Easter greetings from the front, 1917. Original watercolor by Karl Schmit(?) postmarked March 31, 1917. Easter fell on April 8, 1917.

Ostergrüsse aus dem Felde

Easter greetings from the front



Reverse:

Absender (sender) . . . Karl Schmidt

Field postmarked March 31, 1917

Other views: Larger, Back

Sunday, April 8, 1917

"April 8 [1917] (Easter Sunday)

Left Saulty 9 a.m., reached Basseux 11.30 (about eleven kilometres south-west of Arras). Until recently this place was only a mile or two from the line, but it doesn't appear to have been shelled. We are living in a dismantled château which must have been quite nice before the war. I am sitting with my feet out of the window of an attic under the roof, looking down on the courtyard where some officers are playing cricket with a stump and a wooden ball, and a brazier for a wicket. Glorious sunshine and pigeons flying about over the red and grey roofs. A little grey church with a pointed tower a hundred yards down the street. Three balloons visible, and the usual confused noise of guns from Arras."

Quotation Context

Diary entry for April 8, 1917, of Siegfried Sassoon, British poet, author, Second Lieutenant in the Royal Welch Fusiliers, and recipient of the Military Cross for gallantry in action. Sassoon's battalion was held in reserve for the Arras Offensive. The preparatory bombardment was in progress as he wrote.

Source

Siegfried Sassoon Diaries 1915-1918 by Siegfried Sassoon, page 152, copyright © George Sassoon, 1983; Introduction and Notes Rupert Hart-Davis, 1983, publisher: Faber and Faber, publication date: 1983

Tags

1917-04-08, 1917, April, Easter, Easter Sunday, Battle of Arras, Arras