is
schooling before breaking away from "home life." After this, his
parents let him join the Telegraphers' Battalion No. 3, at Koblenz, as
color guard. They had full confidence in him and his strength of
character, and let him leave home with no misgivings. Thanks to his
fine physical condition and his enthusiasm, the King's service in the
beautiful country of the Rhine and the Moselle was a joy to him. Here
he spent many pleasant years, rich in friendship and making ever
stronger the family ties. After finishing his schooling as a soldier,
he returned to Koblenz from Metz and in the fall was commissioned as a
lieutenant.

In this summer he and his brother Martin had the adventure on the
Heiterwand, in the Lechtal Alps, which many heard of. He and his
brother, in consequence of a heavy fog, lost their way during a
difficult climb and after wandering for a day and a night, were
rescued by the heroic sacrifices of Romanus Walch, an engineer, and
several guides. It was his love for his parents that made him take the
way which was impassable except in a few spots, instead of taking the
easier south way. On that day, July 26th, his father was to have
charge of the opening celebrations at the Anhalt Shelter, situated on
the northern face of the Heiterwand. He felt he had to take the
shorter, more difficult route so as not to keep his father in suspense
on the day of the festivities. Even if he did not spare his parents
this anxiety, still he and his brother arrived shortly after the
celebrations, in tattered clothes but fresh and shouting in spite of
the strain and lack of food.

He wrote with great satisfaction of his work with the telephone
division and later with the wireless division. Especially he liked his
work in the Taunus, the Odenwald and the Eiffel, with its varying,
beautiful scenery which pleased the nature-lover in him. Service with
the wireless took him to Darmstadt with a battalion from Koblenz, and
it was there that he first came into contact with the aviation corps.
They had a school there on the parade grounds. He silently planned to
join them, but not till June, 1914, was he able to attain his heart's
desire, when he was transferred to the school at Halberstadt. In
six weeks his training was completed, and on the day before the
mobilization he passed his final examination. On August 1st, on his
way to Darmstadt, where he was ordered, he visited his parents in
Dessau for an hour. After they had pushed th