Fritz Limbach - letters from the front - 1915: 48

Trenches, 30 may 1915

Dear family,

Yesterday I received mother’s letter of the 24^th inst. with a letter from Walter Benzenberg. H aven’t received any parcels since the last time I wrote you. The rumour goes parcel-delivery has been suspended. Furthermore I received the 20 Mark father sent by money order. Many thanks for eveything.

I don’t need so much money at the moment. All you have to do is, when you want, enclose a 5 Mark note in a letter now and then. It doesn’t happen often but I think I’ll keep the 20 Mark in reserve.

At the moment we’re in the reserve-trenches for 4 days. We’re all doing very well in this nice weather. We only always feel sorry for those “poor soldiers in France”.

The officer’s candidate course is continuing here. Every Wednesday and Saturday morning there are classes in Douvrin. I’m not going though. They never told me about it. So I assume I’m good enough, or rather still, I’m surplus to requirements and they have favoured those who have been in the field for longer. Ah well, I don’t care. I’m not going to pursue them. I don’t really care for a promotion, as I already wrote you, as long as I can return to Germany healthy and quickly I’ll find my way.

I hope you too think the same way. At least I had a 3-wekk summer-holiday which did me the world of good. So that’s settled.

As I already wrote you I'm doing well. The English here have been very well behaved lately. That is of course because we have so much artillery here now, and they always get the respectful reply when they’re naughty. But they’ve gone off that now apparently. But then they don’t have that much ammunition to fire like before.

Next door at the 56’ers [*1] the English have also gone quieter. When it’s so quiet life here is really extremely boring. But there are always those small things that make you smile. Like a few days ago : two Barmer, who were also at Kevelaer, Don etc., tied, at dawn when sight is at its worst, ropes to the Spanish Riders in front of the English positions. They then reeled them in when it got light, right in front of the perplexed English. Would have loved to see the long faces of the English. In our Kompanie’s position this sort of thing is out of the question as the English are 200-300 meters away. With other Kompanies that gap is only 50-60 meteres, making it a lot easier. [*2]

What I wanted to write you: my good Wickelgamaschen [“Puttees”} were stolen from me. But I did see a young man wearing them today, and confronted him with it. He didn’t want to give them back though. So I turned to the Feldwebel, and he will see to it the good man gets 3 days detention.

For me it’s not about the Gamaschen, even though that’s bad enough, but more to finally get one of those brothers. Theft is on the increase here.

What about photographs? Please send me one of you all. Haven’t you received mine yet? Please finally write about that. I don’t need underwear, as I already wrote you. On the other hand I’d like some marmelade, preserved fruit etc. Also more cigarettes, they don’t bother me in the open air.

There are these cigarettes “Krinprinz Wilhelm”which I used to smoke. Please send me a box dor Sundays.

With many warm greetings your Fritz.

[*1] the “56’ers” (Infanterie Regiment 56) were positioned just north of the canal de la Bassée, at La Bassée opposite the “English” at Givenchy.

[*2] 1^st Btn Gloucestershire regiment was in position south of Cuinchy (possibly sector A1), and their war-diary for 16^th May 1915 has this intriguing entry:

“…. A wire cable discovered running from enemies lip [of the crater] towards ours was destroyed by rifle fire and bombing.”