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Adventures in My Youth: A German Soldier on the Eastern Front 1941–45
The personal memoir of a Nazi soldier, from joining the German Army in 1941 through his time as a Panzer on the Eastern Front. Originally written only for his daughter, Armin Schedierbauer’s Adventures in My Youth chronicles his time as a solider during World War II. As an infantry officer with the 252nd Infantry Division, German Army, Schedierbauer saw four years of combat on the Eastern Front. After joining his unit during the winter of 1942, he was wounded six times and had firsthand experience of the Soviet offensives in the summer of 1944 and January 1945. While fighting in East Prussia, he was captured by the Soviets and not released until 1947. Schedierbauer was only twenty-one years old when the war ended, and his memoir recollects the experiences he went through as a young man on the front.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
October 14, 2012
Excellent book.
One aspect I really found interesting was his very detailed description of the non-combat aspect of his life in the German army during training and during the campaign. The withdrawals narration shows how chaotic these were and how interlaced the German and Soviet troops were, without really knowing who was were and doing what.
I have read some of the reviews that come down on him for not knowing what was happening relating to events outside his immediate space. I can tell you from personal experience that a grunt has no idea of the broader aspects of what is going on, and will only learn of events through official channels. This information is of course biased and in many cases old. Remember this is not today, no internet, cell phones, Twitter etc. Saying he should have known what was going on is of course putting this into today communication perspective.
The one difficult thing about this book is the translation. To me it seems like the translator is a German speaking person who changed the word from German to English but maintained the German sentence structure and way of relation.
One aspect I really found interesting was his very detailed description of the non-combat aspect of his life in the German army during training and during the campaign. The withdrawals narration shows how chaotic these were and how interlaced the German and Soviet troops were, without really knowing who was were and doing what.
I have read some of the reviews that come down on him for not knowing what was happening relating to events outside his immediate space. I can tell you from personal experience that a grunt has no idea of the broader aspects of what is going on, and will only learn of events through official channels. This information is of course biased and in many cases old. Remember this is not today, no internet, cell phones, Twitter etc. Saying he should have known what was going on is of course putting this into today communication perspective.
The one difficult thing about this book is the translation. To me it seems like the translator is a German speaking person who changed the word from German to English but maintained the German sentence structure and way of relation.
November 3, 2021
An 11 and a half hour unabridged audiobook.
A young German officer detailing his accounts during multiple deployments to the Eastern front. Particularly interesting was his time spent in Soviet captivity after the war. Overall, I liked it.
A young German officer detailing his accounts during multiple deployments to the Eastern front. Particularly interesting was his time spent in Soviet captivity after the war. Overall, I liked it.
April 24, 2021
Wish it had more combat focused recollections.
October 17, 2017
This book originated as a memoir written by a father for his daughter, to describe for her his experiences in the Wehrmacht during World War II. I'm unsure how it came to be published, but it is a useful addition to the literature of the Eastern Front.
Armin was called up in August 1941 to begin his officer training. He was released by the Russians in September 1947, aged 23. In between times, he was promoted to the rank of Oberleutnant, received the Iron Cross 1st class, the Close Combat Clasp, and was wounded several times - he was recuperating from a serious wound in a Danzig Military Hospital when he was taken prisoner by the Russians in March 1945.
As this memoir was obviously written many years after the events themselves, the author occasionally has to rely on official histories to fill in some of the gaps in his memory. Armin writes on more than one occasion that he felt that God was watching over him, and when one considers the events he fought through, it may well be true.
The first section of the book deals with his training, which occupied the first 10 months of his enlistment - he also spent some of this time ill. This section is quite interesting, and reinforces that military training doesn't change much from service to service, and from country to country. Armin doesn't mention any ideological training that he might have received, and in fact this side of German service is barely touched on - either the Division in which he served was free of the Nazi cancer, or Armin perhaps is being discreet. The Russians are never referred to as inferior beings, politics is hardly mentioned throughout the work (the assassination attempt on Hitler barely gets one line), although he does remark that both he and his father asked his mother to move West in the last part of the war.
After a brief period in the front line during July-September 1942, when he joined his Regiment 150km from Moscow (which was the nearest Armin got to the Russian capital). In fact his first time in action was during one of the Russian attacks that heralded the turn of the tide in the War in the East. Armin was then sent to War College, and by the time he got back to his unit, the Germans were beginning their long retreat.
