Coler was born 6 December 1885, in Küstrin (Modern day Poland), in the Kingdom of Prussia.
He was born to a military family and his father, once the Imperial district commander of Bielefeld, sent Coler to a military school once he completed basic schooling in 1906.
He enlisted in the German Imperial Army in 1915 in the town of Lockstedt as a lieutenant.
The next year, Coler was sent to fight in the Finnish Civil War as a captain, along with 38 other German officers, to command a 1258-strong Third Company of the Finnish 27th Jäger Battalion in Estonia.
In early March 1918, Coler arrived in Finland, becoming the commander of the Finnish 2nd Division, where he remained until the victory of the White Finns over the communists in the Finnish Civil War.

In 1917, Coler married Edith von Coler and had a daughter, named Jutta, in 1919.
Three years later they separated.
Coler was born 6 December 1885, in Küstrin (Modern day Poland), in the Kingdom of Prussia. He was born to a military family and his father, once the Imperial district commander of Bielefeld, sent Coler to a military school once he completed basic schooling in 1906. He enlisted in the German Imperial Army in 1915 in the town of Lockstedt as a lieutenant. The next year, Coler was sent to fight in the Finnish Civil War as a captain, along with 38 other German officers, to command a 1258-strong Third Company of the Finnish 27th Jäger Battalion in Estonia. In early March 1918, Coler arrived in Finland, becoming the commander of the Finnish 2nd Division, where he remained until the victory of the White Finns over the communists in the Finnish Civil War.
In 1917, Coler married Edith von Coler and had a daughter, named Jutta, in 1919. Three years later they separated.
Ulrich von Coler