Austro-Hungarian WW1 Memoires & Diaries (Italian Front)

[Klemen L.]

I am compiling a bibliography of personal accounts of ex-Austro-Hungarian servicemen who served during the Great War on the Italian Front 1915-1918 (Isonzo-Piave-Tyrol). Do you know any published memoires or diaries of Czech, Slovakian, Ukranian, Polish, Romanian, Hungarian, Serbian and Austrian soldiers who had fought on the Italian Front in WW1? I am looking in particular for any Slovakian, Romanian and Ukranian (Ruthenian) WW1 memoires about the Italian Front 1915-1918 because I haven't been so far able to find any from these three nationalities. But also others are OK. Any help is appreciated.

Klemen

[Orok]

Hi Klemen,

I believe you have already known this, since it's been online for a long time. But in case you haven't, or if anyone else is interested, here is the link to the memoir of the Hungarian General Hermann Pokorny, which devotes three whole chapters to his career in the A-H army, his education in a military academy, his fähnrich years before the war in the army and his experience as an officer during the great war!

Pokorny Hermann vezérezredes - Emlékeim.

Pokorny ended the war as a Lieutenant-Colonel, having served with k.k. LIR 26 and with the army headquarters, mostly as a staff officer. I am not sure if he had fough on the Italian front since I have not really read the book! 8)

Best Regards!

[Klemen L.]

Thanks Orok for your reply. Is it usually for a guy to receive such an overwhelming number of replies?

No, as a matter in fact I haven't seen this WW1 memoires yet, so thanks for pointing me to them.

Klemen

[Orok]

Is it usually for a guy to receive such an overwhelming number of replies?

Hi Klemen,

Cheer up! I think that's because not a lot of people here in this forum are really interested in A-H military history. If you asked for memoirs of some obscure SS units, you would get swamped and drowned in replies before you could say Quidditch!

Best Regards!

[Klemen L.]

I think that's because not a lot of people here in this forum are really interested in A-H military history. If you asked for memoirs of some obscure SS units, you would get swamped and drowned in replies before you could say Quidditch!

Really? 8) Hm, we shall see....

Klemen

[Chris Dale]

A good one is "Balkan Assault The Diary of an Officer 1914-18" by Michael Maximilian Reiter (Historical Press Ltd London 1994 ISBN 1.871430.02.X.). It's a small (only 32 pages) book but well worth a read and despite the title he serves much of the war on the Italian front.
Cheers
Chris

[Wulpe]

Otto Gallian - Monte Asolone 1918

Fritz Weber - Der Alpenkrieg

Herbert Hodurek - Ein kleines Edelweiß

Hans Pölzer - Drei Tage am Isonzo

These books are currently available through the Austrian Officers' Association, but there are many more.

[Klemen L.]

Chris & Paul:

A good one is "Balkan Assault The Diary of an Officer 1914-18" by Michael Maximilian Reiter (Historical Press Ltd London 1994 ISBN 1.871430.02.X.). It's a small (only 32 pages)

Thank you for the titles. Some are new one for me as well. Also thanks for a direct link to the Austrian Officer's Association. I was looking it for some time now.

Speaking of Austrian WW1 books does anyone know of any personal memoires or diaries of the veterans of IR 27 from Graz? My friend from Italy is writing a book about the Brigata Rovigo's performance in the Southern Tyrol in 1916 and among the units which his relative's unit faced was also the famous Grazer 27th Infantry Regiment.

lp,

Klemen

[TISO]

Klemen if you can check Mestna knjižnjica Otona Župančiča in Ljubljana. They had ( few years back) memoars of member of 2. moutain regiment ( gebirgs jaeger). All i know that it was old book ( pre ww2). I can't remember the title and the autor. All i can remember is that he was from Vrhnika and was prewiously member of 17. infantry regiment. He served in communications ( repairing telephon wires etc.)