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

In the Austrian Army - 1914

Having passed a four-week training, we are leaving Plzen for Budejovice, Gmund and Vienna to the Serb front. We are going to kill people who have done us no wrong. "It is God's will," said the army chaplain in his sermon!

Passing through Salzburg, Semmering - I am leaving this charming sight unnoticed - it is hard for me to part with our beautiful homeland. I am thinking of my parents, and feeling sad. Shall we ever see each other again? Will I come back alive?
 
 

September 30.

We passed Slovenia, then Bosnia and now we are getting off in Doleni Tuzla. Two days' rest, then march to Zvornik. Walking to the mountains in terrible heat for two days, approaching Zvornik and hearing the guns' salutes. Crossing the Drina river.
 
 

October 2.

Now we are in Serbia; a sea of mud, that Serb mud which I got to know so well lying in it; we are walking forward. We see burnt kutchas (cottages), the initial signs of raging war.
 
 

October 5.

Having wandered hopelessly without food and bread for three days, we found our battalion today. It is located six hours from Zvornik and it took us full three days to get there! Warm welcome - everybody finds somebody they know - and I am alone here! Meeting Capt. Jupa, he's from somewhere near Unhost. A nice man - he's bringing in bread at a time of shortage and hunger. Snow and rain, and we make exercises.
 
 

October 8.

Building deckung (shelter) in mud and water; I sleep in water pools. The water having flooded our living, we are building a new one on a hill. It rains hard every day.
 
 

October 10.

We patrolled at a distance of some four hours of walk; we could barely get there and now we must get back. I stay behind. I am getting back in the morning, and the battalion is about to move; so I follow slowly behind, cannot go any longer, I am out of my strength. Following my battalion for three days, eating and sleeping with the regiments that I meet.
 
 

October 13.

I found my battalion in new trenches at the verge of a forest today. Hunger every day, too little bread available, dysentery etc. is spreading is among us. A portion of bread costs three crowns, Jupa furnishes me with bread from the kitchen. I am expecting packets in vain - feldwebels stole them. The same happens to rum and wine! Officers are drunk, they push around and beat us with sticks.
 
 

October 15.

We exercise "Marsch einz" daily while our stomachs rumble. We are still in reserve, what will it be like when we are at the front? I write letters home and to Usti often, but I seldom get a letter.

Being in army is getting tougher day by day. One is hungry so he eats a canned meal - so they tie him to a post for twelve hours and he has to pay three Crowns fine. The officers are drunk every day! We even lack water.

October 19.

We were in the middle of our march when shrapnels started to hit us, so we ran away. Dysentery is on its way. So are the first lice. Patrols are getting tougher - we are expecting Serbs. My deckung is safe, but what if I have to go out!

October 24.

Serbs killed our corporal while on patrol. Beautiful weather. Jupa went shopping to Zvornik so we are now bargaining with tobacco, chocolate etc.

November 2.

We were attacked last night. Serbs assaulted us - but failed. Our officers were hidden just like mice. I was lucky, a bullet went in through the loophole just by my head. The next night there was another attack, a heavier one. It is getting tough. A bomb control wire leads from my trench to a bomb. Patrolling in the forest at night, the enemy was some 300 meters away from us!

November 5.

Forward! This morning at 5 we put our bayonets on and started to attack. At 8 we hit the Serbs and there was a scramble. They are well hidden in corn and blow us away with their machine guns. 32 people out of my platoon of 56 men are hurt or dead. My hat caught a bullet when I raised my head carelessly. At last, the Serbs retreat in the afternoon, but their artillery plays some music for us. I spent that night in a hole dug just so-so. My friend Simecek was hit by a bullet in his neck.

November 6.

Getting up all freezing, marching on, having meal in the forest, and shrapnels hit us. The major and the captain are hurt. Marching on, we got into a real bullet rain. A bullet missed my head but hit the coat and ripped 23 holes in it. We stay in Serb deckungs.

November 7.

We entered Krupanja and patrolled the entrance to the town. Cooking hens. The artillery is going towards Valyevo which still endures. Great enthusiasm, we think that we have now won the war; there are even some prophets saying that we will be home by the Christmas. After all, that's what Wilhelm the Almighty said, too!

November 13.

Going to Zavlaka, doing a parade in front of the corps leader at night. Me and cadet Brejnik go to patrol in the hills. We are covered with snow by the morning. It's freezing. We found a half of a pig and cabbage - cooking. We stay in the kutchas and eat dried plums.

November 16.

Back to the camp. There are many prisoners in there - we are taking 1300 of them to Lozhnica. It was terribly muddy on the way back so I stayed in a kutcha overnight. I went to Zavlaka the next morning and found the village covered by water. The hard rain and, maybe, the Serbs, too, caused the flood. All our train and bakeries are under the water. The battalion is gone and I am in the water that reaches up to my waist for an hour's journey. I am looking for the battalion, having plenty of time.

November 21.

After 3 days, I finally caught my battalion in Valyevo. I didn't have a bad time on my way there. When the night was about to come, we found a kutcha, killed a sheep and roasted it. Leaving Valyevo. It is freezing and snowing. We sleep in the fields - hungry, freezing, exhausted. Going to a patrol, I was caught in a rain of grenades. Miraculously, I survived. We are pretty near the Serbs who occupy the hills. Scrambles on patrol are our daily job. No bread - there is one portion for 10 men, we stay without meals for 3 days, and the soup has not been salted for a month.

Searching for food all around - anything goes, mostly apples and plums.

November 27.

Progressing in snow that is up to our knees.

We reached the hills that the Serbs defended so tenaciously. A dead Serb is in every trench, they are frozen. Scrambles. We progress as well as retreat every day. We are hungry and the Hungarians have bags full of meat.

December 1.

Something is going on - I think we will run away. We are here as the "rückzugbedeckung" (defense of the retreat). We lie in the snow, hungry, in fire every day. It is really strange that I have been escaping so far.

December 6.

It is all in vain! We've been firing for the 4^th day now. The Serbs are all around. For four days now, we have no food, no officers, and we keep the last hill. Today, I was in a real rain of bullets for three times. The unit is destroyed, each of us runs in a different way. Grenades crackle in the snow around me. I am tired to death. At night, I sit at the fire with the Hungarians - but suddenly the Serbs are here: "Batsay pushki"!
I was taken prisoner. The Serbs start to rob us immediately. I don't want to give them my purse. A Serb hit me with the butt end, I fall down. Then the Serb artillery comes in and I am saved.