Look what I inherited
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If he couldn't write about what he was experiencing, I'd prefer the salacious, dirty, sexy stuff, if you don't mind.
Seriously, it would be so interesting to glean things, such as what it was like to be a "man" as a soldier, lack of complaints given where he was, etc. What was his rank?
And again, if you can't do that, I'd be satisfied with the good stuff like I asked.
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@rainman said in Look what I inherited:
Seriously, it would be so interesting to glean things, such as what it was like to be a "man" as a soldier, lack of complaints given where he was, etc. What was his rank?
Quote from Red Oaks:
"Oh I get it, you're spending this summer trying to find yourself, is that it?"
"Well, I guess so, yeah."
"You know what I did when I was your age, trying to 'find myself?' "
"..."
"Killed. Nazis." -
Holy crap. What a personal treasure trove.
So much of WW2 that I’ve read are based on personal diaries but they seem to be the UK view, I always wanted to hear from the diaries of the other perspective. Obviously your grandfather couldn’t say much but I suspect one would still get a feel for thing.
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@rainman said in Look what I inherited:
If he couldn't write about what he was experiencing, I'd prefer the salacious, dirty, sexy stuff, if you don't mind.
Seriously, it would be so interesting to glean things, such as what it was like to be a "man" as a soldier, lack of complaints given where he was, etc. What was his rank?
He had a low rank. "Obergefreiter". I think this is something like "Private first class".
It's quite interesting to read. Religion played a much bigger role back then. Much of the contents of the letters is pretty basic stuff: How relatives are doing, who got sick, how much they miss each other, how they hope the war is going to end, people who were injured or killed, sending and receiving rare things like chocolate, etc. I think the most striking aspects of the letters is how the life of a low-rank soldier was completely separate from the political sphere. The purpose of the war, what the politicians wanted, strategic goals etc. - all that happened on a different planet.
I'll try to see whether I find something that is interesting enough to translate.
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That reminds me of my grade 12 history teacher. He was a Ukrainian nationalist from western Ukraine and therefore experienced first being under Polish rule then and being a second class citizen, Soviet occupation and terror, then Nazi occupation and terror then a threat of more Soviet terror. He said he spent his teenage years first conspiring against the Polish authorities, then shooting Russians for a while, then shooting Germans for a few years then finally shooting Russians, Germans and Polish communists as he made his way to Allied occupied territory. In his case he made it to British lines first.
“Little by little I am learning the art of being quite content by doing very little slowly” ~ Lionel Hardcastle
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@renauda said in Look what I inherited:
That reminds me of my grade 12 history teacher. He was a Ukrainian nationalist from western Ukraine and therefore experienced first being under Polish rule then and being a second class citizen, Soviet occupation and terror, then Nazi occupation and terror then a threat of more Soviet terror. He said he spent his teenage years first conspiring against the Polish authorities, then shooting Russians for a while, then shooting Germans for a few years then finally shooting Russians, Germans and Polish communists as he made his way to Allied occupied territory. In his case he made it to British lines first.
That's amazing, Renauda.
I'm particularly amazed that he was not shot as an enemy of the state along the way, by whoever was occupying his domicile. Horrible place to be during horrible times. It is indeed jaw-dropping to hear the stories. We are such softies, I almost feel guilty for all the angst and hysterics one reads in the news today, is nothing compared to what was going on in Europe and eastern Europe. Imagine not being able to enjoy freedom(s). -
@loki said in Look what I inherited:
So much of WW2 that I’ve read are based on personal diaries but they seem to be the UK view, I always wanted to hear from the diaries of the other perspective.
I read a book about D-day and the subsequent summer campaign told through the eyes of German soldiers. What I remember most is complaints and astonishment at the extent to which the the allies controlled the air. Lots of sentences like “and the enemy flies where he wants, when he wants, and places bombs at will, without even token opposition”
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Oh what an incredible inheritance! They make acid free/archival envelopes and sleeves to put things like this in - my MIL had the letters home from an 1870’s era relative who was stationed Fort Benton in Montana - she put them in a notebook in archival page protectors (and ended up donating the whole thing to the historical society there).
