My series of articles Desert Mystery: Letters from a Feldgrau, was based upon the translation of FeldPost letters in my collection that Hans Coutandin, a soldier in the Deutsches Afrika Korps, had sent to Eva “Evchen” Möller during WW2. Note that my translations are intended to minimise anglicisation so as to maintain the cadence and style of the original written German.
Hans was eventually taken prisoner in May 1943 in Tunisia and held initially as a POW in the British Camp 210 in Algeria before being transported to the USA. He was in Camp Gordon in Georgia and later in Camp Blanding in Florida. Hans wrote to Eva in July 1944: “Evchen, on 20.11 I will be 23 years old. When I first time saw you I was 16 years old. Have you really made pretty good progress already? Now I close and greet and kiss you my Evchen many thousand times and with all my heart, your Hansel.”
Hans was not the only person exchanging letters with Eva as in my collection amongst others, I have a few letters written to Eva from her friend Hildegard Uhl that give a different perspective of wartime as seen by a young German woman.
Hildegard was an “Arbeitsmaid”, the lowest female rank in the “Reichsarbeitsdienst der weiblichen Jugend”. The Reichsarbeitsdienst” (RAD) was the Reich Labour Service originally established in 1935 to train young men prior to their service in the Wehrmacht by providing construction and agricultural workers for the nation as a uniformed, paramilitary organisation. The “der weiblichen Jugend” was the specific section of the RAD established in 1939 “for female youth”. For both sexes from age 18, service in the RAD was compulsory unless they were still in education or in a specifically exempted occupation.
On the 29th November 1943, Hildegard wrote to Eva from Gernsheim in southern Germany: “My dear Evchen! Today you should again from me a greeting receive. I just learned, that I on 11th December have standard leave. We have it this time on a Saturday, so that we could do shopping for Christmas. Since we are now and again drive to Darmstadt I thought that we after all there could meet. If you with it are agreed when your school is finished, we could then either at a certain time before the Technical College, or in some locality meet. Perhaps I could then see Erika also again.”
Eva, born in 1925 and having left school in May 1943, was training to be a teacher whilst Hildegard, born in 1923, was supporting the “14. Kompanie Luftnachrichten-Regiment 215” (14th Company of the Air Intelligence Regiment 215) as a RAD telephone operator.
The Air Intelligence Regiments were the primary tactical and operational level signals and communications units of the Luftwaffe. “14. Kompanie” were the “14. Flugmelde-Leit Kompanie” (Flight Reporting Control Company) based at Gernsheim in Stellung Dachs-Mitte (Position Badger-Centre). Amongst other equipment, they operated a FuSE 65 Würzburg-Riese (“Giant Würzburg”) radar installation to detect incoming Allied bombing raids.
Giant Wurzburg Radar,
David Merrett – Licence CC BY-SA 2.0
In her letter of the 21st January 1944, Hildegard wrote: “My dear Evchen! Here I sit now at the Telephone watch, the Radio plays very quietly, and I want again a few lines to write. First I thank you very warmly for your dear letter of 7.1., as well as the dear card for my birthday, this made me very happy. Imagine, the birthday card promptly on time on 15.1. I was moreover especially very happy, I know after all how forgetful my dear Evchen otherwise is. Yes, and now you ask me about my birthday. Evchen believe me, if I even at home would have been, I could not more beautifully had it celebrated.”
“Of my 21st birthday will I probably always with joy think. It started right away very well, because our Führerin had that morning overslept, and woke, instead of 07:00, only at 08:00. The Comrades knew it was my birthday, and had for me a small birthday table prepared and with a nice song awakened me. Oh yes, and when we still were sitting drinking coffee, called at the position and said my parents were in the Waldfrieden. How I was happy…for they had quite unexpectedly come. I was luckily on readiness, and could then as a result already immediately after drinking coffee go over. I stayed the whole morning with them, until they at 14:00 again left. Oh Evchen, it was touching, how my loved ones for me had cared. They had only Cakes, Biscuits and Flowers brought, same, as if I were at home.”
