Fritz Limbach - letters from the front - 1915: 54

Prellbock, 16 June 1915

[Wednesday]

Dear family,

Yesterday I received mother’s letter of the 10^th. Then some 6 parcels arrived, I don’t know the numbers anymore. We suddenly had to go to the reserve-trenches here last night, and I was glad that I could fit everything into my backpack, I couldn’t check the numbers anymore. The parcels contained preserves, mints, cigarettes, blackcurrantjuice, Kölnisch Wasser [Eau de Cologne], milk etc. Many thanks for everything. A parcel from Aunt Jüchen also arrived (please thank her!).

I don’t have any use for the Kölnisch Wasser. I gave it to one of the paramedics for the wounded.

You don’t feel much of the heat, which is pretty substantial here too. It’s always reasonably cool in the dugouts, deep underground, and outside on your post you don’t have to move around that much. So that is all okay. The most unpleasant thing about this heat is the nasty smell, against which cigarettes are the best defence. [*1] I don’t have headaches anymore.

It’s good to hear the ice-customers are returning this year. I don’t make much of the good offer from the Barmer Export Gesellschaft. Surely it can’t change that much in so short a time.

We of course receive our post and parcels on a daily basis here in the trenches too.

The anisol is as ineffective against lice as the fenneloil is. They’re back before you know it. Best thing is to check your clothes every day and nip any you can find.

I received the marmelade. You can get “Kronprinz Wilhelm” cigarettes at Krüger und Oberbeck on the Rathausbrücke. You only have to send me 1 or 2 boxes. They’re too expensive for daily use. [*2]

By the way: please don’t send the butter in those good aluminium boxes anymore. Surely the aluminium can be put to a better use in Germany? The butter will also arrive in good nick if you send it in tin boxes.

I’m sure you’ve read in the papers about the fighting going on here. Something was going on here indeed. We also suffered some casualties. Yesterday and the day before we received pretty heavy artillery-fire.[*3] They’ve destroyed the whole frontlinepositions here. We’re gonna have our work cut out for us the next few days. No other damage was done. Actually I was glad to be in the reserve-trenches.

At the 56’ers to our right, where now the 134’ers from Sachsen are stationed, the English attacked again, but as always they suffered heavily. Word has it they lost 3 batallions. [*4]

We will probably relieved from these positions in a few days time, and then go on rest for a few weeks.

We’re the only regiment in our division which is still here. All others have been taken off the frontline already. On the one side great news, on the other not so great. You don’t know where you’ll end up, and what the state of the new positions is, and we’ve got such a beautiful one here now. Ah well, we’ll wait and see.

But enough for today. We‘ve got to work hard tonight, and I want to get some sleep before.

With many warm greetings

Your Fritz

[*1] the wardiary of 1^st King’s Royal Rifles also mentions the hot weather:

June 15th 1915: Very hot day

[*2]

(*3]

Großes Hauptquartier, 13. Juni.
Westlicher Kriegsschauplatz:
Bei Nieuport, Dixmuiden, nördlich Arras und bei Hebuterne fanden Artilleriekämpfe statt. Schwächliche Angriffsversuche des Gegners in den Dünen wurden abgewiesen. Südöstlich Hebuterne sind Infanteriegefechte im Gange.
Die militärischen Anlagen von Lunéville wurden mit Bomben belegt.

The war-diary of 1st Goucester Regiment (billeted at Béthune at that time) reported heavy fire coming from the direction of Givenchy and Festubert: