschaft	Französische Gefangenschaft
paralell		1914	1915	1916	~1917...

	Introduction:
	Josef Šrámek born on October 26.1892 died on February 3.1984
	At the age of 22 he was drafted to fight in the first World War at an age when most of us indulge in entertainment and possibly in deepest understanding of history and society at an age when a brief peaceful military service is considered a harm at an age when any reduction of undeserved life style is considered injustice
	Soon after he experienced hunger, cold, death... people who upon encounter with death turned into animals. Some of them into predators, some into cattle to be slaughtered situation when sheer chance made the decision between life and death illness which meant death in absence of any help escape to captivity as the sole rational solution discrediting all the ideology one had believed hundreds of days when the probability of his living to see anything better was near zero
	During his worst times he kept writing his diary. Miraculously he had saved the diary even when the prisoners in quarantine were stripped naked and left with nothing but their memories. Thanks to this we can take part in his experience today. We also have our problems - not necessarily small ones. This diary however can help us realize that situations may exist which are much worse than ours. It may even teach us to take joy in what we have.
	As a prisoner of war he went through Serbia, Albania, Italy and France to return home as member of the "French Legions" after the war. He married Ludmila Anna Novakova. They had 2 children: Josef Sramek and Jarmila Svobodova who both live in Prague, CZ. He lived in Usti nad Labem til the age of 91.
	This website is maintained by his grandson. Both are shown on this photograph taken in 1962.

	*Webmaster's note:* The following text contains statements which can be understood as dishonoring of a race or a nation or a religion. It is my duty to note that these statements retained in order to preserve the historical authenticity of the text do not express the opinion of any living person do not pertain to any living person or group do not pertain to contemporary events
	Start Reading: In the Austrian army 1914

		1914	1915	1916	~1917...
	Introduction	In the Austrian army	Serbian captivity	Italian captivity	French captivity
original	Úvod	V rakouské armádě	Srbské zajetí	Italské zajetí	Francouzské zajetí
	Einleitung	In österreichischer Armee	Serbische Gefangenschaft	Italienische Gefangenschaft	Französische Gefangenschaft
paralell		1914	1915	1916	~1917...

(C) Copyright Josef Šrámek and heirs.
This work is currently published on the Internet only.
A publisher is sought for existing translations to English, German and the original Czech versions.

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