35 - Auchy, 13 April 1915

Auchy, 13 april 1915

[Tuesday]

Dear family,

After a kong time I received a letter from you today, mother’s letter of the 4^th , with which I was very happy.

My warmest congratulations to Else and August on the occasion of their engagement. I am very happy for them, and you too are bound to be very happy and drink a few good bottles to celebrate. Then at the same time you can propose a toast to my health, and have another drink to peace and that it may come soon. It really isn’t shameful, as mother writes, to be happy about such a joyful occasion when there is a war on.  On the contrary, we here too are as happy as we possibly can be when the fieldkitchen on occasion is stocked with a lot of meat, which is not always the case, or when the portions of cheese of sausage are much bigger than usual.

But as regards the engagement: I am really véry happy for Else and for you all. You can now regard August as a “replacement” for me, if that is possible.

I can imagine it somewhat, yes, but father having to think about it for só long really wasn’t necessary.

Else is herself already very wise for her age, and she knows full well whom she chooses. Furthermore she isn’t known for her extravagance, so she will get by with the money should August’s business not thrive so well, something that will certainly change once the war is over.

But again, I am extremely happy and already look forward to the wedding after the war.

I’ll drink a cup of coffee to the health of both later on.

Now at least I know what Sundayschool was good for.

As you have noticed already from the date I am no longer in the trenches,  that is: not always at least, but here in Auchy. I have been transferred to the Pionierkommando  [Sapper group] of our Kompanie. Why I deserved this honour I do not know. (My address will remain the same as this is only for a short time) But when I like it here I am gonna try to stay here.

For the time being it is much better here than in the trenches. We live in a bomb-proof cellar of a house, the top part of which is no more than a heap of bricks and two rooms left half standing.

In any case it is much better than the best dug-out in the trenches.

Our work starts at 10 at night, until about 3 or 4 in the morning. We then build barbed wire defences, Polish Riders etc on the frontline. Our Regimental commander has already expressed his special thanks for our courage and  bravery during this work. I didn’t find it anything special.  The English seemed to be at work too, and they didn’t shoot at all.

We are then off duty the whole day, so I have plenty of time to write.

I didn’t receive any parcels lately, and thus I am quite bored. Yesterday I took a little trip to Douvrin, where I stuffed myself in the canteen.

Please send me things I can cook myself, like: ground coffee, cocoa with sugar, tea, good bouillon cubes (Not those small 5pfg ones, but the bigger ones)  and cigarettes, with which you can always make good friends. Then I will have everything I need.

With many warm greetings, especially also to my new brother in law.   Your  Fritz.

War diary of 2nd South Staffordshires for 12 and 13 April 1915:

War diary of 1st KRR for 12 and 13 April 1915

The original letter :

34 - Trenches at Auchy, 11 April 1915

Trenches, 11(?) April 1915

[Sunday]

Dear family,

We have been here at  the frontline now already since Monday, so almost 8 days, and I have to say I quite like it here. It isn’t as stressful as I’d think it would be. But then we’ve only had quiet days.

You just cannot imagine what it looks like here. Our Stellung is one big network of trenches.

When you come here for the first time you think you have arrived in a maze, and you just cannot imagine someone finding his way here.

But after one day you begin to find your bearings, also because there are signs on difficult intersections. The trenches are about 2 – 2,5 mtrs deep.

Looking at them from the enemy standpoint there first are the real trenches [the Schützengraben] . followed by, in some cases 2 in other cases 3, lines of reserve-trenches [ Reservegraben] .

Connection with the outside world is maintained through communication-trenches  [Laufgraben].

The whole thing looks a bit like this:

That is just a little sketch I made for you. In reality it is far more complicated. But now you have an idea of how it looks.

The trenches are all zig-zagging, so you can take shelter round the next bend in case of shelling. Once inside the trenches there really is no danger. You are completely safe from rifle fire, and grenades can only cause damage if they drop into the trenches from straight above. That only rarely happens because the top of the trenches is only 50 cms wide at the most.

At night, or more often when you have nothing to do, you crawl into your dugout, Dugouts are little caves dug adjacent to the trenches, as deep as possible, so they are bomb-proof. And they are furnished as home-like as possible.

The first two nights I slept in a terrible cave, but now I live in a really nice one. I can stand up in it, we have a table and chairs, matrasses to sleep on and a stove on which we can cook all sorts of stuff.

I still haven’t received any mail from you, hope however to receive something today or tomorrow.

We’re supposed to get the mail that was held back at Oignies on Monday, when we go in rest at Douvrin.

Please send me candles (but not those “thin Berta” nightcandles), lots to smoke, and preserves, which I can then warm up here. Didn’t Uncle Otto have those which he took with him on his walks?

More next time   your Fritz

I’m still waiting for the fieldcooker.

War diary of 1st KRR  for 10 and 11 April 1915:

War diary of 2nd South Staffordshires for 10 and 11 April 1915 :

The original letter:

33 - Trenches at Auchy - 8, 9 or 10 April 1915

Trenches, [at Auchy, 8,9 or 10 April 1915]

[Thursday/Friday/Saturday]*

Dear family,

We've been in the trenches now since Monday. We are all still doing well. Only the weather leaves a lot to be desired. If that clears up it’s quite bearable here. When we are in rest again I’ll write you an extensive letter. In the meantime you’ll have to do with a little postcard. But that suffices as a sign of life too. I haven’t received any mail from you since Oignies.

Many greetings  Fritz

* No written date on the postcard (seems to have been clipped off deliberately) . 

Postcard is postmarked 10 April 1915

Entries for early April in the 2nd Batallion South Staffordshire Regiment  War diary (They were in Cuincy, opposite the 16'ers at the Prellbock Stellung) 

Entry in War Diary of 1st KRR (in billets in Bethune - approx 20 kms west of Auchy) for April 7th 1915:

and for April 9th:

31 - Douvrin, 2 April 1915

Douvrin, 2 April 1915

[Friday]

Dear family,
Today we marched here from Oignies. We don’t know yet when we will go to the trenches. They talk about Easter Monday [5 april] . For the moment our Kompanie is at rest. I will write you more extensively soon, I am too tired now. In this summerlike warm weather the march was very tiring. It took about 3,5 hours
With many greetings  your Fritz





from the War Diary of 1st King's Royal Rifles, who were at Cuinchy at the time (opposite the Germans at Auchy):

2nd April 1915