letters Nany to J and G Hausermann at Rosario-Oct 1939

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Nany to Jean and Germaine Hausermann in Rosario in October 1939

Vierville Saturday, October 7, 1939(EXTRACTS)

Jean C. is still at the Neufchâteau hospital where the doctor keeps him because of his diet, but he is quite well, and his regiment camps there, he is ready to leave as soon as he will lift his foot, but I am afraid that this great boy so quietly leaves to do his duty cannot for long fill an active service, because of the food he is obliged to take. A radio has made it possible to ensure that there was no injury, he is and will remain a colitic, and from time to time the coli-bacilla will put him on the flank with fever. It's a pity, he performs all his duties as an officer, with training, also with kindness, for he takes care of his men.

Our student Corporal Phil is always happy with his fate and he learns to command, he writes this morning, and for that it is necessary to shout very loudly; he went to the bridge school in Poissy, lying on the hard, barely sheltered in a bad metal shed, he did not always warm, the poor kid, and when one thinks of all the treats he was surrounded by....it's said it was better, it's so much taken!He is fortunately well built, insensitive to the weather, I hope he will go through all these events without too much harm. Then, others will come who will have no protection other than that of God!

The Hitler speech delivered yesterday at the Reichstag, which was enraged not to have downed the resolution of those who want to shoot it down, leaves us no more illusions as to how war will now be conducted by the Boches. At the TSF we heard it vocierating like a madman.... How are there still neutrals in front of this?

Suzon had news of Georges by dispatch, he had a lot to do and had to immediately get to work – we don't know which – ... very urgent, and he had been asked telegraphically by the Tunisian government. So he will be able to serve France there too in the place that suits him.

... it is not the men who are lacking, the barracks and the depots are full of reservists, as well as the rear front, of troops, so much that we have been able to grant permission for the harvests....The very life of our village is already organising better. .... Agricultural products sell well despite the missale on Paris, of which part of the population is evacuated.^nd And in Vincennes, I do understand that it can be hard for all these poor people to leave everything they have...

After several trips to Coutances, your sisters were still able to settle in other places than a small furnished place where they would be tied together. . Mrs Cordelle will lie at the hotel while waiting. The difficulty remains to accommodate 1800 students.... In the latest news, the lycée of Lille was evacuated on Coutances, and the preparation of Navale and Air on Cherbourg. Our Mich who already saw themselves in the atmosphere is all married. So this year he will make a preparation for the X - hypotaupe - which will not harm for his final examination that he will prepare next year in Cherbourg as a pensioner. This is what Jean C., not without reason, our man who is only 16 1⁄2 years old has all the time to go to Borda. The 2 elders will do the same teacher (an ass) they had in Janson, it's a chance.

Bison enters in 4^nd, and Yves is registered to enter in 6^nd but will have to pass an exam that most probably won't be easier given his age (He's 9 years old, despite a very poor exam, we'll let him pass). Orders are to hold for the 1^ir Not for 16 years.
They'll all leave Vierville next Wednesday with the two cars, they've already taken a lot of things, and if luck wants them to find a small unfurnished house, we'll find here enough to make it habitable.

....From the time of my departure, I will take my winter quarters, with my brave Tattoo, but I will only put the rest of the house on half-sighted, because it might happen that from one day to the next I will be invaded by refugees or troops.. I'll love the second, our friends English are not settled far away and their superb convoys continue to march on our Norman roads east. All this is reassuring but closes the heart... it's the act of a madman and his band of ?? And the people from whom they come, for my opinion is even less of a reason to change than ever before, they are all bandits.
You must have read that our government is holding the communists to the ground, the Moscoutarian parliamentarians are going to go to court. military personnel, These are not suspects of indulgence, unfortunately several of whom Thorez – who deserted his body – and Marty who ran to Russia managed to escape, warned by some good friend of the House, no doubt, what a scumbag to say no more!
....it turns out our good Muscadet is going to raise an officer from the 43th^ndI like it better than hanging out a box, it's also better in its place, it's sizeable to provide a good service. Leon and Jeanne have packed everything that concerns the saddlery, and have insisted that I tell you. (Bayeusan and Mom's little barrel) will be re-established after the departure of your sisters' cars.

(Observation of Francis: "There were two cars in Vierville: the bayeusaine, a big cart to do everything, and "the little barrel", where one could be at most 4 very short, painted wood, very elegant, with which one had to visit the friends of the corner; I think the horse collar that I have here must be that of this coupler, because it is certainly not made for work of force")

....I have a big mail to answer, I flung this week, apart from my knitting, because I paid myself a little liver attack, fortunately quickly stopped.

Nany to Jean and Germaine Hausermann in Rosario

Vierville Sunday, October 15, 1939(EXTRACTS)

My dear children, I have just heard the official statement of this night that the TSF transmits to us, it is conceived in roughly the same terms: repulsive enemy patrolling activities, artillery duels on both sides. And that's all we know...

....Jean C. left the hospital completely (how much will he still hold the brave boy?) joined his cantonment which was very close to the hospital.
Phil used to the hard, poor kid, in a good mood, he built with the comrades bridge primers, learns how to handle the heavy pontooners' baccots, sleeps on cement and cold, but was able to make a jump to Paris and refuel in the supplies left by mom. Of all the packages we sent him I think that the one who made him the most pleasure is a box containing salted butter that I sent him and shared with the comrades.
Little news of George,...... the last letter arrived after being opened by the military authority.

