December 19, 1918 -- George Plays Pied Piper and Visits a Mansion

Senningen, Luxembourg 19/12/18

 

Dear Ones At Home:

            It seems a long time since I wrote you last, so now I’ve a little time I’m going to have a good visit with you.  Since we left Tilly we have been constantly on the move, till now as you see we are well up into Luxembourg.  A large map would show you this town about 12 Kilometer east of the city of Luxembourg. 

            We left Tilly on Dec 7^th, the office moving by truck directly to Droitmannt (near Conflaus).  Of course that put us well back of the lines the German had evacuated by terms of the Armistice.  Droitmannt is one of the mining colony towns of the French mining district.  The houses on our side of the River were quite comfortable and fairly quaint in architecture, but they were all exactly alike outside, like some of our factory residence in the states.  However, it was a new departure after the nondescript houses and crooked streets of the older French Villages we had been through and occupied.  The houses had been left frightfully dirty by the departing Germans, but we cleaned up some of the rooms enough so that we used them. 

            We were there for a day and a half.  While there I was lucky enough to get down into the main mine.  Went down with a Frenchman who was taking pictures of the bases from which Jerry had removed pumps and motors.  We were down 600 feet in the Motor room and main tunnels.  I think the French and Germans go in for more permanence and comfort in their mining than we do, for all of the main tunnels are bricked and the large motor room I spoke of is cement lined and floored, so that it always gives the same effect as parts of New York’s subway world. 

            The Germans had been working the mine since they captured it four years ago, removing plenty of iron ore to be used against the Allies. When they left they disabled the pumps, but the French got in soon enough to repair the damage before it was badly flooded, so we found the mine nice and dry, except around the main shaft, where it was like a rain storm.                                        *  *  *  *  Medernack, Luxembourg, 20/12 – 18

            Well, here I am 20 hours later in a town 30 kilo north of where I started this letter.  So geht es in Krieg.  When I started this I was in a most beautiful Chateau and hunting lodge of a French Banker, now I am at the poor little school house of this village occupying the desk and seat of the erstwhile demagogue.  Well to return to the thread of our latest tour.  We left Droitmannt on the 3^rd evening there and landed at the Hospital in Brily where we had a good feed and a cot to sleep on, then away again with the office baggage to Mont Bonvilliers.  There we stayed a day and night then moved to Havange.  All the way along we were confronted by the effects of 4 years Prussianism and the final evacuation.  At Havange I started trying a little of my German and was surprised a little at my indifferent success but I only tried it a little as we landed there late and left early the next morning.  Then we crossed in to Luxembourg proper, passed through a couple of good seized towns, and located in Kayl, near Esch and about 15 kilos from Luxembourg City.  Ours was the first truck in, and was soon surrounded by a horde of children. I started to talk a little with them and soon discovered that those who had learned German in the schools understood me very well, and I could understand their simple language too. I surely was delighted as six months in France where you seldom saw a civilian and then had to use an interpreter was getting very tiresome.  I soon had a following of kids to equal the Pied Piper, and was able to locate stores, latrines, cafes and drinking water.  One little fellow with a red French cap was my especial adorer and as he had a gang of four or five pals I always had an escort if I stepped out of our office for even a moment. In fact, a couple of times it was slightly embarrassing, but I didn’t have the heart to hurt their feelings.  The towns and people of Luxembourg seem to have suffered few more privations than you in the States and have had almost as many in the French as the German Army, I understand.  It is the most beautiful country I have seen in Europe so far.  The house where we had our office was still the home of civilians who were quite nice people and had some interesting talks with the Herr.  They had a very cute little girl too, who was the pet of the office.  We slept in a real bed there, and when we left they did not want to take any pay, but I gave them 5 francs (to buy the little girl a Xmas present). 

            In fact, everyone treated us fine in Kayl. And I’m proud to say that the boys stood up to the test fine, there being very little abuse of people’s kindness or the extra privileges reported.  On Sunday 14^th Dec. we left Kayl and went to Alsingen about six miles from Luxembourg.  After a night stand there we went on to Senningen where I started this letter.  That Chateau was undoubtedly the best and richest I have been in in Europe.  The owner, being an Officer de la France had not been there for four years, but the caretaker had kept it up as well as possible.  There were beds in the rooms, a pool and gaming room, a dance room, a sun parlor and all such trimmings, with hunting trophies and such things galore.  The surrounding grounds were landscaped in a style to delight mother’s heart.  The lodge itself is up in the hills, secluded from the road, screened by evergreens and was well above the town in a ravine on the hillside.  The immediate grounds on one side stretch up toward the road with trees here and there, a real waterfall at the edge, the brook then dancing and roaring down diagonally by the lodge in a series of falls and cascades. 

            We moved from there directly up here the evening of the 19^th, passed through some very fine country, but could see little of it, it was so dark.  It snowed that P.M. and evening quite a bit, but the only place any of it stayed was the grassy hillsides.  It has been a very mild autumn here the inhabitants say. 

            I have spent nearly the whole day in trying to act as interpreter for the various little activities and transactions that the office and Regiment must carry on with the civilian population.  There are hundreds in the Regt. I guess who can do as well and many who can talk many times better than I, but being here at work and handy much of it seems to devolve on me.  I get away with it for the most part, and my vocabulary is slowing increasing, but it is slow work and I wish every hour of the day for a good little pocket English German – German-English dictionary, so far have been unable to find one, but am keeping on the lookout, as I will probably have to fill in a little that way as long as we stay up here and I remain in the office.  Anyway, I’ll always want to talk with people when I get a chance, on my own book. 

            I think some of the fellows are jealous of even my polyglot Deutsch for this morning I went out to borrow a table and got me a present of six apples from the people thrown in with the table.  Pretty good when they pay you for asking them for something. 

            We can scarcely make it seem possible that Xmas is only four days off.  The weather is very much different and there is none of the festive air and preparatory bustle to offset it, as there was in the States last year.  But if we can scarcely notice the difference in holidays and no difference Sunday, we will just chalk that much more up to the Celebration when “Johnnie Comes Marching Home.”  A Sient was up here today with replacements from Angers, and bro’t regards from Lt. Mohr who has been back there ever since he came over.  I sent back a note with him as Lloyd has received none of the mail I have sent him.  Now I’ll close with love to all my dear ones.  Don’t forget Auntie is included                  

                                                                                                George Sherwood

                                                                                                            108^th Eng.

 

[Below see censor approval and  signature on the side.  George’s last name and the 108^th Engineers was added in censor handwriting as well. George was writing in blue ink on cream paper, censor wrote in dark brown fountain pen ink.]