Lightning visit to Schweidnitz

‘On 9 October, Manfred arrived unexpectedly from Berlin for a very short visit. Lothar arrived here from Breslau. I had invited some guests, wounded officers, young girls. When everyone was already gathered in the parlour, my sons came in, both in uniform, both decorated with the Pour le Mérite. I confess that I was vain enough to be proud of them. The youth was then very funny. At half past nine I took them both to the railway station. They travelled back to the front via Berlin. It's a sacred and serious moment when you hug your sons who are off to fight and go to war and shake their hands. Manfred and I talked to each other in the waiting room, Lothar sat quietly next to us. It was terribly difficult for him to say goodbye to us this time. But at the next station in Liegnitz, where they were staying, their spirits had risen again to the point where they could think of a little prank. They wrote ten postcards to their little cadet brother Bolko - all at once! All useless stuff. Probably to annoy the ‘Pauker’ in Wahlstatt. They signed it ‘Männe-Männing’ and ‘Lotte-Lotting’. Captain G. in Wahlstatt then took the acid route.’