Armin's unit was in the firing line at the beginning of Operation Bagration, the Russian's major offensive in July 1944 that destroyed the German Army Group Centre. The memoir becomes a constant tale of retreat, holding actions, retreat and more retreat. Although mostly written in a matter-of-fact style, the description of this period does give a good insight into the horrifying nature of this warfare without a break, which was Armin's lot pretty much until the end of the war. The greater part of Armin's story during these months is to do with food and rest, with the intervening periods of combat stark in their violence. Most of the time during this period he was a company commander, but he rarely had more than twenty men serving under him, such was the terrifying frequency of death and injury during these battles.
Near the end of the War Armin was quite seriously wounded by a mortar shell, and in some ways the most interesting part of the book is his description of his time as a prisoner of the Russians, in Poland, for two years. Many prisoners died in the first short period after the war, but in general Armin doesn't have very bad things to say about his Russian captors, even though he had to work hard. Earlier on in his captivity, owing to his injury, he was employed in the prison camp library, where he was exposed to communist agitation from some Germans who were working for the Russians. We do get a sense of a young man in turmoil, with everything he thought of as solid having been destroyed, and being susceptible to a new ideology. Another interesting vignette is the reaction of the inmates to the Nuremberg verdicts, with the acquittals giving the troops hope that the post-war world may be one that has some hope based in rule-of-law and democracy.
While not the best combat memoir of the Eastern Front, (The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer is more gripping, and Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman is a masterpiece written from the Russian side), Adventures in my youth is worth reading for its insights into a dark period of our history.
Check out my other reviews at http://aviewoverthebell.blogspot.com.au/
Armin was called up in August 1941 to begin his officer training. He was released by the Russians in September 1947, aged 23. In between times, he was promoted to the rank of Oberleutnant, received the Iron Cross 1st class, the Close Combat Clasp, and was wounded several times - he was recuperating from a serious wound in a Danzig Military Hospital when he was taken prisoner by the Russians in March 1945.
As this memoir was obviously written many years after the events themselves, the author occasionally has to rely on official histories to fill in some of the gaps in his memory. Armin writes on more than one occasion that he felt that God was watching over him, and when one considers the events he fought through, it may well be true.
The first section of the book deals with his training, which occupied the first 10 months of his enlistment - he also spent some of this time ill. This section is quite interesting, and reinforces that military training doesn't change much from service to service, and from country to country. Armin doesn't mention any ideological training that he might have received, and in fact this side of German service is barely touched on - either the Division in which he served was free of the Nazi cancer, or Armin perhaps is being discreet. The Russians are never referred to as inferior beings, politics is hardly mentioned throughout the work (the assassination attempt on Hitler barely gets one line), although he does remark that both he and his father asked his mother to move West in the last part of the war.
After a brief period in the front line during July-September 1942, when he joined his Regiment 150km from Moscow (which was the nearest Armin got to the Russian capital). In fact his first time in action was during one of the Russian attacks that heralded the turn of the tide in the War in the East. Armin was then sent to War College, and by the time he got back to his unit, the Germans were beginning their long retreat.
Armin's unit was in the firing line at the beginning of Operation Bagration, the Russian's major offensive in July 1944 that destroyed the German Army Group Centre. The memoir becomes a constant tale of retreat, holding actions, retreat and more retreat. Although mostly written in a matter-of-fact style, the description of this period does give a good insight into the horrifying nature of this warfare without a break, which was Armin's lot pretty much until the end of the war. The greater part of Armin's story during these months is to do with food and rest, with the intervening periods of combat stark in their violence. Most of the time during this period he was a company commander, but he rarely had more than twenty men serving under him, such was the terrifying frequency of death and injury during these battles.
Near the end of the War Armin was quite seriously wounded by a mortar shell, and in some ways the most interesting part of the book is his description of his time as a prisoner of the Russians, in Poland, for two years. Many prisoners died in the first short period after the war, but in general Armin doesn't have very bad things to say about his Russian captors, even though he had to work hard. Earlier on in his captivity, owing to his injury, he was employed in the prison camp library, where he was exposed to communist agitation from some Germans who were working for the Russians. We do get a sense of a young man in turmoil, with everything he thought of as solid having been destroyed, and being susceptible to a new ideology. Another interesting vignette is the reaction of the inmates to the Nuremberg verdicts, with the acquittals giving the troops hope that the post-war world may be one that has some hope based in rule-of-law and democracy.
