Letter 68

Russia Nov 16th 1941

Dear Parents and Grand dad !

At long last I am able to write again and yesterday I got 5 parcels , 1 can of Sausage, and a bunch of letters too. Also some newspapers . I had been away from the Battery for 3 weeks and had to fetch replacement guns from 300 Kilometers away . The Russian Prime movers broke down so it was our horse power again that came to the rescue. The replacement guns were at Poltawa and hada few days rest there. In these few days we lived better than back with the Battery. The food was supplied by the local Battery and amazingly , other Batteries get better food than our own 12th Battery/ So here I went without your parcels so I can not complain. Our Battery is food wise supplied by our cooks . Now the time has started that I dreaded most, the Russian Winter, if only we could settle down somewhere before the snow comes down. We do each day about 30-40 Kilometers and despite that we are totally frozen through. Without a warming stove, we stop overnight in a Village and occupy a room sleep on the floor on some straw. He jacket is a pillow, the cover our coat and a blanket, The people let the fire go out in the evening because they sleep on top of the still warm oven. Everything is full of lice, it gets dark early, no lights, no matches, can not write, and nothing to do but think. Often I think of putting a bullet into my head life is wirth nothing here, but I wont do it for your sake. Write to me often, send parcels , I can do with them. I will write when I can and when I get your parcels too. If any parcels are lost on the way here, always think there are much bigger sacrifices to be done by others. Dear Parents, please send me some socks, darning Yarn and a needle. Matches and candles too, ear muffs, butter dish , I am glad to read that the work back home is going well and that you are all in good health like I am. I am so glad you had a good fruit harvest, the canning you done for the winter, so how was the beet harvest this

year? Don’t forget to make beet syrup, I like it very much.

Have you started trashing yet ? Did you get the Bull Calve ?

Did you get the 100 Cwt of lime for the land? Don’t forget

the electric cooker. Did a Staff Sgt came to stay with you for

a day? Soon the furlough will start from here but I am not in

line , I shall stay here over winter so I have to close as it is

getting dark.

From :Pvt 1st Class Heinrich FP # 10331 Art Regt 117

To Family Heinrich Bredemeier , Rehren A.O. #12 near Rinteln Weser