Part of The KB41 Collection On This Day Series
This post is also shared on Two milestones of the KB41 Collection, This post marks our first of 2023, but is also our 170th Website posting shared exactly on our 5th Anniversary of the Founding and creation of the KB41 Collection Officially. We would like to thank everyone for their continued support and we look forward to sharing many more years of amazing and detail Original Unpublished history from the collection with you
This is the 6th letter in the collection that Herbert writes home to his family in the running series. This is the first letter of 1943. This is seen as wrote in the upper right corner of each letter the Date and here wrote on the 04/01/1943. Unfortunately there is no Feldpost envelope that is attached to this letter but it is suggested that the letter was sent the next day as do other letters from this collection of Feldposts. This letter being shared exactly 80 years since it was written!
The German letters read as:
O.U. den 4.1.1943
Ihr Lieben!
Heute erhielt ich zwei liebe Briefe von Euch, den vom 29. Und vom 25. Dez., vielen lieben Dank für die Pulswärmer und Mandeln. Ich kann erstere gut gebrauchen, denn wir sind ein ganzes Stück weiter nach Norden gekommen und es ist jetzt verflucht kalt. Wir hatten schon gedacht, daß wir woanders landen würden. So, wie in unserem früheren Standort ist es hier lange nicht; aber vielleicht liegt das an der schlechten Stimmung nach 14 Stunden Viehwagen, morgen sieht es vielleicht ja schon ganz anders aus. Heute habe ich den ganzen Tag Kartoffeln geschält, eine faule Beschäftigung. Ach, ich habe ja noch gar nichts vom Altjahrsabend geschrieben, ich habe mich ja ein bischen vorgesehen; aber ganz bin ich doch nicht um einen schweren Kopf herumgekommen. Es ist auch ein doller Fusel, den sie uns verabreicht haben. Er trägt großspurig den Namen Aquarit, hat aber nicht damit zu tun. Die Zigaretten sind radikal alle geworden, schickt mir, wenn möglich, bald wieder etwas zum Rauchen. Auch das Geld ist knapp; habt Ihr schon daran gedacht, das Geld für Jan. abzuschicken? Im übrigen geht es mir ganz gut, hoffe dasselbe von Euch. Wie lange wird Inge noch im Laden bleiben? Hoffentlich verlässt sie Euch nicht zu früh. Was macht der neue Lehrling, hat er sich schon ein bischen eingearbeitet? Kommt Paul öfter und hilft Euch? Viele Fragen, nicht wahr? Bestellt ihm mal einen schönen Gruß.
Ich lege noch ein Paar Bilder bei. Eines von der Weihnachtsfeier und eins aus Fredericia. Schön sind sie ja beide nicht aber unser Aparat taugt nicht viel.
Viele Grüße Euer Herbert
The English translation reads as:
O.U- 4.1.1943
Dear all,
Today I received 2 nice letters from you, the one from the 29th and from the 25th of December, many thanks for the wristlets and for the almonds. The former I can really put to good use, because we went further north, and it got damn cold. We thought, that we will land somewhere different. Here it is nothing like our last position; but maybe it is the bad mood after 14 hours in the cattlecar, maybe it will be different tomorrow. Today I peeled potatoes the whole day, a lazy work. Ah, I haven't told you from new years eve yet, I tried to take care, but I still got a bit hungover. But that was a booze, which they gave us. It has the boastfully name Aquarit, but it has nothing to do with that. The cigarettes were used up really quick, please send me, as soon as possible, something to smoke again. Also the money is tight; have you already remembered, sending the money for January? By the way I am doing good, hope the same for you. How long will Inge stay in the store? Hopefully she doesn't leave you too early. What is the new trainee doing, has he worked in already? Is Paul coming over for helping you from time to time? A lot of questions, right? Please tell him my best regards.
I have included a few photos. One from the Christmas party and one from Fredericia. Neither of them are nice but our camera isn't much good.
A lot of greetings yours Herbert
The Letter here being wrote in a Billeted house whilst in service on the 4th January 1943. This is detailed by the accornym "O.U" which means Billet. Billeting being where soldiers in active service were lodged, commonly in civillian housing. This is where Herbert writes his feldpost from, as he writes thanking his family for the letters sent across the Christmas period as he thanks them for the letters of the 25th and 29th of December. Herbert detailing how he is thankful for the gifts included of Almonds and Wristlets. The latter he is very greatful for as they have moved futher North from where he previously was writing the Feldpost from. Herbert writes how it is much colder and he was in bad spirits as for the 14 hour "cattlecar" ride. A cattlecar likely a Horsedrawn wagen used by the Wehrmacht to transport supplied and Soldaten. Herbert reflects and hopes that the next day is a new day and possibly could be better. Herbert details how he "peeled potatoes all day", remarking it as "Lazy Work" but moves on to detail New Years Eve, showing the time in which the Family last spoke. Herbert details how he tried to take care at New Years Eve but the "booze" given to them Aquarit (Akvavit), a distilled and mostly produced in Scandinavia. This being avaliable to Herbert as he was last in Denmark on 26/12/1942.
Herbert also details how he has used up all of his Ciggarettes, as he requestes more to be seny from home. Herbert again reminds his family of his low levels of money is asking them again to send money for January, as he hasnt recovered since his Christmas and New Years celebrations. Cheekily he changes the topic and says he is doing well and wishes the same to his family. He asks how "how long will Inge stay at the store", this likely being a colleage that works at his parents business as he goes on tho detail how is the new trainee doing at their store. He furthers this asking if "Paul coming over to help you from time to time?" Possibly another friend or colleague who helps his familys business.
Herbert draws the letter to a conclusion as he says "a lot of questions right" showing an interest and care for his parents and their business whilst away in service and hoping to hear how his parents and their livelihoods are doing. A business that he likely partook in when he was not in service, pre war. Herbert also details how he has included a few photographs. One taken at Christmas from the lively party he writes in previous letters and another at from "Fredericia", a Town in the South-East of Denmark, on the Jutland peninsula. Herbert details that the quality of the photographs are not as good as they could be due to the lack of a better camera. Unfortunately like the Feldpost envelope, the contents of these photographs are not present in the Feldpost collection and are unfortunately somewhere outside of the collection. Possibly the family added the photos to a photo album and was never re added to the Feldpost collection. Another update of the life in the new year of 1943 from Herbert. One of many letters that he writes across this year. We wonder what the rest of the year will have in store for him? We will find out !