Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I whanau a Rackow i te 20 o Akuhata 1893, i whakauruhia ia ki te Corps Cadet i te timatanga o tona ao. I uru atu ia ki te 158th Paderborn Infantry Regiment o te Imperial German Army hei "Fahnenjunker" (kaitiaki kaitiaki) i te tau 1912. I te wa i pakaru ai te Pakanga Tuatahi o te Ao i te tau 1914, kua eke ia ki te rangatira tuarua. I uru a Rackow ki te whakaekenga tuatahi a Tiamana ki Belgium me France. I whakahonoretia ia hei kaitiaki, i whawhai i
Charleroi, St. Quentin, me te whai waahi ki te Pakanga Tuatahi o te Marne, te Pakanga Tuatahi o te Aisne, me te Pakanga Tuatahi o Artois. I te marama o Hepetema 1915, i tohua ia hei rangatira mo te 158th Paderborn Infantry Regiment's 3rd kamupene. Na tenei roopu, i uru ia ki te Pakanga Tuarua o Champagne i whara ai ia e rua nga wa. I te keehi tuatahi, i patua ia e te pupuhi i tona waewae matau, engari i whawhai tonu, engari i whara kino ki te raki o Le Mesnil e toru nga ra i muri mai. I tukuna ia ki te hohipera, ka hoki ki te kamupene tuatoru i te Hui-tanguru 1916.