franz magill was the son of a day laborer. his father bought a small farm in zuchen in 1908, where magill graduated from elementary school. he was called up at the end of the first world war and after the end of the war in 1919 he became a volunteer (twelve donors) in the hussar regiment no. 5 of the reichswehr. in 1923 he was promoted to sergeant, in 1928 to sergeant. in 1929 he passed the riding instructor examination at the riding school in belgard and, after leaving the reichswehr, went to the private "german riding school" at gut düppel in berlin as a qualified riding instructor.