WWI+RAFT+G+Allison

R: German soldier A: his wife F: letter T: life in the trenches and sadness from war

Dear Angela, It has been quite a long time writing letters. I thought I never had a chance using letters again after war.... Well, it has been dreadful during these few months. Living in the trenches is so painful; it was almost an inhuman condition. Although I obviously didn’t expect any good conditions in such a chaotic war, it was much worse than I thought. Blood and numerous corpses were abundantly located in the trenches everywhere. In the pile of dead bodies, we had to fight and live. Millions of mice ate those and grew rapidly, which were quite gross and hideous. We also can’t wash our clothes properly. Yeah, we have to attack and protect ourselves for every second. Because of the heat, lice formed and they crawled on our body! It is very annoying and horrible. The situation is almost like hell. Hearing explosion of bombs and airplanes flying… everything seems disastrous and violent! I wish as if this was a nightmare.. Also, it is painful to see my comrades being killed day by day. They were killed in many ways; mostly by the attack of the French and some by diseases. Due to its unsanitary environment, critical diseases, like the Trench fever, spread throughout the people and lead to deaths. Every time when I look at my friends and companions passing away, I often feel depressed. The war looks like endless and when would it end? I often think of ‘why are we fighting.’ If all nations, including us, could have keep good relationships, then war wouldn’t happen. Why innocent people have to die and why do we need to continue this meaningless battles? The war often makes me miserable. I hope I would go back to home as soon as I can. Although I cannot know when this bloody war ends, I will go back safely. Please take care of your body.