The Fate of Otto Scholz: An Imperial Berliner in a British War Hospital

It was early morning, on the 4 August 1914. Otto Scholz was a fresh young Lieutenant with the Prussian 3rd Uhlans, saddled up and waiting on the Belgian border. When the order was given to cross, they moved forward with a loud Hurrah! and Otto’s war began.

Fighting at the very head of the German army, they seemed unstoppable, until the 6 September, just half an hour’s drive from Paris, when Otto was wounded. He fell into British hands, and was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley - but to his family, all trace of him was lost until he died at Netley two years later.

The staff team at Netley were strangely tight-lipped about the whole affair, even to the British Foreign Office who could only comment in a note: If Scholz is really mad, why was he not sent back with the last lot of totally incapacitated?

It was a good question. This is the story of that young man, those who fought with him, and those who tried to stop him. But we have to search deeper to answer that question from the Foreign Office, as we try to make sense of the fate of Otto Scholz.

THE AUTHOR

Dr Simon Daniels qualified as a Solicitor in 1985, practising in litigation, before he brought his professional background to Solent University, where he managed the law and business parts of the Merchant Vessel Operations programme at Warsash Maritime Academy.