Fritz Limbach - letters from the front - 1915: 46

Douvrin, 22 May 1915

[Saturday]

Dear family,

As you can see the course ended right on time. We arrived back here yesterday. Today I received an enormous amount of mail, which had accumulated here, and some 11 parcels amongst which one from the Benzenbergs and two from the Bonerts. A.Weyerbuch’s always sends me the Wochenschau (please thank them for me) Furthermore I received a letter from Paul Bonert in which he informed me Erich was killed in action. I am so dreadfully sorry for Uncle and Aunt Bonert. Hopefully they, especially Uncle B, quickly come to terms with this dreadful loss. You should always keep in your mind that all the sacrifices that have been made in this war, and will continue to be made, will not have been for nothing. I hope Erich did not suffer in his last moments. We here on the frontline always wish that, should it all come to a bitter end. I’ll write to the Bonerts tomorrow.

Our Kompanie too has been though some terrible days when they were at the front. They have been deployed at La Bassée, to reinforce the 56’ers, and suffered heavy casualties. Ernst Fischer was wounded, but only relatively light, shrapnell-shot through the thigh.[*1]

Please send me a.s.a.p. the contactform for one-year-volunteers. You’ll have to pick it up from the army office on the Wegnerstrasse [in Barmen]. Not the certificate, but the form from Düsseldorf, in any case please send it immediately. I have to have it before 1^st June.

So the course finally came to an end. Those were really nice days, although the lessons themselves did not serve much purpose. But the rest did me good. You can’t imagine how well I look now. From the acquaintances from Barmen only Hugo Pass was there, nobody else. I think because the others don’t have the proper schooling.

Today I received a postcard from Hans Seynsche, and he writes he’s highly surpised I didn’t reply to his letter. But I really haven’t received anything from him. I’ll send him the name of my superior still today. Maybe it leads to something.

They haven’t told us what will happen now, or whether any of us will be sent to Döberitz. The Regiment has to decide now. We’ll know shortly I hope.

As I already wrote you we had some beautiful days in Bersée, and I will think back to those days for a long time to come. Especially the farewell party, Thursday evening, was very nice. We all sat around in the grass, and we were served beer, cigarettes etc by the officers. And of course there was a piano there too.

It would have been nicer in Bersée if I had received my mail regularly. In the end I only had dry bread and the enormous capital of 3 Pfennig left. You’ll understand you can’t do much with that.

Okay, so now the subject “Bienen”! Bienen are not, what mother thinks, fleas, but lice to call them by their correct name. I’m now so experienced in removing the little critters that I hope to be rid of them quickly.

My hands have now completely healed. From Aunt Nettelbeck I received a tin with cookies, that must have around Easter. I’ve confirmed that to her already of course.

Then the garden. It gives me great joy to hear everything grows so well, and that father likes to work in the garden. Did you remember to prune the almondtree, so that it will flower beautifully again next year? When the big irissen start to bloom, can you send me an upper and a lower petal of the one that’s right at the back on the right? I’d like to know what that species, which is supposed to be very special, looks like.

It’s supposed to have pink flowers, and it’s called Lohengrin if the nameplate is still there. [*2]

Here the big irisses are already in bloom everywhere.

Father needs to look out for snails with the Delphinium. But with this dry weather I don’t think they’ll be much of a problem. I’d also like to know how the Papaver, Campanula and the Carnations are doing. Please write that to me in detail.

I don’t need underwear for the time being. I still have an extra set. Every time we come out of the trenches I have my dirty laundry washed and disinfected, that way I have something clean to put on every 12 days.

I don’t need socks for the time being, I still have plenty. So mother can get some respite now from knitting, and giving herself backache. I don’t need newspapers either. We have a reading- and writingroom with all possible magazines and newspapers, even the General Anzeiger [the General-Anzeiger für Elberfeld-Barmen, the local newspaper for Barmen and Elberfeld] [*3]

But schluss for today. I hope Helene, Else and Hanne enjoy their trips with August. It’s of no use to just stay at home and let your head hang. We’re not doing that either. And the two oldies should just go out for a walk, and have a coffee at Gerhards, Rigi Kulm or somewhere else. It’s much better than always staying at home.

Many warm greetings to everyone

Your Fritz

Please write to me exactly under which circumstances Erich was killed. But then you might not know much about that.

[*1] Verlustlisten of 3 June 1915 (http://des.genealogy.net/eingabe-verlustlisten/search )