Douvrin, 27 August
1915
[Friday]
Dear
family,
Yesterday I
received mother’s letter of the 22nd and parcels nr 283 (arrived in
good order), 284, 285, 286, 287, 288, 289. Many thanks for everything.
I am sorry
that Helene had such bad weather in the Sauerland. Over here is was beautiful
weather all the time. So I won’t need protection against rain for the time
being. The juice that Helene sent was nice. But she doesn’t have to wet my lips
again with berry-wine! I received the second silk shirt already a long time
ago, as I have written you. It’s in the wash at the moment.
I think you
can guess the reason why it’s not going forward yet here in the West, or haven’t
you heard anything yet? Please write me what you think of it. Then I’ll tell
you whether you’re right or wrong.
I have
already written to Aunt Bonert, and got a parcel with letter in reply yesterday.
Didn’t she tell you that? I’ll let loose a postcard to Reverend Herbst’s wife
right away.
That the
one with an Iron First [Iron Cross-First class] and Second [= Leutnant
Stennes] has received mother’s parcel does me good. The Iron Cross Second
class is really nothing special anymore. If you see who get’s awarded that
Cross it really does not interest you anymore.[*]
But the
Iron First is something completely different. Especially when you see that not
one officer had been awarded one yet, so it has to be something very special.
An Unteroffizier [= Sergeant], then still a
Musketier, from our Kompanie was awarded one for his actions
at Neuve Chapelle. He managed to retrieve some 20 wounded from near the English
trenches. We now have 2 EKI’s and 52 EK2’s in our Kompanie of less than 100 men. That is rather special, isn’t it?
Haven’t got
any news to write you. We really enjoyed our 5 days rest this time. This
morning we went swimming. The embankment is now a little overgrown with
waterplants, so it’s not as nice there as it was before. And we are being
deloused now every time we come into rest, clothes, gear etc. Everything is
fumigated. Gradually you start to notice it does help a little. I don’t have
lice at the moment at least. Which is more luck than wisdom.
By the way:
turned out we don’t have the French opposite us, as I wrote you, but still the
English.
There’s a
rumour that the English artillery has been shipped to the Dardanelles. Whether
that’s true or not I don’t know, but it doesn’t sound impossible to me.
A lot of
artillery has been sent here from Russia. We hear them rumbling through the
streets almost every night. It can only
be a good thing to have some more artillery here: it keeps Tommy nice and quiet.
But I ‘m at
the end of my wisdom. Please ask questions in the next letter.
With many
warm greetings to all acquaintances
Your Fritz
[*]
“During
World War I, approximately 218.000 EKIs, 5.196.000 EKIIs and 13.000
non-combatant EKIIs were awarded.”
The original letter:
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