Heinrich Wessling
A young soldier whose death near the Armistice embodies the waste of final-hour casualties.
To survive the final stretch and return with the rest of the company.
The book
At a glance
- Infantryman
- War's final days
- Killed before homecoming
Who they are in the book
Spoiler-freeWessling remains vulnerable while commanders and governments move toward peace.
His death reminds the survivors that an approaching deadline does not protect any individual soldier.
How the book draws them
- Young soldierHe has little life beyond the war.
- Late casualtyHe dies when peace is very near.
- Remembered comradeThe march home carries his absence.
- No strategic meaningTiming makes the waste especially clear.
Wessling dies close to the war's end and does not join the 32 survivors who return.
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