Oignies,
28 March 1915
[Sunday]
Dear family,
Since I last wrote you I have
received mother’s letter and one from Hanne, furthermore parcel # 51 with sausages,
and one from Paul and Aunt Bonert. Many thanks for everything. Please thank the
Bonerts for me. I don’t have much time to write, maybe later.
Hanne wrote that mother would like
to know what exactly happened during the attack of the English aeroplanes.
That English report is of course a
lie. I’ve seen it all very well, and I can judge from own experience what you
have to think of that report. The aeroplane flew at high altitude, and dropped
5 or 6 bombs. One fell on a little gas holder which was not working, one fell
in the canal where it didn’t do any damage, and the rest fell on the
railwaystation. There, as you already wrote, some of our men got wounded and
one was killed. Damage to the tracks was only minimal and repaired by the
following morning. One railcar was slightly damaged, and with the help of a few
planks repaired in no time, and some rails were bent.
Saying that they destroyed a whole
train is a lie from A to Z. And by the way the aeroplane flew só high he couldn’t
possibly have been able to assess the damage he had caused.[*]
In my last letter I wrote about the
guard duty here at the canal, by the bridge to Courrières. It was real fun,
those two hours are over before you know it and the 4 hours rest afterwards are
more than enough. We drank coffee, and ate a delicious Schweinebraten with fried potatoes.
With a bottle of cognac to keep us
warm.
The guard post was at a lady’s who spoke
almost fluent German.
On Thursday we’ll have inspection.
We’ve been practising for that all the time, because high and highest gentlemen
will be present. Like Generalmajor von Ditfurth, commander of the 14th
Division; General von Klaer, commander of the 7th Artillery; and
Crownprince Rupprecht von Bayern., who now is commander of the 6th
Armee.
This afternoon we have another
practice, so that on the day everything runs smoothly.
I also have the doubtful honour to
be part of an “Elitegruppe” that has
to show something.
After the inspection we then go to
the trenches. I’m fine with that. It all gets a little boring here anyway. Danger
to one’s life is always there of course, but not so much that it becomes
unpleasant.
Hope with me that we go to the 56’ers,
that’s something we all want very much. In any case we won’t end up far from
here. Nobody knows for sure yet.
Of those I was in Kevelaer with some
have already been wounded. They’re here in the Lazarett [hospital]. So it has been for the best that we came to
French then [? “Es ist also doch gut gewesen, daß wir damals nach Frankreich kamen”]
Try to get Benzenberg’s new address,
and send it to me.
Many greetings also to all
acquaintances
Your Fritz
[*] Presumably Fritz writes here
about a bombing of the railwaystation at Don, not at Oignies.
He has only been in Oignies for 4
days at this time.
Position of the bridge which Fritz guarded for a day:
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