Prellbock, 2
September 1915
[Thursday]
Dear
family,
Yesterday I
received mother’s short letter of the 27th with the shavinggear.
Many thanks for that. I’m really happy with it, and right away shaved myself this
morning. You should see me now, here in the dug-out it’s as light again as it
used to be. But really, you shouldn’t have bought me such an expensive one. My
old one surely would have worked too? The screw, which I left behind in Kevelaer
back then in all the hurry, would have been replaceable.
I’ll
confirm the other parcels once I know the numbers. I hope to receive mother’s
next letter tonight.
Now to
mother’s letter of the 25th, which I hadn’t replied to yet.
So you want
to know how I “feel” as a trench-soldier? Well, I can only write in
reply to that: usually good, sometimes a little better, sometimes a little worse.
But on the whole satisfactory. You get só used to it that you hardly remember
how life used to be.TheI only thing I wish for would be some more free time and
inclination to write. I haven’t written to Walter Benzenberg and Wilhelm
Philipps for ages now.
For the
rest it’s quite liveable here. But then our Kompanie
has the best position of the whole Regiment, and lately we haven’t been
burdoned by such nice things as explosions, mines, handgrenades etc. Tommy
knows who he has opposite him, and knows we don’t put up with anything. He
knows exactly that if he leaves us alone we are so decent as to leave him
alone. But sometimes we’re not so decent, and they usually return fire, but not
always, because our 21cm grenades always have the last word, and that’s painful
for Tommy apparently.
There are
no other acquantainces on the photographs. There are 5 Bärmer [= guys from Barmen] in our 7 strong group. But it’s of no
use writing you the names, as you wouldn’t know them. Presently I’m the only Einjährige [-Freiwilliger] at the Prellbock.
Otto Mertens is on a pioneers-course in Carvin, Heinrich Mais is at the Feste Stammheim [=Company headquarters on the Canal de la
Bassée], and Ad Heede is at our positions near Auchy-harbour. We see and visit
eachother almost daily.
The reason
why the parcels always arrive at the same time is because you post one batch in
Unter-Barmen, and the other batch in Elberfeld. Those from Elberfeld always
arrive a full day earlier. It used to take the same time from each postoffice.
So in future please send everything from `1 postoffice, in order for them not
to arrive all on the same day.
Why doesn’t
father want to go on holiday for a few days then? Father certainly needs some
relaxation one a year, with him working so hard, and with him not being the
youngest anymore. That is my humble opinion.
So it is my
special wish that mother takes father by the hand, and takes him to Boppard,
Kylburg or some other quiet little town, for say 3 weeks, and have a proper
holiday. Maybe you can persuade uncle Bonert to come with you. I’m of the
opinion that everyone owes that to his health. But think about it. It’s my
special wish, and you have fulfilled all my wishes up to now. So, please, this
one too. I won’t have anything to wish for for a long time then.
I also
think that nobody should go and travel for pleasure this year, although the hotel-owner
has to make some money too. But this is a special case. Surely the company can
do without you for a few weeks. (I can hear father think already “The stupid
boy doesn’t know anything about the company!”)
So again:
Forward march!, get away from home and the whole stuff. Because mother also desperately
needs it .
But enough
about that. Hope this letter hasn’t angered you too much.
They’ve got
some job again for “den Herrn Einjährige”:
“Go to the depot with 5 men (That’s almost half an hour walk) and bring back 30
2mtr duckboards, 1 box of nails, 1 box of feltnails, and as many optical mirrors
you can carry.”
But I‘ll
finish this letter first. I’m sure the gentlemen can wait for their duckboards that
much longer.
With many
warm greetings also to all acquaintances
Your Fritz
Special greetings to uncle Otto from whom I hear less than I had hoped.
The original letter:
No comments:
Post a Comment