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@jon-nyc said in Look what I inherited:
@loki said in Look what I inherited:
So much of WW2 that I’ve read are based on personal diaries but they seem to be the UK view, I always wanted to hear from the diaries of the other perspective.
I read a book about D-day and the subsequent summer campaign told through the eyes of German soldiers. What I remember most is complaints and astonishment at the extent to which the the allies controlled the air. Lots of sentences like “and the enemy flies where he wants, when he wants, and places bombs at will, without even token opposition”
I just finished A Higher Call by Adam Makos about the German pilot that held off shooting down a severely damaged and helpless B-17 and instead escorted them out to sea so that the coastal flak gunners wouldn't shoot it down. Awesome insight into one person's experience.
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Luckily I found an old electronic version of the letters which my mother prepared 20 years ago. Here's a small sequence of letters (machine-translated) from May and June 1942 in Northern Africa:
Africa, 1. 5. 42
Dear Emma!
Today is the 1st of May, and I am here in the middle of the desert, thinking of my dear homeland. There everything is green and fresh, here everything is barren and empty, and day after day the sand blows around your ears. How happy I would be to be there again, I have not been here long, but long enough to say: how beautiful is Germany. The heat is increasing more and more and it is already some days around noon pure to despair, because we have to stand at this time almost every day outside in the sun. The plague of flies is also increasing, now it is still going on, but if it is going to be as bad as those who were here last summer tell us, well, I would like to set off on foot and go home, to you. But now it is like this, we have the luck? to live in the war, to be soldiers and in addition here in the cursed Africa.
I don't want to complain too much, they don't have it any better in Russia, certainly worse in winter, and as far as combat is concerned, it is bearable here and the sandstorm can't get any worse than it did on April 29 and 30, day and night, only the heat can and will get to us a lot and many will get sick. Last year 1/3 of the soldiers were sick all the time. And I soon believe that the climate will cause more deaths than the bullet here.
But I can still tell you that I'm still alive and well and want to join in all the fun and, dear Emma, I won't let my head hang down until I give up, then it must get much worse, but I hope I can hold out, because I don't want to be half a guy. I have already lost weight here, I can tell by my chop, I can't buckle any tighter now. But it's not too bad. I don't need razor blades now, we all already had a full beard, so they got some. Today I sent you 500 lire, 65,75, I want to start saving too. If you can buy something for us, then use it. Otherwise take them to Hüsing. We'll drink them away later. We can't do anything with it here. And if there is something it is very expensive, e.g. a can of 1 liter of fruit costs 60 Lire. Then it's still very rare. Otherwise, with the food, it still goes. I haven't received any packages yet, they will probably be at the bottom of the Mediterranean. I still have one request. I have no toothbrush and no pasta. So cheer up, the war goes on. And we will meet again.
Your Franz sends you his best regards. God keep you. Goodbye.
Can you get an ink pen there?
Africa, 3. 5. 42
My dear Emma!
Today is Sunday again, but here all days are the same, we had a preliminary visit, tomorrow the main part of it will come. Today I received the two parcels with many thanks, they have been on the road for about 40 days and there was also a dear letter from you. I can still eat the bacon, but there is no point in sending food. It is 5 o'clock in the afternoon, I am sitting out here at the gun and don't really know what to do and so I will try again today to get a letter full. I feel the same as you, I don't really know what to write, one day goes by like the next, everyone is getting older and has nothing from life but the longing for his loved ones at home, it is getting hotter every day and we are always glad when the sun sinks, because there are hardly any clouds here. Here is only war, sand, stones and flies, one is lazier than the other.
