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Letter of introduction from Hannah Sheehy-Skeffington to [Madge?] Daly for Elizabeth Freeman from the USA.

From Hans in Sprendlingen. It is Saturday, Hans’ favourite day of the week as he only has to work a few hours. He makes a few comments on the state of agriculture. He likes the fruit harvest most of all. He has just had a coffee break and some plum cake and asks if there is any fruit in Berlin. If there was a way to send some to Hella in Berlin he would. He complains again about Herr Schwitzke. From Hella’s letters it sounds as though she has everything she needs but he hopes she is not paying too high a price for this. He would have preferred it if she was working for an English company [and not for the British military]. He hopes that the zone borders are soon opened. His first trip would be to Berlin. Recently he has managed to re-establish contact with Berlin firms and friends and so is up to date on conditions there. He asks what she will be doing that evening. He will be accepting an invitation and going dancing. Before this he will go for a swim with his Alsatian puppy.

From Hans in Posen. A few lines to let Hella know that he is off to the front. He sends kisses to her.

From Hans [in Wels?]. Hans thanks Hella for her parcel and hopes her frozen finger is better now. He received her letter of 24 December today and it pleased him as it shows that they both want to be with each other. He was glad his surprise for Hella worked. He decided to do it while he was in a funk hole. A few days before Christmas they were relieved and travelled 30 kilometres behind their position to a wooden barrack where they prepared to celebrate Christmas and got a change of clothes. He recalls a time in Paris before the war when he suspected he had a flea. He bathed three times a day and changed his clothes. Now he has lots of fleas. As they celebrated Christmas it felt as though they were one big family. It was especially nice as he got news from Hella and nine letters from home, the first mail in eight weeks. They had been campaigning for their own post number and four weeks ago they discovered that their number had been assigned to another unit. However, the post may come late, but at least it comes! He signs of wishing Hella and her dearest all the best for 1945. For a possible related item, see P14/3/4/3.

From Hans in Sprendlingen. Hans asks Hella how she survived the collapse [of Berlin]. He had worried about her and hopes that she has left Berlin and found shelter with her sister. However, the evidence speaks against this as he has not heard from her. It was hard for him to spend five months in the military hospital. But this is all in the past. He would not be so worried if only he had a sign of life from Hella! He last heard from her in early January. He wishes her a happy 21st birthday. It would be good to see her in Sprendlingen. It is just 15 minutes from Frankfurt. As he writes it is after midnight, he is listening to the Berlin radio and has a picture of her before him. He is now fully a civilian and busy with work but can only be happy when he knows how she is.

From Hans in Sprendlingen. A short letter depicting his coming day. Hans will travel to the office in Frankfurt and then to several building sites. At 8 in the evening he will do the post and other work until 10. Then a walk, with a quick visit to the pub. It would be lovely if Hella could share the trips with him or be waiting for him in the evenings with a kiss.

From Hans in Sprendlingen. Hans complains that on the building sites there is a lot of stealing. He is about to start night watch at midnight on a site in Hesse. He thanks her for writing about her worries about their relationship and tries to comfort her. Every morning he sees a girl who looks similar to Hella and it cheers him to imagine it is actually Hella herself.

From Hans in an unknown location. The letter begins with a long discussion about the difficulties in getting post. Hans has just received four letters in a bundle from Hella and some other letters from July. Things are much different now from what he had expected, and many of his comrades have sacrificed their lives. He quickly ends this line of thought by asking why dwell on such things when they are living in the present and not the past. He gave Hella’s [landlady?] a pot of honey and the woman was so delighted she nearly through her arms around his neck. They then sat on the terrace together until 10 pm. The lady portrayed Hella in glowing terms, for instance that she always went to bed on time. Hans was glad it was dark and she could not see his amusement. His leave was short but long enough to make two people happy. When he thinks of their future together he paints it brightly. He is sending Hella a parcel in the same post as the letter.

From Hans in Frankfurt am Main. Hans is extremely happy to have heard from Hella. She has written about a future together. He says that they should not just hope to be together but really hold on to the wish and asks if she agrees with this. His wounds have healed and left no physical handicap. Hans heard that Hella had no post from him since last Christmas. He finds this strange as he was constantly sending her news. He briefly brings her up to date with the news that would have been in the missing letters. On 15 February at 5 pm he was wounded on a train. Two Tommy gun bullets pierced his left hand, and shell splinters went into his left arm and his foot. He gives details of his horrific experiences afterwards including a 48-hour wait in a cattle wagon in Berlin, where he gave a letter for Hella to a woman to post. He was then discharged. His brother was also injured and came home 14 days after him. He is now really enjoying being at the helm of his father’s company in charge of 450-500 men. Once again it is Christmas, the first in many years with his family. He hopes that next year he and Hella will be able to celebrate it together.

From Hans in Sprendlingen. After worrying and imagining all sorts of things, Hans has just received three letters from Hella. He had a call from a friend Georg who asked if he was in love. Hans regales Hella with the answer he gave Georg. The news from Berlin is contradictory and Hans finds it difficult to know how conditions really are there. As far as food goes, Hans is doing well, in fact, he has put on a lot of weight. He is finding life tough. Working all day clearing rubble brings him face to face with the suffering of people. He has heard that Hessen will get its own border police and reminisces back to a car trip through Holland, and Brussels to Paris. He dreams of a small island for the two of them where he can create his own world. He hopes to have his new office ready to move into by May. He asks when they will next meet. He wants to go on a winter sports holiday at the beginning of March and it would be lovely if she could come too. He asks if she has news from Witzke, he no longer has his address. With envelope.