Field post letters from hans koch, vienna, world war ii, eastern front, 1922-1945 previous letter (1944-01-04) letter no. 220 (1944-01-12) next letter (1944-01-14) envelope: front back text troppau, january 12, 1944 my dearest mum, i send you my heartfelt greetings again and thank you very much for your lovely letters. Yes, my mum, i have written a little less recently because i was expecting to be discharged from the hospital any day. And now the time has come. I have been discharged since yesterday. But now comes one of the most serious things the army has done. The wounded and sick coming out of the hospitals have been denied the convalescent leave they are entitled to! yes, my mum, you mustn’t be alarmed or sad. Perhaps karl has already told you something about it? i fought tooth and nail against it, i went from "pontius" to "pilatus" but nothing helped. Fate has just not been kind to me in the army. My leave papers were all ready and waiting when this stupid order came and everything was cancelled. Why do they take away this last joy from the poor little soldier who has come from the front? on the radio and everywhere they preach "if anyone is entitled to leave then it is the german soldier" and that is what reality looks like. You cannot imagine how the soldiers here grumble and complain. Nevertheless, my beloved mother, we want to keep our heads up and not let our courage sink. I am leaving here today at 7. 40 p. M. And tomorrow at 11. 30 a. M. Blankenburg. My convalescent home is now in this town in the harz mountains. It is near halberstadt. Date: 12 January 1944.
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