Letter to Ivan Ure from Fred

Letter to Ivan Ure from Fred

Fred was a prisoner of war at Bushey Park. He thanks him for the gift of a pipe and describes his return to Germany.

1948-03-01

Seven handwritten sheets and envelope

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

E[Author]FUreIL480301

[postage stamp] [postmark]

Mr. Ivan L. Ure
57, Cleveland Road,
New Malden,
Surrey
Great Britain

[page break]

EH. BRANDT
[circled] 10a [/circled] NEUSTADT/SACHSEN
Karl-Marx- Straße 20
– GERMANY –

[inserted] Letter from German POW at Bushey Park [/inserted]

[page break]

EH. BRANDT
[circled] 10a [/circled] NEUSTADT/SACHSE[inserted]N[/inserted]
Karl-Marx- Straße 20

1st March 1948

My Dear Ivan,

Hello, old Fellow, what are you doing and what is going on at Malden. I heard nothing for a long time and I hope you are well. As a matter of fact I would like to look for you but I am not so jolly lucky to get the chance to come over there at the present moment and I am hoping only the day will come where I could do so.

You are probably thinking me a fine sort of friend to have not having confirmed your very good present. I am very pleased with the pipe which is made by one of the oldest firms in Britain. Believe me, I know that very well – exactly – ! It does not matter that it was not a brand new one. The main point for me to have a long

– 1 –

[page break]

lasting “Souvenir” of you. Long lasting therefore because I have no tobacco and there is no chance in Germany – especially in the Russian zone – to get any quantity of it. Anyway thank you very much indeed for this gift.

By writting [sic] this letter I’ll keep my promise to inform you that I have had a safe journey home. Honestly I never thought to work on the way home until the last minute but I did it and so I was spending the time in full occupation by travelling as a “Transport-Leader”. this idea was very good because it left me no time to become sentimentally and to think about “my old Sergeant” – The Original Speaker of this Phrase is Freddy Jackson – who I was leaving behind me in England. Often I see in my mind’s eye [inserted] the question [/inserted] at what date I shall meet you again under happier circumstances. May be you will call it silly, I suppose, but telling the truth I never believed it that such a hearty friendship

– 2 –

[page break]

will grow so quickly.

Hoping you are rather keen to know something about my journey to Germany so I give you a small report. From Harwich we sailed and crossed the Channel. As a Transport-Leader I took care of 1005 men and in this position I had hardly a minute to spare for myself and quite frankly my job was far more difficult than I thought off [sic]. Did you have a good crossing you will ask me now isn’t it? 50 - 50. It was quite rough in the mid-channel, it generally is about this time of the year in the month of December and it did upset 2/3 of my fellows, they were very sea-sick. As a matter of fact, I wasn’t. Luckily I am a good Sailor and rather enjoy a bit of rough weather. After ten hours we arrived Hook van Holland. We had been staying there for an hour to have a good late Supper and went by train through the Netherlands to “MUNSTER-LAGER” which is the release centre of all P.s.O.W.

– 3 –

[page break]

My first impressions by looking through the carriage’s windows were utter confusion. Perfect damaged houses distroyed [sic] villages and only a small [inserted] amount [/inserted] of traffic and very poor dressed persons at the different stations. Is that my fatherland was that the will of God to fight for Christianity freedom, peace . . . . .? Believe me I had a very bitter taste against all those people which are responsible for such inexcusable doing. A big accusation! That is just my feeling.

After some days delay I went straight away home and found my wife and my two little girls as well as the circumstances allow. By asking myself, was it a happy or extremely by exciting. I really don’t know. What a life to see all the things changed. Whenever you read a book or a newspaper, you always find that reports given on Germany are most depressing. I agree perfectly with those reports because I am seeing it daily with my own eyes. The quantities of food are so little that you can’t nearly exist on them

– 4 –

[page break]

For example for 1 person per day:

Bread 10 ozs.
Cereal 2/3 of an ounce
Sugar 2/3 of an ounce
Meat 2/3 of an ounce } [underlined] You are very lucky if you can get it! [/underlined]
Fat – Butter or Marg. – 1/3 of an ounce } [underlined] You are very lucky if you can get it! [/underlined]
Jam 1 oz. } [underlined] You are very lucky if you can get it! [/underlined]

And what will you do if the children are asking you, Daddy, we are very hungry, give us, please something to eat ? – – – It is heart breaking to say, No, I have nothing!!

After my returning home I found there was nothing left to wear. [underlined] Everything [/underlined] was plundered even the curtains & the carpets were stolen by Polish soldiers the so called ‘Liberators’ and I am wearing only the uniform which I brought from England with. Referring to your letter you spoke something about sending me parcels. I would be very glad if you could arrange anything food or second hand clothing, but please don’t spoil your own rations. There is no worrying necessary about

– 5 –

[page break]

parcel sending to Germany because I sent different of them from England & all arrived safely my home.

Very interesting is the report about your new job. I am very pleased to hear that you like it very much at the moment and I am thinking you will never give it up until you have had a full success in your career. I cross my fingers all the time & wishing you good luck everywhere. By the way what is happened with your twenty-seven and a half horsepower Humber “Snipe” and have you made full use of that 27 1/2 horsepower. I think it must be a different to ride such a car in comparison to your “SEMPER FIDELIS”. and former “Triumph”, isn’t it.

This letter is now much longer than I intended it to be when I first began but I am hoping it has not bored you to read it and I will try to write to you more regularly so far I can do so.

– 6 –

[page break]

Well, goodbye my dear Ivan and may God be with you all the time. Finally I am looking forward very much to hearing of you very soon.

Here is wishing you the best of luck and health – naturally “Pat” is included & your parents –

Yours

Fred.

– 7 –

[page break]

[blank page]