While not the best combat memoir of the Eastern Front, (The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer is more gripping, and Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman is a masterpiece written from the Russian side), Adventures in my youth is worth reading for its insights into a dark period of our history.
Check out my other reviews at http://aviewoverthebell.blogspot.com.au/
August 22, 2021
Memoirs of a German Infantry Officer of the 252 Inf Division, starting his short career at age 19 on the Eastern Front 1941, to his captivity in Russia thru 1947. Having read several German soldier memoirs ranging from regular Wehrmacht infantry & panzer troops to Waffen SS Liebstandarte, I found this memoir the least appealing.
The author's tone is thick with arrogance and a sense of superiority. Comparative to other memoirs this author completely lacked the ability to understand, reflect or comment on what was happening around him, beyond his immediate well-being. Observations or reflection is completely missing from his story, giving this memoir the depth of a mud-puddle.
His reflections on his experience are devoid of contemplation of his role supporting atrocities on the Eastern Front, claiming no knowledge of such activities. Whereas, in his own words he participated in directing work parties behind the lines digging lines of fortifications. The defensive systems were dug by forced & slave labour groups of people destined for starvation and mass murder when their temporary usefulness ended.
Cannot recommend this read, unless one is studying how humans can block out realities starring them in the face with total disregard.
The author's tone is thick with arrogance and a sense of superiority. Comparative to other memoirs this author completely lacked the ability to understand, reflect or comment on what was happening around him, beyond his immediate well-being. Observations or reflection is completely missing from his story, giving this memoir the depth of a mud-puddle.
His reflections on his experience are devoid of contemplation of his role supporting atrocities on the Eastern Front, claiming no knowledge of such activities. Whereas, in his own words he participated in directing work parties behind the lines digging lines of fortifications. The defensive systems were dug by forced & slave labour groups of people destined for starvation and mass murder when their temporary usefulness ended.
Cannot recommend this read, unless one is studying how humans can block out realities starring them in the face with total disregard.
May 28, 2022
Experiences of an Austrian officer in the second was against Germany. His experiences with "Antifa" are interesting. Hearing a member of the German army who was mainly involved due to geography come to the realization of what and why they were fighting after the war had ended in favor of the enemy is tragic.
August 11, 2019
Excellent personal memoir and war diary of life on the eastern front. Fascinating tidbits of quotidian life and the struggle to stay alive in captivity. The authors tone and narrative is very easy to follow and made for a captivating read.
September 11, 2021
Not perfectly written, but provides some very interesting insights in the (personal) life of a German soldier in WW2. I found his trips to and from the front and what he witnessed there particularly interesting.
June 29, 2019
Если кратко: "русские - это свиньи, а мы Европу от большевизма защищали". Книга - пустая трата времени.
March 21, 2021
Little comment on National Socialism. Herr Scheiderbauer was just a kid who fought on the Eastern front and was a Russian POW for 2 years. Well worth the read.
December 20, 2021
Overall this is an interesting book about some events in the World War2 , but I really, really, didn`t like the tone of how this one peculiar book was written.
In the first place, let`s not forget, that he was a volunteer in the army, and not drafted against his will. Ok, don`t get me wrong, I don`t want a book in which the writer would make only excuses, but I think that a little remorse or another shift in tonality couldn`t have gone so bad as this one feels.
Yes, I know that those were the times, the propaganda was intense, but I felt that I could easily discern between the lines of what was the main excuse of a german officer in that period of time, that it was all work (they had their orders) and nothing (very) personal. A line definitely used in a lot of instances by the generals when they were on trials.
I don`t know, the whole book left me with the sentiment that he didn`t really understand, or didn`t want, that his war was a wrong one and he was on the bad( like literally) side of the barricade in those days.
The book it`s worth reading for the events that he had participated, and the fact that he has some insight in how the thing works on the operational level, but like I said, not one moment he hasn`t show any remorse or a more appropriate tonality in showing how the things were done.
