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1937: Threshold of War

By 1937, the shadow of National Socialism was deepening across Germany, though the country was still nominally at peace. The regime was aggressively expanding its armed forces, transforming sports clubs and civilian organizations into covert training grounds for the military. Ernst Grossmann was a twenty-one-year-old Swabian. Before his life was altered by military conscription, he was a young man balancing ordinary youth with subtle preparations for the sky. He commuted daily to Stuttgart to train as a dental ceramist (Dentalkeramiker), while having already spent time learning gliders with the Deutscher Luftsportverband (DLV), driving with the NSKK, and completing his mandatory six-month service in the Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD).

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Early Drills and Young Love

Throughout the winter and spring of 1937, his diary entries depict a life caught between military preparation and personal affection. He was already engaging in preliminary training drills—practicing gas mask defense (Gasraum), field maneuvers (Fußdienst), rifle target shooting, and optical rangefinder tracking (E-Messen) under the watchful eyes of visiting officers. Yet, much of his world still revolved around home and heart. His pages from early 1937 are filled with frequent letters and meetings with his sweetheart, Hanna Herz, as well as steady correspondence with his family in Unterboihingen. On off-duty evenings, he caught late-night trains to Stuttgart, saw films like La Habanera at the cinema, and celebrated Fasching (Carnival).

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As summer arrived, Ernst split his time between work, family visits, and quiet romance. He recorded returning to his job in June, taking short leaves to see his family, and keeping up with his siblings—Hildegard ("Hia") and Heinrich ("Heiner"). Nearly every evening after work, Ernst met Hanna. Together, they navigated the summer of 1937 in Stuttgart: strolling through the grounds of Villa Berg, visiting the Waldfriedhof, going swimming, and spending long afternoons together.

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The turning point arrived in late July. On July 23, 1937, Ernst penned a single word with heavy emphasis in his diary: "Aushebung!!!" (Draft/Induction). The pretense of civilian life was drawing to a close.

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The Call to the Colors

The autumn months of September and October marked his final weeks of independence. He and Hanna visited the Volksfest in Cannstatt, enjoyed family meals, and went to local exhibitions. Behind the scenes, however, the military bureaucratic machine was moving. Ernst was scheduled for passport photos, official questionnaires, and suitability examinations.

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On October 27, 1937, Ernst celebrated his 22nd birthday. Recognizing the two-year mandatory service obligation that lay ahead, he noted wistfully in his diary: "Letzter Geburtstag für 2 Jahre" ("Last birthday for 2 years").

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A few days later, on November 2, 1937, he formally entered active service with I. Flak-Regiment 25 at the barracks in Ludwigsburg. The romantic outings in Stuttgart were replaced by rigorous basic training: maintenance of his rifle and bayonet, locker inspections, and artillery drills.

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On November 16, 1937, Ernst stood alongside his fellow recruits and took his military oath (Vereidigung) as a Kanonier in the Luftwaffe. Two days later, he was assigned to the 4th Battery. In a rare, vulnerable entry amidst the terse notes of military routine, the twenty-two-year-old soldier wrote simply: "Hab so heim weh" ("I have such severe homesickness").

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A Final Peacetime Christmas

By December, Ernst was adapting to the technical demands of anti-aircraft artillery. He was selected for driver training and participated in live-fire shooting exercises with both small arms and heavy equipment. He was granted Christmas leave starting December 21, allowing him to return home and spend the holidays with his family and Hanna. It was a quiet, traditional Swabian Christmas—one of the last moments of peaceful stability his family would know before Europe descended into war.

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Returning to the Ludwigsburg barracks on December 28, Ernst weathered a few punitive, grueling days of guard duty and inspections. On the night of December 31, 1937, he closed out the year celebrating New Year's Eve (Silvesterfeier) with his comrades in the military canteen. In a few months he would march into Czechoslovakia.