Letter 273

Jena Jan 1* 1942

Dear Parents and Werner.

Greetings from here I am well and hope you too. Thank you for the letters from Dec 29th and 30th. Do not worry, it is not that bad, I got no fever .my throat is ok now, only the sneezing has to be cured yet. We are in bed all day, or looking out of the windows, to watch the others being drilled. If you come on Sunday, I will be out of here, I will ask the Doctor tomorrow when I will be getting out. The weather is bad here, thaw then rain, a cold wind. Were has Werner and Frits gone with the sledge? Today I got a letter from Herbert Haupt, he wrote that he is suffering from the biting cold. So far they had Minus 34C and Artur Dornberger wrote me a New Years Card from Russia. He writes often, yesterday I had send him a letter. What else is new at home? Not much going on here except more injections. The rumor is that we might be going to the front in mid January, because by February they need the home bases for the new recruits. Has Werner heard anything from Vieselbach? I wonder what is going on there. For now I will close, write soon, sending you Greetings and hope to see you soon.

Artur.

From: Pvt Artur Ketschau, 4th Comp. Reserve battalion 59, Jena

To: Family Erich Ketschau, Kleinmélsen-Erfurt, Thurg