In Part 1, I recounted what Hans Coutandin had written to his girlfriend Eva Möller in his letters of early 1941 as he transitioned from being an “Arbeitsmann” in the “RAD-Abteilung 3/250” to be in training as a “Schütze” in the “Infanterie-Ersatz-Bataillon 697” in Landstuhl, Germany.
In the next letter in my collection, Hans wrote on the 20th of July 1941 not from Germany but from France. “I have a little time right now, and so I do want today Sunday to not forget you. I have been waiting for Post from you for a long time but I hope that you will write again soon. As I have already written to you I am still doing quite well, but hope, that the same is still the case with you.”
© John Tull 2025, Going Postal
Hans was hoping to be heading towards Africa but instead finds himself still with the “Infanterie-Ersatz-Bataillon 697” but now in Verdun, France continuing his training.
He does however seem to be finding more time to enjoy himself. “The Service was probably at first sight very strict, but even that will pass. I am already keeping Guard at the Barracks after the 16th, which is not so pleasant here. This week I have been out every evening which in Landstuhl for me had only happened twice. I can also tell you, that I saved no less than 105 RM in Landstuhl. Whether I will succeed here in this time, I do not know yet. We also get two whole RM more here every ten days.”
He found time to be a tourist as “I have also seen positions from the World War here these days. I am located about 30 km from Verdun. Almost all World War participants have been through a lot. You can still see here a lot of rubble from the World War and of the previous wars there is almost nothing to see at all. That is for sure all very interesting.”
The Battle of Verdun was fought from the 21st of February to the 18th of December 1916 and was one of the longest, bloodiest, and most ferocious battles of WW1 with French casualties of around 400,000, German casualties of around 350,000 with around 300,000 soldiers of both sides being killed.
Six destroyed villages in the area were not rebuilt post WW1 but were given special status as the uninhabited communes of Beaumont-en-Verdunois, Bezonvaux, Cumières-le-Mort-Homme, Fleury-devant-Douaumont, Haumont-près-Samogneux and Louvemont-Côte-du-Poivre. These ruins are what Hans may have seen as “a lot of rubble” when he was training near Verdun, as he was based in St Mihiel.
Hans does not seem to like the locals though as “I like all everything is quite good, if only the dirty French were not. Most people here do not even know about work. I think the very first, what they do throughout the day, is fishing. And there they are still sitting often the whole day and do not even have a fish.”
He ends with “Now I would like to the conclusion come and ask you again for an early message from you. How are you doing and what does the School do? Now want to close, and wish you all the best.”
In his next letter of the 8th of September 1941, Hans was now a “Soldat” and wrote from “Insterburg” in East Prussia which, since 1946, is now Chernyakhovsk in the Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia.
He begins “I would like to inform you briefly, that I am no longer in France. Since Friday I have been on a big journey, from the West to the East.”
He continues “I am currently in East Prussia, I even had the good fortune to drive past Walldorf and in Frankfurt we again had ½ hour stay. It was maybe everywhere cheers in Germany you cannot imagine that.”
Hans was not too happy however with the means of transport as he then writes “We are accommodated here in a first-class compartment (Cattle wagons). It is not so comfortable right now as at home. Well, man gets used to everything” and finishes with “I want to come to a close, because the train is about to leave again. Enclose a picture and hope that you will soon give me an indulgence from you. Greetings and kisses to you” before adding after his signature “See you soon?”
Hans is quick to write to Eva again as his next letter is from the 12th of September 1941 from “Wilna” in Poland where he is now a “Soldat” with the “Feldersatz-Bataillon XII/9 Kompanie 5”. Wilna is now called Vilnius and is in Lithuania. The Field Set Battalion 7/9 was a final training unit and reserve to provide replacements for divisions in the field with Hans being in the 5th or “E” Company.
He writes “Finally I get to it again, to write you a few lines from me. On the journey from Verdun to here, I already let you hear from me once. Evchen please be so good and understand me with the last letter on the journey. I did not have a chance to get a stamp, otherwise I would have glued one on. Do not be angry with me for that, certainly could not act differently.” He was apologising for not putting a postal stamp on his previous letter or having an authorising handstamp. This would have caused the schoolgirl Eva (based on later letters, she was probably aged around 16) to have had to pay the postman the postage cost when he delivered it.
Hans continues “The journey was quite good, above all we allowed to live in the first class carriage (cattle wagon). Which with 35 men in the wagon was not so pleasant. Fortunately I survived it well and the other that ahead lies, hopefully we will also survive well.”
He concludes with “We will soon the March start, which will then show whether we are whole fellows or not! In October is with the labour service already 1 year has passed. Otherwise everything is still in perfect order. I have been since yesterday inside duty sick. Got a little boil what I have at the moment is very difficult. Hope, that I tomorrow now will be in old freshness can get up. Only I want to close and wish you for the future all good.”
In Part 3, we shall see where the “March” that Hans started in Wilna, Poland takes him and what happens when he gets there, and does Eva continue to write to him?
© John Tull 2025
