Infamous German deserter 51st Reserve Divsion

[John Gilinsky]

In April 1915 a German deserter from the XXVI Reserve Corps, 51st. German Reserve Division deserted to the French Army's 11th. Division where he informed the French of a the major impending attack (i.e. 2nd. Ypres) and the planned use of chlorine gas released form cylinders buried in the German trenches. In 1930 General Ferry the commander of the 11th. Division published an article "Ce qui s’est passé sur l’Yser.” in “La Revue des Vivants” Paris: July 1930 pp. 899 – 900 in which he named this deserter. The Germans investigaged and charged the man. In 1932 the Reichsgericht (or German Supreme Court in Leipzig) sentenced this man to 10 years in prison and the loss of his civil rights.

Who was this man and what happened to him?

Thanks, Danke

John

[SiegeGunner]

See in particular posts #7 and 9 - http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...showtopic=30358

Use Beta-search to look for 'German deserter' and you will find a number of other threads also mentioning Jäger.

[centurion]

I think there has been a thread on this guy before. From memory he ended up in a string of prisons and camps but survived to be released in 1945.

[John Gilinsky]

Thanks senior vets of the GWF for your prompt responses from across the Atlantic. His name was August Jaeger of the 234th. Reserve Infantry Regiment. Sentenced in 1932 to 10 years he was held by the Nazi's as a political prisoner only being released from their concentration camp system I believe Dachau on April 24, 1945. What happened to him after that? Did he ever write about his experiences in West Germany (or East Germany?)? Where and when did he die? Do the Germans commemorate him as a hero or devil?

John

Toronto

Perhaps some of our friendly Deutscher members can help out!

[John Gilinsky]

Far less known or documented apparently is another German deserter from around the same time (a few days after the night of April 13, 1915), viz.:

Julius Rapsahl Private in the 4th. Landwehr Regiment, [ 51st. Division? ], XXVI Reserve Corps who told the authorities the same story of an impending gas attack

Again what happened (presuming that Rapsahl survived the war and presumed long time war imprisonment) to Rapsahl?

John

[Ken S.]

Julius Rapsdahl is mentioned here:

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/westfront/ypsali...ude/brreact.htm

If you google the name Rapsahl it appears to be quite uncommon, and may be from Saxony-Anhalt.

[Dolphin]

His name was August Jaeger of the 234th. Reserve Infantry Regiment. Sentenced in 1932 to 10 years he was held by the Nazis as a political prisoner only being released from their concentration camp system I believe Dachau on April 24, 1945.

John

There's a bit about Jaeger in William Moore's 1987 book Gas Attack; ISBN 0 87052 455 0. Not that it makes much difference, but he was held in Buchenwald and Mauthausen concentration camps before ending up in Dachau. His final fate isn't mentioned.

Regards

Gareth