 10 of the Prussian Army for his One-year volunteer military service.An engineering student who spoke fluent French and English, he was a fine draughtsman, and was studying in Paris when the war broke out, but managed to return to Germany and was assigned to the "Reserve Jäger Bataillon 7" in Bückeburg.He won the Iron Cross 2nd class and was promoted to "Vizefeldwebel" during September 1914, before being badly wounded and hospitalised for six months.