English translation: reservist with no prior service
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German to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Military / Defense / First World War
German term or phrase:ungedienter Landsturm
I would be grateful for the appropriate terminology, please.
Um nicht als "ungedienter Landsturm" eingezogen zu werden, meldete sich XX freiwillig im Frühjahr 1915 als Rekrut zur berittenen Feldartillerie.
Wikipedia explains this as follows, but I cannot find the English equivalent elsewhere, or at least, I don't know where to look: Ungedienter Landsturm war im Ersten Weltkrieg die Bezeichnung für Wehrpflichtige, die – je nach gesundheitlicher Einschränkung – entweder zunächst zurückgestellt wurden oder zum Wehrdienst, jedoch nicht in vorderster Frontlinie, einberufen wurden.
Explanation: Collins says:
Landsturm m conscripted militia in times of war » Home Guard (Brit)
M-W:
militia: a part of the organized armed forces of a country liable to call only in emergency b : a body of citizens organized for military service
2 : the whole body of able-bodied male citizens declared by law as being subject to call to military service
HTH
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 49 mins (2010-10-13 11:03:30 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
no worries -
by the way, again Collins:
ungedient adj (dated) (Mil) with no prior service
Ungediente Un|ge|dien|te (r) m decl as adj (dated) (Mil) person/man with no prior service
I went with 'reservist' based on a variety of sources and advice from others. This is a useful link. http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reservist
Thank you all for your help. Points to Cilian for first help.
35 is quite old. Maybe something like "To avoid being categorised in the enlistment process as a territorial conscript with no prior regular service, ..." would do?
I have just checked the dates again and my artist was 35 at the time. This is just a quick mention in a catalogue otherwise exclusively dedicated to art, so I don't think it would be appropriate to go into too much detail, but trying to reduce it to meaningful terminology is difficult, it seems. Many thanks, everyone for all your help.
Not an easy one, Helen. A wiki article on the Landsturm indicates that in WW1 it comprised (the last line of national defence, consisting of) all conscripts not belonging to the Army or Navy. For a UK readership, "Home Guard" suggests itself but this (initially known as Local Defence Volunteers) came into being only in WW2 and comprised local volunteers otherwise ineligible for military service, usually owing to age. Conscientious objectors were required to serve in non-combatant roles, unless granted exemption. The Territorial Force (TF) was the volunteer reserve component of the British Army. Maybe you need a circumlocution like "ungedienter Landsturm (conscripts who on medical grounds were deemed not ready for admission or were restricted to non-combatant roles)".
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Answers
39 mins confidence:
conscripted militia
Explanation: Collins says:
Landsturm m conscripted militia in times of war » Home Guard (Brit)
M-W:
militia: a part of the organized armed forces of a country liable to call only in emergency b : a body of citizens organized for military service
2 : the whole body of able-bodied male citizens declared by law as being subject to call to military service
HTH
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 49 mins (2010-10-13 11:03:30 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
no worries -
by the way, again Collins:
ungedient adj (dated) (Mil) with no prior service
Ungediente Un|ge|dien|te (r) m decl as adj (dated) (Mil) person/man with no prior service
Cilian O'Tuama Local time: 04:15 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
Thanks, Cilian
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hi Cilian, thanks very much. I have closed this question having discovered that this means 'reservist', which explains the 'ungedient' bit which is what was troubling me.
Asker: I closed this just before receiving your answer, so apologies if it appeared that I was dismissing your suggestion!
Asker: Thanks, since I only have this sentence in a description of an artist's life, it is somewhat difficult (at least for me!) to understand the significance of his decision. My Langenscheidt has veteran reservist for Landsturm, btw, which cannot be right in these circumstances since he was a young man at the time. I presume he was trying to avoid front-line service, though I am not sure what the significance would have been for him 'with no prior service' - infantryman straight off to the carnage of front line with no experience, I suppose.
Asker: I have re-opened the question to hear what others say, although I have had to submit the translation. Might be useful for the glossary.
Asker: Thank you both very much for your suggestion. 'With health risks' limits it a bit, and I think it has more to do with age in this instance. A difficult one, I must admit I thought there would be a standard expression for this.
in order to avoid being called up as an untrained foot soildier
Explanation: I would use something that emphasised the artist's wish to become something other than a lowly foot soldier - he volunteers for "berittenee Feldartillerie". To me it sounds slightly snobbish - young men who can ride horses are at least countrymen and not from the proletariat and he would prefer to be with them.
I don't think it has anything to do with being nearer or farther away from the front.
BTW I'm just reading a book "Singled out" which tells us that there were almost 2 million fewer young men than young women alive in U.K. after WW1, thus forcing many, many women into spinsterhood. And a much larger proportion of middle-class men were killed bec. these were to a large extent idealistic officers and not "Fußvolk".
British Diana Germany Local time: 04:15 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 3
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks for your help, Diana. Actually this artist suffered a nervous breakdown due to his military service and I believe he wanted to be with animals, so I don't think it has anything to do with snobbishness, but very interesting to read what you say.
Reference information: I hope the following references are helpful. The third link describes the various age requirements for active service/reserves, etc. and the possible advantages of volunteering early. Perhaps your artist's age was relevant?
Landsturm.
The Landsturm also had two bans. The first ban included all untrained folks that were not on active service from the ages of 17 through 39. I should point out here that those between the ages of 17 and 20 who have not yet entered service and have had no training are enrolled in the first ban of the Landsturm. The second ban included all former soldiers and untrained individuals between the ages of 39 and 45. Second Ban Landwehr soldiers joined the second band of the Landsturm at age 39. This was a really rough militia. There was no training requirement. A home guard at best.
Kriegsfreiwillige
During the war a large number of young men between the ages of 17 and 20 were allowed to volunteer for active service before their class was called up.
The start date of active service is worth considering. Even though it is not a proper term, I will refer to the standard service soldier as a draftee. Most guys got out of Volksschule at the age of 14. Required active service started at the age of 20. Between the ages of 17 and 20 you were not part of the Dienstplicht. You actually were assigned to the untrained Landsturm, (we will cover this more later). A student who passed the one year volunteer exam could delay entry until he was 20. Conversely, a one year volunteer could join at the age of 17.
One year volunteers
The payback was.
1. The OYV only had to do one year of active service before being transferred to the reserve. This was in place of the 2-3 year active requirement.
2. The OYV could start military training at age 17 at the earliest. The normal guy, who was more like a draftee started at age 20.
3. The OYV if he passed the prerequisite examinations could be entered as an officer aspirant or NCO in the reserves. http://www.pickelhauben.net/articles/MilitaryService_08_02.h...
Alison MacG United Kingdom Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
Note to reference poster
Asker: Thanks so much for your contribution, Alison. Really useful to have this in the glossary with your links.
The translation workplace 
