Look what I inherited

[jon-nyc]

Priceless.

What aqua said. As you read through them over time, come back to this thread and share some interesting bits.

[Horace]

Cool stuff.

[Mik]

What a window into both world history and your family story.

[Catseye3]

Yes, what everyone said.

[George K]

Amazing stuff, indeed!

Please, please, let us know what the letters say.

[kluurs]

What an incredible time and life to have lived. Yes, please share some of what you learn.

[LuFins Dad]

What kind of steps can be taken to preserve those?

[Aqua Letifer]

@lufins-dad said in Look what I inherited:

What kind of steps can be taken to preserve those?

Museum glass + frame is what I'd do.

[Renauda]

Like jon wrote, priceless.

[Rich]

Wow, what a cool thing to have passed down.

[Copper]

Did he flee West?

Did he encounter any tncr ancestors? That would be a story.

[Rainman]

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.

[Aqua Letifer]

@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."

[Loki]

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.

[Klaus]

@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.

[Renauda]

@aqua-letifer

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.

[Rainman]

@renauda said in Look what I inherited:

@aqua-letifer

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).

[Jolly]

Those belong in a WW2 museum.

[mark]

What a great inheritance.

[jon-nyc]

@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”