This is the 5th letter in the series of Herberts letters, this is another update from his assumed time in Denmark. This letter is seen accompanied by a complete envelope. It can be seen with the same adress as before to the Hans Tank Family in Kiel with the same Feldpost number of 06719E. Notably the letter was written on 30/12/1942 and has a Feldpost cancel as seen on the 31/12/1942. Such a crisp detail to show a cancel on the last day of 1942, more commonly known as New Years Eve. As a part of the On This Day series at KB41 Collection
The Letter reads in German as:
O.U. den 30.12.1942
Ihr Lieben!
Nun will ich auch mal wieder etwas von mir hören lassen. Gestern Mittag bin ich auf Wache gezogen. Jetzt ist es 8 Uhr Morgens und ich habe 4 Stunden Schlaf gehabt. Bin saumüde, heut am Nachmittag hole ich aber feste nach. Man ist doch keine Unregelmäßigkeit in der Schlafzeit mehr gewohnt. Morgen Mittag geht's ins Kino. Es gibt Frau im Strom. Dann habe ich genau 1 1/2 Tage Dienst gemacht in dieser Woche, denn anschließend beginnt schon das neue Jahr. So kann man es ganz gut aushalten. Ich habe von Sonntag noch keine Post wieder bekommen. Es wird wohl wieder alles auf einmal ausgegeben. Vielleicht ja schon gestern Abend. Es ist gerade einer zum Post holen gegangen. Der Dienst ist momentan ganz ordentlich; aber ich will den Tag nicht loben bevor es Abend ist. Gestern ist der Winter hier richtig angefangen. Als ich gestern morgen zur Wache heraustrat war ein wüstes Schneetreiben und gleichzeitig eisiger Frost. Wir glaubten schon, daß es in diesem Jahr gar keinen Winter mehr geben würde, aber Essig.
Habt ihr das Geld für Januar schon abgeschickt? Ich bin seit Weihnachten vollständig blank. Nun will ich erstmal schließen, denn ich muß erstmal Kaffee trinken und um 10 Uhr geht's dann wieder heraus.
Grüße an alle
Euer Herbert
The English Translation reads as:
30.12.1942
My loved ones!
Now I want to let hear something from me again. I went to watch yesterday at noon. It's now 8 a.m. and I've had 4 hours of sleep. I'm very tired, but this afternoon I'm catching up firmly. You are no longer used to irregularities in your sleep time. Tomorrow at noon we're going to the cinema. They show "Woman in the Stream". Then I did exactly 1 1/2 days on duty that week, because after that the new year begins. So you can endure it quite well. I haven't received any mail from Sunday. It will probably all be spent at once again. Maybe yesterday evening. Someone just went to get the post office. The service is quite decent at the moment; But I don't wanna praise the day before it's evening Winter really started here yesterday. When I came out to the station yesterday morning it was a wild blizzard and icy frost at the same time. We thought that there would be no more winter this year, but we thought wrong. Have you already sent the money for January? I've been completely bare since Christmas. Now I want to close first, because I have to drink coffee first and then at 10 o'clock it goes out again. Greetings to all Yours Herbert
The letter here details Herberts life back to some normality. The letter here talks of his present day activities and his plans for tomorrow. Tomorrow being New Years eve, Herbert talks of some activities he and fellow Kameraden will get up to as a break from current duties.
Herbert details first about how he has been on watch. This is strongly assumed as Sentry duty, where Herbert details its 8am as he writtes the letter with only 4 hours sleep. This telling us that he stopped his Watch at 4 o'clock in the morning. Naturally as Herbert details he is very tired, he details how he isnt used to such irregularities, but he is catching up on rest and sleep in the afternoon.
Herbert details of what he is doing tomorrow on New Years Eve. Herbert writes how he is going to the "Kino" (Cinema) at 12 o'clock noon.
Herbert even details the film he is to watch at the Kino, "Frau im Strom"- ( Woman in the Stream).
Frau im Strom was directed by Gerhard Lamprecht, where he avoided making properganda films for the Reich. The film was made by Wien-Film, A company based in Vienna, Austrian that became incorperated into the Greater German Reich as a part of the Austrian Anschluss in 1938. The cast consisted of; Hertha Feiler, who played Hannerl, who was suprisingly of Jewish descent, Attila Hörbiger, a Austrian Actor who played Alois Händerl, Oskar Sima, an Austrian actor who played Schani, Fritz Rasp a German Actor who played Wendelin, Rudolf Carl an Austrian Actor who played Polizeibeamter, Werner Scharf an German Actor who played Keryllis and Olly Holzmann an Austrian Actress and dancer who played Hedi.
Herbert talks about how he is thankful he has done only 1 and a half days gaurd before New Years. Herebert writes how hes yet to receive any mail from sunday, he details that he is hoping it will arrive all at once. Herbert explains how the mail service has been very good recently, but says he dosnt want to praise too much incase it changes. The effeciency of the post can be seen by this envelope being sent on New Years Eve.
Herbert also writes how Winter has really set in now where he is yesterday (29th December). Herbert details how harsh the conditions were of a wild blizzard and icy frost came
in at the same time. Herbert writes how he thought would be no more winter but it has set in now.
Herbert draws the letter to and end with a further request asking if his family have sent the money. Detailing how Herbert has been without money since Christmas. Herbert signs off how he is to drink coffee and then must return to his duties at 10 o'clock. Finishing with Greetings to all, Yours Herbert.
A great letter detailing what kinds of activities and past times are available to Soldaten in occupied countries. It also shows the spread of Cinema that was developed from within the Reich spreads to countries occupied under its regime.