19 - Don, 21 February 1915

Don, 21 February 1915

[Sunday]

Dear family,

Finally I heard something from you again: yesterday mother’s letter of the 15^th, and 2 poarcels with fenneloil, batteries etc. And 1 with cheese. Today then came 3x Kölner Zeitung, 1 letter from Walter Benzenberg, 1 letter from father and again 2 parcels, with butter, figs and Lebkuchen. Many thanks for everything. It all tasted delicious.

I have no use for the fenneloil here, but I’ll keep it for the future.

The Browning has not arrived yet. When it does I will write Mr. O a few  appropriate words.

I can’t give you the numbers of the parcels as they were only partly legible. I did find nr 8 and 9.

I hope you nevertheless can tell which parcels I received.

I have no use for bouillon cubes etc, because we only rarely have hot water. We don’t even have hot water to wash out out mess tins.

I still have enough tobacco. I don’t have much time to smoke a pipe. Inside it is forbidden to smoke because of all the hay and the danger of fire.

But I would like to receive chocolate, it is so easy to carry with you.  Now you know what I can use well here.

By the way you can buy excellent jam here. Tastes good on the bread we get, or when the bread is gone, on rusk.

My comrades are still the same, almost all of our Platoon has stayed together. I don’t have a spocial buddy here we, but we are all very friendly amongst eachother.

When it rains it also rains inside. My cold is completely over now, and I sleep well again, something that left a little to be desired at first.

Today we were at church again. A Catholic priest spoke beautifully. So, also in that respect, we are taken good care of.

Enough for today. I’d like to write something to Walter Benzenberg, and then drink a beer in the canteen.

And furthermore it is not a joy to write with this miserable pencil.

So with many greetings also to all acquaintances   your Fritz

It turns out you actually dó have to mention the Korporalschaft in the address.