Mail Correspondence with Soldiers at War (“Feldpostbriefe”): Last letters of German soldier Franz Friederichs to his family, December 1944/January 1945 (Published on 27/12/2024)
The last letters of German soldier Franz Friederichs to his wife Lotte and his children Joachim and Irene (source: Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge, Letzte Lebenszeichen II – Briefe aus dem Krieg (2013), p. 39 ff. [translation from German language]):
Letter to his wife after Christmas
“28/12/1944
Dear Lotte!
Yesterday morning we went back from the H.K.L. [main battle line] to the rest position. It was time, because for the first time I had enough. On the evening of the first Christmas holiday I was taken to the position. During the night the American retreated and on the second Christmas holiday all of us followed behind. We stopped at a wood and our platoon had to comb through the forest. When we went back, we were fired on by ari [artillery]. We then went out again and when we got to a section on the open map, the ari fired barrages at us. We had to go down to the ground and then, as we were, we had to stay clawed in there until the evening and I had my baptism of fire, and it wasn’t from bad parents. No one was allowed to move, otherwise it all came crashing down.
In between, we carefully reached into our pockets, fished for cigarettes and matches and smoked, prayed and froze. The way we lay down, we had to lie down and there was a constant crash around us. In the evening we went back a bit and took up position again, froze there on an open plain in a groove carved by an armor chain without blankets and tarpaulin and prayed for the relief to come. The ground was frozen, we couldn’t get any lower and in the morning another platoon finally came and relieved us and took us back to the bunker position. I dragged the machine gun box for hours and when I got there I was so happy, that I’m still finished today. But it won’t always be like this. 8 men had frostbite and at least this I was spared. (…)”
Last letter to his wife Lotte at the turn of the year
“West, 31/12/1944
Dear Lotte!
The day before yesterday we moved out of our resting position and from there marched south along the front. In the morning we were in a beautiful pine forest and made ourselves at home here. But don’t take the words at home literally. I chopped and dug a foxhole with a buddy, and behind the head end we have a fireplace, which unfortunately is only allowed to burn during the day, because at night the Ja.-Bo. [fighter-bombers] would drop something on our heads. We will probably move today and by the time this letter reaches you, you will probably have learned more from the Wehrmacht report. Unfortunately it’s a bit colder today and my feet, which are close to the fire, don’t want to get warm at all. We crawled into our hole at 6 o’clock last night. We were woken up at 9 o’clock with schnapps, a drinking cup full and a hat full of cookies.
1/1/1945 Wanted to continue writing in the hole at night, but it didn’t work out. It’s 10 o’clock in the morning. New Year. And maybe I’ll finish now before the march. We were woken up again at 1/2 2 and it was time to arm our weapons and get the carts ready. We can expect it to continue at any moment and we’re still here. But the first night of 1945 didn’t see many people sleeping. I nibbled on the cookies during the night and only drank a sip of the schnapps today in daylight. When we were at rest, we also got schnapps and 1/2 bottle of wine each. I always have the schnapps on the go and take a sip now and again. Today I got a roll of drops, again for my two little ones. A walnut, 6 sweets and a roll of drops is now my fortune and when I get the chance, the little parcel will be off to Berlin. I hope the first one is already there. It was a strip of chocolate and two rolls of drops. The time will probably now come when the ones on the other side get a bit of a run for their money. Hopefully everything will work out and we can put an end to this terrible war this year.
How did my Eddi spend New Year’s Eve? Hopefully not at the front yet. Never forget to send my regards to my boy, and as soon as I know his address again, I’ll be in touch from here. I mean from the West, because we’ll probably be leaving here today. Just got my fire going again, my paws still aren’t warm. No mail, who knows where it’s gone, maybe it’s all been burnt. No Christmas letter, nothing, and our question always in vain. What are you doing at home? Are you still okay? Don’t hang your head, next Christmas our Eddi and Franzi will be back and the spook will be over. Has Tommy been on the loose again? Leave it, Mum, the way the Lord wants it, that’s the way we have to take it, it’ll be right the way it comes. Just stay healthy, everything else comes second. How are father, mother and mother-in-law, are they all still on the ball? Don’t make life difficult for yourselves. When I draw comparisons between the West and Berlin, the Berliners are still doing well. After the war, everything will get back on track. And now, what are my little ones, my little Achi and my little Reni, doing? Are they still asking about their dad, or are they so busy playing that they forget their dad altogether? Hopefully they will both have a better time like us.
Dear Mum, I can’t go any longer now because my hands and feet are like ice. If possible, I will write often, but we may not get to write often these weeks. So don’t worry, but write often, and if only every tenth letter arrives, I’ll be satisfied, otherwise I have nothing to be happy about. Well, goodbye. Greetings to you all and all the best for 1945 and kisses to you, Achi and Reni
Your Daddy”
Franz Friederichs was born on 26/03/1909 in Berlin. He was an art and building fitter and was exempt from military service until 1944 due to a “war-necessary” job as a work planner. He was eventually deployed as a grenadier and fell near Lemberg on 05/01/1945. Franz Friederichs is buried at the German war cemetery in Niederbronn-les-Bains in France.
(Head picture: German military cemetery Sandweiler/Luxembourg,
September 2024)
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