Dear Emma, the mail from here comes very slowly and I write so often. I have already received letters from you in 8 days. Each of us has to pull ourselves together again and again so as not to fall victim to longing, the war is not worth it, the longing, and if that is taken away from you, then you can understand that people despair, but then we are comforted by our Holy Faith and we hope for a better hereafter. Dear Emma, but I can also pray almost no more, but I try it again and again. Yes, dear Emma, we both should have been married a long time ago, you wrote quite right, but yes, but we are just two people who love each other and can not find a nest and maybe we should not come together, but this can only prevent our Lord God. But as long as it goes, let's hope for happiness in this world. Now I have to close, we still have some duty. Otherwise I am healthy and a bit lively.
But the sun will not set on us. Stay my good girl.
Your Franz sends you many kisses across the sea. Goodbye.
Africa, 24. 5. 42
My dear Emma!
Today is Pentecost Sunday and so I want to write to you again today. We are still doing quite well, but everyone has his worries and his hours. Yesterday we told each other so much about our homeland again and a very bad mood came out. What's the point of the war and why do we have to go so far away from Germany. This is a God-poor and cursed country, I am here now only well two months and I have already the snout full up to the top and do not know how I will bring it ready so 1 year and still longer to remain here. Most people will have tropical fever anyway, but I will probably get it sooner.
Yes, the war is no fun for anyone and yet everyone has to go. At Christmas I was on guard duty. Easter we changed positions and today we also worked with spade and hoe. In spirit I was with you in church, how I would like to go to church again. In everything, I would like to be free, freedom I mean, that fills my heart, but who knows, will we get freedom again, that is very questionable. Here we also sometimes talk about politics, they are sometimes small opposites, but basically we are all the same and we all have the same sense. In short, we are tired of war and want to go home to the empire. No, I want to go home to you, my dear girl. You must be sitting just like me and have the same thoughts. And how many have this longing and only want to live in peace, and you and I especially, but alas, who is to blame for all this? I hope that you have received quite a few letters from me during this time. I don't get any now, but I'm looking forward to it when I come back to the company. It's very bad not to receive any mail for so long and that's probably also to blame for everything, that I'm in a bad mood, yes I'm in a particularly bad mood today and I can't really talk to anyone and I could always do that with you. You wouldn't believe how angry I am at everything. Being a soldier is a big idiot thing, but it's still a consolation when I think of the others who have been there from the beginning. Well, now let's move on, we didn't want the war and we don't want anything else but to go home. But now, we do not want to despair, we want to trust in God as always. The weather has become a little warmer again, but it is still bearable.
Your Franz sends you his love and kisses you a thousand times.
God keep you. Goodbye.
Africa, 31. 5. 42
My dear Emma!
I want to send you a few lines again today, I don't know much news yet, because I'm still here behind the front, but at the beginning of this week it's supposed to go there again, there's already a lot going on, I know that, I can't write anything about it yet, but you'll probably hear something on the radio, then I'll get mail again, I'm so looking forward to hearing something from you again and then it really starts, as long as that wasn't much yet. But voluntarily I will not go anywhere, but where I stand I will defend myself and God will be with me and also you my dear girl, and do not worry, do not worry, we will meet again and if not, then you will get such a half like me again at any time.
Otherwise I'm doing well, and in the weeks I've been here I've already put on a lot of weight and am sometimes very cocky. Yesterday I was in the town of B. and saw some negro girls, really like they are on pictures, so three rings in each ear, also around the neck and arms, and they also look quite nice, and? oh no, I am engaged and am not really allowed to look at other girls, but twisting lower bodies they do have. And today the others all went there, I have big laundry again and have to be careful that it doesn't multiply, but soon it will be dry. The heat always increases a bit, but we have , albeit half-shattered, houses. It is still a bit cool, but soon it will be over, only flies are already very much, but soon we will be in Cairo, there it should be better, but the war will probably last quite a long time. Brazil and Mexico have also declared war on us, yes there are more and more coming, if only Russia would end first. But we have to stick to the old principle and wait.