To stick with the truth, in fact, it was one instance when he hadn`t gave the order to burn 1(ONE) (!!!) house, but how will that one count in the big picture of things?!!!
I want not to judge anybody, and to have an objective opinion about this Cataclysm in the history of Mankind, but the way this one was compiled or written, really doesn`t help to maintain a cool mind about the author behind them.
In the first place, let`s not forget, that he was a volunteer in the army, and not drafted against his will. Ok, don`t get me wrong, I don`t want a book in which the writer would make only excuses, but I think that a little remorse or another shift in tonality couldn`t have gone so bad as this one feels.
Yes, I know that those were the times, the propaganda was intense, but I felt that I could easily discern between the lines of what was the main excuse of a german officer in that period of time, that it was all work (they had their orders) and nothing (very) personal. A line definitely used in a lot of instances by the generals when they were on trials.
I don`t know, the whole book left me with the sentiment that he didn`t really understand, or didn`t want, that his war was a wrong one and he was on the bad( like literally) side of the barricade in those days.
The book it`s worth reading for the events that he had participated, and the fact that he has some insight in how the thing works on the operational level, but like I said, not one moment he hasn`t show any remorse or a more appropriate tonality in showing how the things were done.
To stick with the truth, in fact, it was one instance when he hadn`t gave the order to burn 1(ONE) (!!!) house, but how will that one count in the big picture of things?!!!
I want not to judge anybody, and to have an objective opinion about this Cataclysm in the history of Mankind, but the way this one was compiled or written, really doesn`t help to maintain a cool mind about the author behind them.
June 4, 2023
An interesting listen (in my case) that reveals a lot about Wermacht training and operations on the eastern front that I wasn't aware of. It doesn't go into gory detail, just tells his story in a matter of fact way.
July 25, 2023
Primary sources are the best to read when reading history and this look into a German infantry mans life during WW2 was fascinating. I am amazed at how normal it can seem one page and then the next you are running for your life with Russian tanks in pursuit. I enjoyed it.
July 14, 2018
Armin is one lucky man! Excellent first hand account on how he survived the Eastern Front and captivity after the war. One of the best WW2 books I’ve read.
January 7, 2022
Very interesting to hear this from the German perspective.
June 7, 2019
If you're interested in these types of personal war histories, this is another that you should read. Published long after the war ended (2003) it nonetheless portrays in detail the battles in which Armin Scheiderbauer fought, including places and timelines (his Regimental history no doubt helped in that regard, and he quotes often from it). Regimental histories can be quite dry, however, so this book offers the perspective of a front-line junior officer - a very tenuous life indeed! An Austrian, but certainly no Nazi, Scheiderbauer brings to light throughout the book his nationalism and love of country. You get a sense of why Austrians divorced themselves from anything German at war's end, and how they avoided much of the blame heaped upon the German nations (which carries through to today). If anything, perhaps because it was published, if not written, so long after the war there's a certain lack of emotion when describing the considerable stress and terrible conditions through which he lived. The story doesn't end with the collapse of the Wehrmacht in May 1045. The latter part of the book describes his two years in Soviet captivity, a unique perspective since most of the German (or Austrian) soldiers captured did not return and those few that did never told their story. An easy read, rich in detail of war on the north-eastern front. Highly recommended!
March 24, 2024
Well Written Set of Memories that Present a Too Clean View of the War
This is the memoir of a German infantry man that starts out shortly after the end of the French defeat. The author starts out disappointed that he ended up missing the fighting (i.e., he believed the war "ended" before he even completed basic training) but the course of the war gave him the opportunity to make up for this. The author spent all his time on the Eastern Front and was wounded numerous times. The book is not only detailed in its descriptions of actual combat but also of experiences that other memoires skip, in particular basic training and officer training. The reader, thanks to the author's vivid memory and writing, is almost transported there in person. This is the positive of the book and makes it highly recommended.
The book also has weaknesses, however. The main one is that it makes the war look relatively "clean". There is little to any mention of the atrocious behavior towards civilians, prisoners, etc. that so characterized the bestial fighting on the Eastern Front. Whether the author actually did not see or experience this on his tours of duty or prefers not to mention it this reviewer cannot say for certain. It is hard to believe though and muddies the credibility of the book however.
