Fritz Limbach - letters from the front - 1915: 27

Don, 18 March 1915

[Thursday]

Dear family,

I only now have time to write to you. And here’s why : yesterday, Wednesday, we had exercises as usual. Then in the afternoon we suddenly got the order to prepare to go and dig trenches. So yesterdayafternoon we travelled in the direction of the front. First by train to Salomé, and from there a 1,5 hour march. Apparently this concerns reserve-trenches about 500-600 mtrs behind the frontline trenches.

Such work can only be done at night of course, during the day the English can see us and will start shooting. Our task was to build barbed wire defences. Of course the sappers were on hand to show us how it is done. It is not as easy as it sounds. You have to dig holes some 50-75 cms deep to put iron poles in. Each two of us dug in 9 poles. And then you know you did do something. Especially in this warm springweather.

Then ofcourse the wire had to be pulled through, barbed wire and blank copperwire for the high voltage current. In complete darkness – it was forbidden to use flashlights - work progressed slowly, and at 02:00 hrs work was done.

2,5 hours later we were home, and at 05:00 hrs we went to bed finally.

This afternoon we go again, this time to dig the trenches. Today we had the day off of course.

But on the whole it is pretty tiring, and we have to do this for another 4 days.

Today I slept untill midday, almost as good as back home.

When you get so close to the front like we did, you realise how much has been destroyed by the war. In Illies, a medium sized village, almost no house is left standing. The fields are as they were when they were abandoned last autumn. Large tobaccofields completely rotted. [*1]

There were several factories there. All destroyed, the machines rusting in the streets. If you could only see this then you would keep quiet about the offers you have to bring, and you can only be thankful for your circumstances.

Back home at the most the yearly income is under pressure, but here everything is destroyed, nothing is left standing.

Near Illies there also was a battery of our 21cm howitzers. And while the guns are enormous they were hidden so perfectly it was really hard to find them. At night they fired some grenades.

First you see the fire, then the boom and then the whistling of the grenade.

That sound really reminded me of the overhead railway [*2]

The aeroplanes did not bother us anymore. We now have anti-aircraft defences here, and they’re afraid of that.

I received the parcels upto nr 43, and mother’s letter of the 12^th which I will reply to coming Sunday.

I also received a parcel from Aunt Lise and Aunt Jülchen. Please thank them for me. I will write to them when I have the opportunity. A. Weyerbusch sent me the Wochenschau.

But enough for today. I’m still waiting for Hanne’s letter.

With many greetings also to all who ask after me your Fritz

[*1] Illies

(Pictures courtesy of Chris Bailey)