Letter 289

Russia Aug 21st 1942

Dear Parents and Werner,

Did You get the 60 Marks and the award certificate?

Send me some envelopes. Also sending greetings from here , no mail came today for me, but today I will send you air mail stamps again and parcel stamps too. I was going to mail this letter by air but the gum is gone on the back and we don’t have anything like that. So I enclose the stamp for your use. Ernst returned from base hospital today too, he recovered , it was not that bad, he also gave me his parcel stamps. Use them as you like it, use them on separate parcels, cake or something I like. How far are you now with the harvest? All cut and dry? Did the Binder and Motor go well. We have had some hard Battle days lately and there are a few more to come. Many of my old Comrades have died on the fields. A lot are wounded. I will close now, write soon please give Greetings to all, and hope we see each other again.

Your Artur.

From.Pvt Artur Ketschau, FP # 21764= Panzer Grenadier Regt 112

To: Family Erich Ketschau, Klein Olsen - Erfurt, Thurg.

Diary of the Wehrmacht for

Friday, Aug. 21st 1942

In the Caucasus our troops are still on the advance. Our Flak Artillery sunk a Russian Freighter in the straight of Kertsch, on the Don River Front, several attempts by the enemy to cross the river were repulsed. Luftwaffe sunk 3 River Steamers on the Volga, southeast of Lake Ilmen near Starija Russa several surrounded enemy Battalions were destroyed. Our Luftwaffe again bombed the British Naval Base at Portsmouth . The enemy Landing attempt at the Channel coast near Dieppe on the 19th resulted in 2095 Prisoners taken, we shot down 112 Enemy planes in the attempt.