This is the memoir of a German infantry man that starts out shortly after the end of the French defeat. The author starts out disappointed that he ended up missing the fighting (i.e., he believed the war "ended" before he even completed basic training) but the course of the war gave him the opportunity to make up for this. The author spent all his time on the Eastern Front and was wounded numerous times. The book is not only detailed in its descriptions of actual combat but also of experiences that other memoires skip, in particular basic training and officer training. The reader, thanks to the author's vivid memory and writing, is almost transported there in person. This is the positive of the book and makes it highly recommended.
The book also has weaknesses, however. The main one is that it makes the war look relatively "clean". There is little to any mention of the atrocious behavior towards civilians, prisoners, etc. that so characterized the bestial fighting on the Eastern Front. Whether the author actually did not see or experience this on his tours of duty or prefers not to mention it this reviewer cannot say for certain. It is hard to believe though and muddies the credibility of the book however.
January 4, 2023
Firstly, it is very valuable that such books are written to understand better from more angles the horrible events that lead to death and destruction at large scale. The book describes the journey through training, fighting on Baltic Eastern front, retreat and captivity of a young German (well, Austrian) man. You can notice the hate of Russians, even if controlled, and how humanity is shown only from the German perspective, when atrocities and mistreatment are committed by Russians. There is small disclaimer on Labour camps by Germans and no crime of War by Germans is committed y anyone around this soldier. There is also a superiority shown as officer. Coming from a priest family maybe more could be expected in views, but it is also important that the author was 19 when everything started, victim of propaganda, horrible situations, alcohol.
May 7, 2018
An excellent memoir that is so much more than simply the story of a soldier in the German Army on the Eastern Front. Much of the interest in this book lies in the training time before being sent into action as well as the period after the war when the author was a prisoner of war in a Russian camp. Warning: the story does start slowly, however, and it takes some time to develop any interest in the author and his adventures. This could be, of course, because the memoir was not originally intended for publication but rather simply for the author's daughter.
January 31, 2024
Describes well the periods of captivity, covalescence and classes. Almost no combat memories though. Why? Maybe because this so called officer was always first to withdraw, to get drunk, to be happy avoiding the front... also zero empathy towards his comrades, zero care towards his soldiers, self-agrandisment, "me so smart" "angels watching over me" and so on. A very crappy officer and a pretty crappy civilian too.
Unfortunately, that's how war memories usually work for the losing side: the honorable officers die and the dishonorable survive to tell the tale...
Unfortunately, that's how war memories usually work for the losing side: the honorable officers die and the dishonorable survive to tell the tale...
August 7, 2017
Overall a good read what interested me most was that it was written by a german officer and was different to the books ive read of the ordinary german soldier on this subject it started off slow, but as you would expect it got better towards the end . I would say, its not the best memoirs of a german soldier ive read but you still have to admire the man for what he went though recomended
April 17, 2018
Another Wehrmacht soldier’s memoir. Unlike other accounts such as “In Deadly Combat” , “Fuer Volk and Fuehrer” or “Soldier”, that focus on vivid battle descriptions, this one stands out for its detailed descriptions of non-combat duties and everyday tedium that the german soldier had to face on the Eastern front.
June 12, 2018
Great writing, great memoir of a young Austrian Lieutenant and company commander on the Eastern Front. A little short on action but amazing experiences for someone so young. A good reminder that many that fought for Germany did not share Nazi Ideology, but were just performing their duty.
October 3, 2023
Author was 18 when he entered the German Army in 1942 in Russia. Wounded six times he saw fierce combat including the massive Soviet offensive of 1944. He was wounded in East Prussia March 1945 and captured while in hospital. He was released from captivity in 1947.
December 15, 2025
Fantastic perspective from a young officer who filled several different front line roles during the war. A lot of insight on the complexity of the eastern front that almost always gets skipped when learning about the 2nd world war.
March 30, 2018
Different view. Still frightening.
March 24, 2019
Pretty epic. Nothing personnel
April 1, 2020
Interesting but nothing special.
June 4, 2020
Thrilling.
November 11, 2022
This was intense, I don’t have notes for it
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews