A Russian soldier standing guard on a moonlit winter night reflects on his youthful fun and friendships. A Russian postcard with a message from a German soldier to his sister dated March 28, 1915.
Reverse:Field postmarked message dated March 28, 1915 from a brother to his sister, thanking her for the cake she sent.
"It has not been this cold since '93. We leave at night, everyone slipping on the frozen earth. On the plateau, the snow is powdery, like sugar. It crunches under our shoes without melting. When we get to Lavoye in the moonlight, there are no fresh supplies.At eight we move off again and the men's faces are contorted by the cold and exhaustion. Red-rimmed eyes, red noses, pail skin, blue ears, beards hung with icicles. Sweat freezes right away and looks like snow on the horses' backs and on the men's overcoats. Our shoes cannot grip on the frozen earth as we march. Finally, we arrive in Charmontois. The men have to sleep in barns with broken windows! The conditions are criminal. They drink in order to keep warm. I am surprised no one gets a cold."
French Captain Paul Tuffrau returning to the trenches on February 4, 1917. Tuffrau had fought since the Battle of the Marne in 1914, and had been wounded twice. He was deployed to Verdun in September, 1916, and, on February 4, had just returned from two weeks leave.
Intimate Voices from the First World War by Svetlana Palmer and Sarah Wallis, page 206, copyright © 2003 by Svetlana Palmer and Sarah Wallis, publisher: Harper Collins Publishers, publication date: 2003
1917-02-04, 1917, February, winter, cold
