Part of The KB41 Collection On This Day Series

This is the second Feldpost of February 1944, this letter also follows on from the previous wrote on the 10th of February where Herbert detailed how he made his way to a hospital on sick leave in Estonia. Herbert before coming to take residence as a patient recovering from a illness affecting his fever, Herbert was serving on the Eastern front somewhere in the North West of Russia near Leningrad. Herbert previously recalling his time in billeted houses of local civilians and in made bunkers fending for himself against the climate whilst avoiding the vermin of rats and Ivan (Soviets)

The Feldpost Letter reads as:

Estland, 14.2.44

Ihr Lieben!

Den lieben Brief Mutti's vom 28.1. und Hanne's vom 7.1.

habe ich heute dankend erhalten. Dann hast Du ja doch

Deinen Willen bekommen, lieber Hanne, Marinehelfer ist

nicht schlecht, jedenfalls besser als Infanterist.

Hoffentlich gefällt es Dir. Was wird aber dann

aus der Schule? Kannst Du sie nebenbei weiter

besuchen?

Mir geht es soweit ganz gut, wie

es eben einem Infanteristen gut gehen kann.

Ich habe mich jetzt Zahnkrank gemeldet habe

ein Zahngeschwür. Morgen werde ich zum Zahnarzt gehen,

das sind 10 km bis zum nächsten Dorf.

Mattusseck wird jetzt wohl auch

bald wiederkommen. Er ist gerade zur rechten

Zeit in Urlaub gefahren um diesem Zauber aus

dem Weg zu gehen. Hoffentlich brauchen wir

sowas nicht nochmal mitmachen. Freue mich

schon auf das Packet, daß er mitbringen soll.

Denn mit der Verpflegung ist es momentan so so.

Na, wenn ich erstmal in Urlaub komme, wird

aber aufgeräumt. Ich meine im Kühlraum.

Ich rechne April; Mai wird wohl darüber

hingehen; aber das haben wir ja bald geschafft.

So wie Onkel Hinrich den Krieg

führt lasse ich´s mir gefallen. Hoffentlich

bleibt es für ihn dabei. Er hat ja

auch im 1. Weltkrieg genug mitmachen müssen.

Wie ich von Liesa hörte ist Heinerle

auch gefallen. So fällt einer nach dem

anderen. Möge es doch bald mal ein Ende

nehmen. Man weiß gar nicht mehr ob man

noch auf ein gutes Ende hoffen kann.

Aber etwas anderes bleibt uns ja nicht

übrig. Man muß eben so von einen Tag n den

anderen leben.

Nun schließe ich

Herzliche Grüße Ihr Lieben,

Euer Herbert

The Feldpost Letter in English reads as:

Estonia, 14.2.44

Dear ones!

I gratefully received Mummy's dear letter of 28 January and

Hanne's of 7 January today. Then you did get your wish after

all, dear Hanne, being a Marinehelfer is not bad, certainly

better than being an infantryman.

I hope you like it. But what will happen to

school? Will you be able to continue?

I'm doing quite well so far, as

as well as an infantryman can be.

I have now reported sick, I have a tooth ulcer.

Tomorrow I'll go to the dentist, it's 10 kilometres

to the next village.

Mattusseck will probably be back

back soon. He's just gone on holiday at the right

time to avoid this situation. Hopefully we won't have to

to go through that again. I'm looking forward

looking to the parcel he's supposed to bring.

Because its's not so good with the food at the moment.

Well, once I'm on holiday, I'll tidy up. I mean in the fridge.

I reckon April; May probably, but we'll soon be there.

I could get used to the way Uncle Hinrich is waging the war  I hope

it stays that way for him. After all, he

had to go through enough in the First World War.

I heard from Liesa that Heinerle

was also killed in action. So one after the other

is falling. May it come to an end soon.

You no longer know whether you can still hope for a good end.

But there's nothing else left for us to do.

You just have to live from one day to the

the other

I'll stop for now.

Best wishes to all of you

Yours Herbert

Herbert starts this letter by greeting his "Mutti" (Mother) from the 28th of January and Hannes from the 7th of January. This showing the delay in which is took his mothers and assumed younger brother letters to reach him.

Herbert continues this by addressing Hannes telling them that becoming a "Marinehelfer" isn't all that bad and jokes that comparing it to an Infantryman like him can't be that bad? A Marinehelfer is part of the HJ-Marinehelfer. This is supported by the following line that details "How's school"and if he will be able to continue (It has been unclear what relation Hannes is to Herbert but this is assumed that Hannes is but assumed a younger brother) HJ-Marinehelfer being part of the Hitler Jugend (HJ - Hitler Youth) being part of the youth branch of the NSDAP. The Hitlerjugend had branches off into roles similar to the the NSDAP for opportunities for children. This case being Marine, shows that Hannes has joined the Marine branch of the Hitlerjugend, other branches had association with the NSKK for vehicles and armour in the Heer. The NSFK for branches of aviation and then progression to the Luftwaffe. Hannes becoming a Marinehelfer is expected as the family is based in Kiel which has a rich naval industry.

Herbert then briefly details how he is doing quite well and as well as he can do as an infantryman can be. Herbert detailing he has reported sick and has a tooth ulcer. Tomorrow Herbert going to see the dentist which is 10 kilometers in the next village where he is staying in Estonia.

Herbert then addresses that one of their family friends "Mattusseck" will be back soon as he has been on holiday avoiding issues at the front at the right time. Herbert looking forward to seeing him soon and the parcels he has to bring with him. Herbert detailing that the food at the hospital is not very good so hoping "Mattusseck" will bring some food with him. Herbert expresses some hope that he will have some holiday soon in April/May time. Herbert expressing when he comes home during this time of leave he will tidy up and that it will soon be upon him and he will see them soon. Herbert writing that he could get used to how his "Uncle Hinrich" speaks about how the war going for their nation. As Herbert writes, Uncle Hinrich served in the First World War so is experienced in combat.

Herbert moves on to write that he has heard from Liesa that "Heinerle" was killed in action. This being sad news that a family friends relation has fallen in combat. As herbert writes that it seems one after another are slowly falling. Herbert expressing a lack of hope in this somber part of the letter as he hopes it may all come to an end soon. Herbert expressing that "You no longer know whether you can still hope for a good end" showing Herbert losing some morale. But Herbert expressing that there is nothing left for them to do and to live each day as it goes .

Herbert containing his somber mood and lack of morale as he ends this letter (Which is unusual as Herbert rarely ends a letter on a bad or sad note) but Herbert despite the last paragraph does wish his family well with best wishes to them all, Euer Herbert, Yours Herbert.