Hildegard then continued, “Oh and the Birthday Post, as I in the afternoon at the Post distribution received! All had…also of me thought. You can probably believe, that I was in a fabulous birthday mood. The evening it went but then only really started, with the birthday celebration in our comradeship. From six stools had we a nice table built, that we with flowers and candles decorated. 19:00 sharp began the celebration. When light of the candles made it a funny feast. I want to briefly write down, everything what was served: 1. Rolls and White bread with butter and sausage, gherkins and dark beer. 2. Mirabelle and Damson cake, Pound cake, Poppyseed cake, Biscuits, Cheese sticks and Wine so beautifully passed us the time with all kinds of funny songs and speeches. On the Radio was nice dance music, and so danced the six of us a lot.
Until about 23:30 lasted our celebration, and then we had “unfortunately” into bed. The next day (Sunday) we made another beautiful hike. We drove until Zwingenberg and walked from there to the Auerbacher Schloss. From there we went to Auerbach, and then we drove via Darmstadt back again. Also this day did all very much enjoy. You see, my dear Evchen, so can you even far from home a beautiful birthday celebrate. Just a pity, that you could not be among them. I have often of you thought when we were so hard celebrating because as my best, dear friend, you should not be missing. So were you in spirit with me, not true?”
“And now I want you about yesterday evening tell, because there we had also again such a nice change. On 24th February the Reich Labour Leader Konstantin Hierl has his birthday, and as he organises the entire RAD always a large collection, whose proceeds will go to WHW. For these reasons was held yesterday a Wehrmacht dinner together instead with the Soldiers. There was semolina porridge with raspberry juice. Per plate had 0.30 Rm to be donated. It was quite great, how the soldiers each other in “food” and “donations” wanted to outdo.”
The WHW was the “Winterhilfswerk des Deutschen Volkes” or Winter Relief of the German People started in 1933 under the directive of “no one shall be hungry, no one shall freeze” however the funds raised were generally misappropriated for other purposes such as for armaments manufacture.
Hildegard then changes to telling Eva about a mutual acquaintance “Next to me sat Toni. An Obergefreiter, and in conversation he told me he should from my girlfriend Eva very warmly greet me. He had met you in the Frankfurt waiting room. You have to him said, I should to you again very soon write. But that he to you should write, you did not say that, unfortunately. Evchen, you believe me well, that I was not a little surprised, when I that heard. But very pleased was I after all. Write to me but hurry up about your meeting. Moreover, how do you find Toni? We all find him very nice, because he is but always so friendly to all of us. How would it be, if you to him would write? He apparently liked you quite a lot and, I think, that he about a greeting from you would certainly be happy.” She then gave Eva an address for Obergefreiter Toni Grießner who was a member of the Luftwaffe unit that Hildegard supported.
“Yes, and now once again to your spiritual evening return. Excluding of the dinner we danced until 22:00. And imagine you that, in the time of 3-4 hours would be 231.00 Rm collected. It was great, not?”
“Now I want once again to your dear letter close to take. Now, with Schnarzi and Annemarie is after the terror attack at the same time again gone all clear. Incidentally with Annemarie I stand in lively correspondence. She writes to me always very nicely. About 10 days ago I received also for a long time post from Lore Häser. She is at this time in Bingenheim at the District School as a K.A. Do you know, at the news of the marriage of Trudes’ Mother I was very surprised.
Yes, what will Trude in addition have said? As far as I know lives Trude in Bismarck-Allee in Isenburg. I would also be interested in, what it at her home looks, since of Isenburg almost nothing more should stand. If you know something more about it, just share it please with me. – Yes, Erika makes herself really great little bags. Now I also know, why she has not for so long written. – So, my dear Evchen, I have you now again various things told and make it for today finish. Please, do not let me so long post from you to wait and just write again soon.”
Isenburg is on the outskirts of Frankfurt-am-Main and suffered heavy collateral damage caused by bombing drift from Allied air raids on the Offenbach-am-Main industrial area of Frankfurt-am-Main.
More from Hildegard in Part Two
© John Tull 2026
