Fritz Limbach - letters from the front - 1915: 59

D , 5 July 1915

[Monday

Dear family,

Since I last wrote you I received a letter from Mother (I shamefully admit I have already burnt it, so I can’t answer it precisely any more) and parcels nrs 191/6 and one with lemonade.

I’ll answer the letter from memory as best as I can. Hopefully I don’t forget anything important.

So: I’ll write to Aunt Bonert tomorrow or the day after, when we’re back in rest again. Same for the postcards to Weyerbuschs. I’ve written to Paul Bonert already a few days ago.

The sacharine, which father sent me, is very good. There is no difference in taste at all. Above all it’s very practical and it dissolves easily even in cold water. Then you sent me a fine ham [a “Blasenschinken”] in one the last parcels. I request renewed expedition, also of Puffertkuchen.

When you have enough please send me some home-made strawberry- or raspberry-juice. The artificial stuff tasts good, but it can’t beat home-made, especially when you mix that with Rhenser Wasser [= carbonated mineral water] .

Then my friend Mertens from Solingen (Fa. O Mertens, Stahlwaren. Paul [Bonert] may known them) got sent fresh cherries, and they arrived in perfect condition. Please try that one time, you’ve got to carefully pack them. Please also send me some preserved fruit. From the Weyerbuschs’ I received delicious Helvetia apple sauce.

You can’t always get fruit in the canteen in the trenches, due to high demand. You can’t stop eating fruit in this warm weather. Then I’d like to get a tin of Pumpernickel [Westfalian rye-bread].

The “Dalli”cigarettes are very good. Stick to that brand please. [*1]

I so want to start photographing again in this nice weather!

I have to shamefully admit my letters are just wish-lists, but then I have so few topics to write about.

Then another question from Mother’s letter. We have church services here too of course. As a rule once every time we’re in rest. Last time we even had Holy Communion. Church services are always outside in the garden, because the English destroyed the church . They suspected our artillery was using it as an observation post. [*2]

I don’t know whether Father Hüpfeld is due here, because I don’t know him. In any case our pastor is a big, older gentleman with a grey pointed beard. He has already lost a son in the war.

The last few days in the reserve-trenches were very nice. We didn’t have much work to do and we always had our nightrest. During the day we were in Auchy a lot, and we gorged ourselves on gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries and cherries. The cherries here are the best I’ve ever eaten.

But unfortunately the fun didn’t last long. The English seem to have found out about it, through their aeroplanes no doubt, and now always shell that garden.

Then one more time: we are positioned directly on the Canal de La Bassée, and have nothing to do whatsoever with the fighting north of Arras.

But enough for today. More soon.

With many warm greetrings your Fritz

[*1] Dalli cigarettes :