Liz: My German Grandfather

My Grandfather was German. He was living and working as a lawyer in Hamburg when he was called up to join the army at the start of World War 1.  He started on the Western Front, moved with his regiment in stages as far East as Romania, and ended up in Belgium. He worked in active service as the logistics/transport officer with his regiment until the war ended in 1918.

He left behind his young wife with three young children; a four year old boy, a two year old boy (my father) and a new-born baby girl. They lived in a large inner city apartment with a housekeeper and a nanny. 

My Grandmother wrote to my grandfather almost every day, with news about the children and the wider family.   Her letters were mostly about missing her beloved husband, delighting in the developmental milestones of the new baby, and the difficulties of managing the little boys without him.  

Her perceptions of the war were written from the perspective of someone whose life was far removed from the horrors of the reality on the front line.

~ Liz Melchior