You will probably now be at the hay and perhaps also in the Runkeln and have a lot of work and everyone has his worries, but I also hope the best from you, are you also sometimes a little cocky? But as long as I live you must remain faithful to me and not fall out of the role. I could write a lot of nonsense, but I'll leave it alone for today.
Soldiers are soldiers, not acrobats, there is a lot of lumpiness, they are not faithful to any girl. But I still want to try! If only you were here? Well, let's not talk about it. Goodbye, kiss your Julius, oh no, this time from Franz.
Goodbye and God keep you.
Come back alive.
You should be able to play the piano. He who plays the piano is lucky with women. This week I sent you a bar of soap, that's all I know.
Africa, 6. 6. 42
My dear Emma!
With great difficulty I landed at my company today. I drove from Benghazi on the 2nd, and I will never forget the 5th of June! We drove through minefields, 100 km, with a column of 700 vehicles. The Tommy took us quite nicely on the grain. 5 times we were shot at by artillery, once by tanks and once by airplanes, and now we are also really in the witch's cauldron, all comrades I no longer have with the company, 3 dead and 17 wounded, now we can say, here is war. The good life is over, I could already tell you a few hours, now I really know what artillery fire means. Your father knows, but our side is still in good shape. Yesterday, 50 English tanks were killed again, he wanted to break through. It is not far to Tobruk, we can really see where it is. I will not write to you about the rest of my life. I am fine and sitting in a hole in the ground and the artillery still misses, how long will it take now, but well, man is a creature of habit. Will hope that we will meet again. Now God be commended and many thousand times greeted and kissed by your Franz.
Now the fun is already gone from me, because it is serious, but I still have my head up.
I would soon have forgotten the most beautiful thing, today I received two parcels and four letters No. 41, 42, 43 and 47 from you. Thank you very much for that. Goodbye!
Africa, 9. 6. 42
My dear Emma!
In the deep cellar I sit, only the barrel full of vines is missing, instead we get grenades. No one is allowed to get out of the hole we made for ourselves at night, because Tommy can see this area and so he shoots almost the whole day. I have stretched a small tent over it so that the sun doesn't burn so much and I lie here and write, but he always misses and I'm used to it to some extent. Yesterday not far from us was a big tank battle that lasted into the night, how it turned out I do not know yet, hopefully good for us. At night it is otherwise still reasonably quiet. Then we get our rations, warm food is very rare, but otherwise it goes with it, there is mostly bacon, jam and sometimes butter in cans, every day 6 cigarettes and today everyone got 5 cigars in addition. Drinking is very scarce, about 1 liter a day, washing and shaving is out of the question. You would have to see us like this now, maybe you wouldn't know anyone, only laughing or shouting, but I would rather see you laughing, because here, despite everything, fun is still being had and no one is letting their guard down. The Tommy also gets his share, often where 20 - 30 Stukas fly over and bring him something, He needs it but also, he comes almost every day with bombs, but all not so bad, our artillery also does its part.
Dear Emma, actually I should not write to you about all this, but I hope that you are not worried about me, because that does not help, what comes, that comes. I am alive and well and hope the same for you, I am doing well. I think of you often, my little angel and I still love you very much and when we meet again everything is forgotten, only if, yes if? Be good and hold out. Once the hour must come. Your Franz sends you many thousands of greetings and kisses across the sea.
God keep you. Goodbye.
When I was in Benghazi I met Otto Dellwisch, he is there with a supply column. I also enclose a small souvenir from here.
Africa, 11. 6. 42
Dear Emma!
Also today I want to send you a few lines. I can't write you much news, because here one day is almost like the other. We have changed positions a few times again and sit most of the time in our holes in the ground, but it has not been 5 minutes yet, I had to go to the next gun, I was on my way back, suddenly the English bombers came and let their blessing down over us, so 40 mtr. from me one went down, I made myself small and ugly and so it went well once again, there were only a few wounded. It was different yesterday. There he came at the Nachm. twice, with 20 bombers and 20 fighters, but he unloaded something to the side of us, as I heard 20 should be dead from it. Yes, we are facing death every hour, I just say, God willing, I'll keep still, and maybe He wants me to see you again.
