WW1 German Officer Lt Alexander Pfeifer’s Diary Shared In The Other Trench By Philipp Cross

WW1 German Officer Lt Alexander Pfeifer’s Diary Shared In The Other Trench By Philipp Cross, On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, Philipp Cross, the great-great-grandson of a decorated German WWI officer, shares his ancestor’s diary in The Other Trench, to provide a firsthand account of the horrors, bravery, and realities of life on the German front.

The Other Trench

The Other Trench, published on September 10, 2024, is a groundbreaking historical document. It shares the personal diary, photographs, and documents of Lt Alexander Pfeifer, a German officer who served in World War I.

Pfeifer’s intimate diary offers a rare glimpse into the daily horrors and challenges faced by German soldiers during the war. He meticulously documented his wartime experiences, capturing the brutality and diversity of the conflict, and his diary and photographs have been passed down through generations.

The author, Philipp Cross, Pfeifer’s great-great-grandson, has shared this remarkable story with the world, having dedicated himself to understanding his ancestor’s experiences. He has visited battlefields, researched historical records, and connected with people mentioned in the diary.

The book covers Pfeifer’s experiences on various fronts, including battles against the British, Gurkhas, Indians, French, Italians, and Russians. He commanded troops in significant battles like Festubert, Loos, Caporetto, and the final German retreat. Pfeifer endured the horrors of trench warfare, tunnel warfare, and mountain battles. He also experienced life among the local populations and even flew in aircraft.

Pfeifer’s courage and honesty in documenting his wartime experiences are remarkable. The Other Trench is a rare and invaluable contribution to our understanding of World War I. Cross’s book includes personal reflections on his journey to understand his ancestor’s experiences. He shares stories of researching fallen soldiers, meeting relatives of former enemies, and visiting battlefields.

The historical significance of The Other Trench has not gone unnoticed. Museums and historical societies have expressed keen interest in the book.

Philipp Cross

110 years have passed since my great-great-grandfather started his diary. Having grown up in the same streets and towns in Lancashire (England) as his British enemies at the time, his diary is now in my possession including everything else from the war he preserved.

I was always aware that he was “an officer who had a top presence”, as was often mentioned to me. Yet when I got older and decided to explore his story in detail, I discovered that he took part in dozens of battles and engagements including Loos, Festubert, and the Battle of Caporetto during which he led various victorious assaults.

He even held off an entire battalion of 3000 Russians with only 250 of his men, which granted him the Iron Cross 1st Class and an award given to only 365 others. He experienced everything from formidable head-on onslaughts to tunnel warfare, life amongst the local populations, flying in an aircraft, mountain warfare in the Carpathians and the Alps, and the retreat back to Germany at the bitter end. Instantly, I knew that I had to get this published.

As well as adding commentaries and extensive research to bring Alexander’s story to life, I have journeyed in his footsteps and visited battlefields and graves related to the stories he tells us. I have even gone so far as to explore the lives of his enemies. I have researched British soldiers directly linked to my grandfather, whose items have been in my family since the Great War.

I even met their living relatives and visited their graves, having also returned some items to them to bring closure to their tales. Coincidentally, all these British soldiers lived in the same county of Lancashire as I do. This book finally offers the world a true and unique, unbiased glimpse into the perspective of the Germans during WWI. This book is part of my family history — a portrayal of war unlike anything seen before.

-Philipp Cross

Philipp Cross is the co-author, translator, and editor of the book, ‘The Other Trench’. He is the great-great-grandson of Alexander Pfeifer, the primary author and highly decorated German veteran of the Great War, whose war diary this book is based on. Philipp was born in Germany to an English father and a German mother, and he grew up in Lancashire, England, where he lives to this day.

Having always been interested in history, which stemmed from his family’s unique origins and inheritances, he enjoys genealogy research, writing, coin collecting and metal detecting. As well as being a husband, he has a degree in exercise and nutrition and also has a background in music, bodybuilding, and health and fitness.

Alexander Pfeifer

Alexander Pfeifer (1880 – 1966) originated from Weida, Germany, having derived from a wealthy family of textile manufacturers. He joined the German 12th Royal Saxon Jaeger Battalion at the age of 20 and reached the rank of sergeant after four years, later becoming a reserve. In 1914, he was called up for military service and became a highly decorated company commander within the 11th Kurhessian Jaeger Battalion, taking part in four years of war on the Western, Eastern, and Italian Fronts.

He is the author and photographer of his very detailed wartime diary and photo collection, which are depicted in the book, ‘The Other Trench’. After the war, Alexander became a family man. He also managed his family’s textile business, and after his death, his wartime diary and recollections were passed on to his descendants and remain preserved to this day.

Find more from Philipp Cross now:

www.theothertrench.com

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3z6QuWv

Paperback: https://amzn.to/3z0VAna

Hardcover: https://amzn.to/3TdMsCG

WATERSTONES – The Other Trench by Alexander Pfeifer, Philipp Cross | Waterstones

BARNES & NOBLE – The Other Trench: The WW1 Diary and Photos of a German Officer by Alexander Pfeifer, Philipp Cross, Hardcover | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)