In Part 3, I recounted how Hans Coutandin, in his letters to his girlfriend Eva Möller, wrote that he had been to Wilna in Poland, then Minsk in Byelorussia, had then been wounded in the head in Russia by the Red Army, and was recovering in the Reserve Military Hospital in Lörrach, Germany.
© John Tull 2025, Going Postal
In his short letter of the 8th of February 1942, Hans wrote, “I have been for a long time waiting for post from you, but unfortunately I am waiting in vain. Hope nevertheless, that you have not completely forgotten me. What are you doing at the moment, and how are you?”
Hans continues, “Everything for me has improved. My wound is almost healed and otherwise goes it is for me good, if the headaches did not occur so often, then could I get up. Now I am still lying in bed, which does not give me any fun. Cannot today write you so much, hope, but that I will soon reply to you on a little letter flown over mountains and valley.” This letter still contains a sprig of now dried “forget-me-nots” inside of the envelope.
The next letter from Hans was written on the 25th of February 1942. “Evchen, I now believe that you have after all only become angry. Let us at least from you once more something hear. Write to me please, what is actually going on. Evchen, I sincerely ask you once again, to give me an answer soon. Always thought that at least I could write to one girl, that is not like all the others. I think so, that you know, what I mean by this. I am doing now quite well. Because I have always the feeling of dizziness. Hope so, that it will soon even better get. How are you all doing? That is how it is for me, as if your parents do not let you write anymore. I want to hope for the best and therefore end my letter.”
The lovelorn Hans finishes with a poem, “Poorly it is written, well it is meant. The Hand has trembled, The Heart has wept!” before adding a postscript, “Also my fountain pen is broken and then my letter paper ran out. It is a very bad thing here new to get.”
On the 2nd of March 1942, Hans wrote a long letter, “Have your dear letter this morning received and thank you very much for that. Though as I can see again now, you will not yet forget me. I am though extremely pleased, that I to you can still write. Find out now for the first time, that your Father is no longer at home either. You have in your letter in November written about it. In addition still now also your brother, soon enlisted must be. My brother will apply soon too. In at the latest ¾ of a year, because he is born 25. As I can see from your letters, so you now have afternoon tuition. That is why you are also very hindered from writing. Does that mean going at noon to school and then from 8 in the evening coming home, I can that understand. In the evening so much you cannot do, this means that schoolwork must then for the next morning become saved. Well, I am pleased before all, that I again a few lines from you could read.”
Eva’s father was Karl Möller who had been sent to Riga in Latvia to work for the “Reichskommissariat Ostland” or Reich Commissariat of Eastland, which was the civilian occupation regime in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and the western part of Byelorussia.
She had two brothers, her older brother was Johannes who had already been enlisted as a “Schütze” in the “Regimentsschule” of “Infanterie-Ersatz-Bataillon 5”, and her younger brother was Gottfried who was at home with Eva and her mother.
Her school hours would have been in shifts due to a shortage of teachers, caused by conscription, and having to share buildings with other schools that had been bombed out.
Hans was still suffering from concussion from his head wound as he continues, “I am doing so far quite well, that means against the past time very good. When I am for a long time on my feet, so I get a dizziness in my eyes, that I could think it would start from the beginning. I will stick therefore to the Doctor’s prescriptions, and do not for so long run.”
He concludes with, “But I would like to slowly to the end come. One more thing, what about the aircraft we have? My parents told me, that Tommy from time to time pays a visit. If you dear ones at home only from such things would be spared. To want for the future the best hope.”
Hans added a postscript as a message to Eva’s brother Gottfried, “A greeting to your little brother, about whom I used to laugh so often when he at the railway stood with his uniform”.
On the 17th of March 1942, the letter from Hans included a cartoon hand drawn by one of his comrades and the news that he was to be released from hospital, but first he started with a poem, “I run mountain and hill breaking, to a word to you to speak. But because I cannot do that, I will start writing right away.”
“Would also want to right away tell you, that I on Monday the 23.3 will be released. Will first to Idar-Oberstein go for my replacement. From there I will probably get 2-3 weeks of convalescence leave. Hope, that I can you also see then.”
He also wrote about seeing a film, “On Saturday I was also for the first time in the city. I saw once again a film. It ran “Heimaterde”. It was but once again a change. I had not for a whole year a film seen. Otherwise I would know today nothing more. Also, dear Evchen, hope and wish that we each other to see will come. On Monday the 23.3 I am afternoon at 3 or latest 5 in Frankfurt.”
The film “Heimaterde” or “Home soil” was released on the 23rd December 1941, according to IMDb, with a story about a widowed landlady in East Prussia, who believes a forester to have murdered her husband despite his acquittal by the court, opposes her son’s marriage to the forester’s daughter and wants to sell her farm because of it. The exposure of a border smuggler as the actual perpetrator resolves everything.
In Part 5, does Hans get to meet with Eva in Frankfurt on the 23rd, where is he sent as a replacement, and does he get any leave?
© John Tull 2025