Dear Emma, I think of you twice as much now as before. Emma, we both wanted nothing more than to live in peace. One would like to make life as easy as possible for the other, one would like to take care of the other, yes, and now we have this cursed war, our Lord God cannot look at this any longer. Emma, I could tell you a lot about how people perish like this, not even being buried, eaten up by flies. This is a feeling, do not want to write further about it. Such a thing in our cultivated time. No, you have to avert your eyes and just say, who is to blame for all this?!
Otherwise, dear Emma, I am still fine and healthy and want to stay that way. Today we were able to shave again, a great rarity. But now keep your head up, we don't want to lose heart yet, our Lord God is still alive and we hope to see you again. I haven't received any mail lately, but it will probably come. I enclose a few pictures from the last time in Italy from the crossing and also from here. Now we have no time and no movies to do so and I don't want to see any more of this later. Now be quite warmly greeted and freshly shaved kissed by your Franz. God keep you. Goodbye.
Africa, 12. 6. 42
Dear Emma.
Whim plays a big part in everyone's life. I was lucky today and received quite a lot of mail, 6 dear letters from you, my dear girl, 1 from Ernst, 1 from my sister and a card from Eduard. Also a letter from the Chamber of Crafts, because some time ago I resubmitted for the examination and am now admitted again, please don't tell anyone anything about it, all that's missing now is a quarter of a year's vacation, yes, then a lot could happen, even we could get married and be together for quite a while. I do have a small hope that I will get leave at least for the golden wedding anniversary, but there will probably be none for the exam, and there may be leave for the war wedding, but I think there will be quite a lot of trouble. The war continues here. Tommy has withdrawn, we will join him, you can hear it on the radio.
In the meantime 6 days have passed, I wish I had not experienced them here, today we have, I think the 18th. What we have experienced in these days, I can not write to you so far, only an excerpt, in one day 23 planes and bombings fell on us and have torn large gaps in our ranks, even I no longer believed in a reunion, but so far it went well, but we are unfortunately not yet at the end. Also we get almost no sleep. In the meantime, however, we have progressed a bit, e.g. the last night we drove the whole night, so a few thousand km we are already rocking through the desert, where exactly we are none of us knows, but so about Tobruk past, but it has not fallen yet.
Now these air raids seem to subside. since yesterday afternoon we haven't had any more, but thank God, you can't imagine, but in the meantime we have taken 3 airfields from Tommy, something like that makes people crazy. Many of those who are still alive have burst eardrums and can't hear, but I'm still healthy and hope to see you again.
Yesterday I saw how three comrades, with one of them I was lying in a room in Bremen the whole time, were torn apart by a bomb. It is simply impossible to describe, but it is war. Hopefully our Lord God will soon have mercy on mankind and put an end to the war. I have just received your dear letter No. 40 with thanks. You do not need to send any more stationery for the time being, I have enough for the time being, and do not send anything else except letters. Please do not worry about me, if God wants me to see you again, perhaps it is better in heaven than here on earth, then we will meet again there. Now, your Franz sends you his warmest greetings and kisses.
We seldom have time to write now, please do not worry if it should take longer, but I will write as often as I can. God keep you. Goodbye.
I was very happy about the flowers, unfortunately I can't send you any from here, here are only sand and stones.
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Klaus, I just saw your thread about the letters. This is such a treasure for you and your family. Your grandmother did a wonderful thing to save them and keep them safe, and your mom added to that with her work, too.
Thank you for sharing this with us here. It's very moving to read these. -
These are wonderful, Klaus. What an amazing find. I found some short letters and mementoes from the (WW1) front tucked away at my parents house, but they're nothing like as good as these.
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