Transcription of the letter from Paul to Anna Lefmann (typed with typewriter, obvious typing errors silently corrected, machine without umlauts or ß) on 3 January 1918:

“3 Jan. 1918

Dear Mother,

Many heartfelt thanks for your last letter. The latest news I learned was that Uncle August has received the Iron Cross. I ran at once with this news to Otto, and the good man told me that he had already known it for several weeks. He had already learned it when he was on leave. What must Uncle August think of me, that I have not yet congratulated him? I will make up for the omission today at once.

How did you rush into the New Year? With us it went off rather quietly this time. I was invited to the supply company, made a little music, and drank mulled wine. Altogether it went on very sensibly.

Your parcel of the 14th also arrived. Fraeulein Rückel wrote me a letter at Christmas and at the same time announced a parcel, but it has not yet come. I am beginning to doubt whether it will still come. The cake from your parcel was splendid; I ate it all at once. I had sent Else Schüddenkopf 3 marks and asked her to send me sweets for it. Fourteen days later the parcel arrived.

For some days now Otto has also been with us again. Otto is enormously occupied with peace. He rummages through all the newspapers, but he does not find peace. In the last days his hopes of peace have risen enormously. Yesterday it was reported that Lloyd George was already on the way to France to negotiate with Clemenceau. Today the news is already denied. Otto will make a terribly long face.

I close my report for today and remain with heartfelt greetings

Yours

P A U L.”

Transcription of the letter from Paul to Anna Lefmann on 17 June 1917:

“17 June 1917

My dear Mother,

For your birthday I send you my very warmest congratulations. Your birthday wish list this year will not be long, for in these times one cannot be bombarded with gifts. Foodstuffs are so endlessly scarce that you can hardly bake yourself a birthday cake. But you certainly have one wish, and that is the wish for peace. Last year I wrote you that we would surely spend your birthday together this year, and now I must for the third time in this war press your hand only in thought. How fine it would have been if we had all been together with Uncle August to celebrate this beautiful day on our veranda with coffee and cake. Now we comfort ourselves again until next year. Will peace then surely be there? We have been mocked so often in this war that all confidence is taken away. And if the war really does end this year, what kind of times will then come for us? But I do not want to fill your ears with laments, for it is your birthday. Rather I want to tell you something about our life here.

Tomorrow we have the first free day since Easter. I only went to bed at 10 o’clock. Today I can stay up an hour longer, for tomorrow I can sleep in. A whole day free of service! What a rest that is for us after the hard working time we have had! Now every 14 days one free day. Tomorrow one half of the company, next Sunday the other half. When tomorrow morning the sergeant on duty bellows his “Get up” through the barracks, then I will quietly smile to myself, turn over, and sleep on. By the time you receive this letter, our rest day will long be over, and we will already again be busy with wire entanglements and other barbed inventions.

Today we again had the unpleasant task of loading 900 rolls of roofing felt. Each roll weighs 60 pounds and must be carried 50 meters from the stack to the railway track. In the blazing sun the roofing felt becomes soft and begins to stick. Hands and clothes get into a terrible state. From our company 200 men are employed at the pioneer park. In addition the park company and two other entrenching companies are also working there.

Next Sunday, the 24th, Bossong will probably pay you a visit—the same one from whom I once brought back the closing basket. He will be able to tell you much. He comes around noon and will bring you some books. I have lately received many books again. Also from the reading matter department in Bremen a parcel is on the way. I had asked for some books for the comrades. But enough now.

With heartfelt greetings to you, Papa, and Heti,

Your Paul.

P.S. Can you send me a gauze veil against the flies?”