... From Lapis in his last letter to the boys claims that in his area (he must be in the Ardennes) he hears from time to time a gunshot and that this is what the press releases call an intense duel d'artillery. We have to do the part of his sarcastic spirit and train who must be very precious to his comrades, but it must be said that everything seems calm"What are we waiting for?" would say your dear dad. Perhaps there are compelling reasons why we should be so armed... ...a mobilization to help harvest and threshing claims that his gunner brother told him that more than 10 rows of guns were waiting for the Boches. ...

...I am alone in the old house and I have returned to my winter quarters in the little apartment you know; it is cozy, because I have a good fire of wood in the fireplace, and I am almost ashamed of the comfort that I enjoy thinking of those on the front. I have left the rooms installed as in summer; it was too sad to see everything under the covers, and we will provide it with some cleanings from time to time... We hardly get any salt, Martha and I.

... A dispatch received yesterday m-a announces that your two sisters will be here tomorrow with a small van to carry beds, wardrobes, tables, chairs, armchairs that I can put at their disposal to furnish another small adjoining house, which they come to get, because the guvt. decided to give up sending 3000 refugees that he intended for Coutance. With these 2 small houses, they will still be able to create a home to spend months or years of the war. As I told you the naval class will not take place in Coutances but in Cherbourg. So L-Amiral had to give up following her for this year; he would therefore do a hypotaupe that would prepare him well for what would follow; he wanted to do so by preparing the rest himself (geo and hist.) for an examination at the end of the year.

The other two will take over the mole. I would like JP to be received at the X in April, he is very eager to join the army, and yet reason wants him to leave there the spirit set for a future... much uncertain alas! Before the smalah left, I took the Pierrot apart, and entrusted him with the whole house "Here you are, you are the leader, you owe protection to some, the example to others, what you will do will be done by the cadets, you have to avoid any worries to your mother, to your aunt sufficiently troubled by events, you are a man, I trusted" And the most seriously in the world his eyes in my own, he replied "Be quiet" So here they are set up there and at work.
Yves had to take his exam on Friday for the 6th.^nd- The classes start tomorrow.

Boys have found many of Janson's friends, with or without their families, and even their famous math teacher last year, Picarda, an ace, whom they like very much. (it's not the memory I have..., or JP's)The poor Jean C. who came back here to enjoy a little of his great boys, is likely to have flown before he returned, it is not fortunate and I understand their regrets. However, they are very brave in front of the events. I will add that having spoken with Simon at length, I did not hide from him that I feared that John's service at the Front would be shortened, if it would not be preferable for him to go back to America to replace you. Is it, it seems very assertive, he intends to stay here doing his duty either, at the front or at the back, but in France. Who would blame him? I wrote to Hébert as you desired my John, telling him the loving offer of your house but, as I already wrote to you, I would be surprised if they made him leave, he is well aged. It's a shame. Of course, I asked him to keep for him what I was writing. Some could take shade from it. I'm glad you got to keep your stuff in order, but I wonder what boat we'd bring the reservists? No neutral boat would load you, and I don't know that our French ships are busy towards you. It is claimed that the Massilia was refused by the Navy because of its state of vexation.

... nothing new here, autumn is moving slowly.... We pick up the last pears. I was able to make happy with all these fruits, not to mention all those who have enjoyed your nephews. What a pity that your two little ones are not there to take their share of it; we had to add a class, which is done at the Town Hall, for the little ones of the families refugees in the villas. I saw some refugees whose allowance is waiting. We can't do anything. I don't assume that the state caisses are full of reserves, but only of expenses from all sides. I am helping as much as I can, however, by reserving the greatest share for our little village. I saw Dubois yesterday and have to see Miss Huet these days; all fulfill their duties as mayor and secretary with an admirable good mood. We do not imagine the flow of paperwork they are overburdened with, and the brave Dubois is always ready to give the hand to the beating of grains, to the tillings that should be done in the farms where the men left. Brave people that those who are fighting their war too. I think the budget for our canteen is very low, and your 500F will help, and I thank you in advance for it.

I think I'm not going to have a pension of 11,000 francs that Bousquet's cousins have taken Young, it's a hole in my purse, but here I'll live without charge, I unfortunately have my apartment in Paris and I'm thinking if the situation is going to continue, to terminate my lease and put my furniture in storage until then. I'm not the only one who cares about this famous budget, Germaine Parmentier came and said so for her parents....

Madame Guignard whose husband and son are at the front came to live here with her mother-in-law and talks about working...

Nany to Jean and Germaine Hausermann in Rosario

Vierville Saturday, October 21, 1939(EXTRACTS)

...I saw your two sisters back from Caen, in the car, where they accompanied Mich who came out winner of the event (?? perhaps the philo supplement ??)He was radiant and so are we, here are our guys who got rid of their baphot... at the next blast!^ndHe was not old and I am sure that in Paris we would have been able to do it, but in the mess that exists for the installation of high schools in Coutances, we did not pay attention to it by registering. He has all the time to lose a year, following if need be.

Good news of George who commutes between Bizerte and Sfax, but does not breathe a word of what he does there; he has taken a small furnished and takes his meals at the hotel.
Our Phil is full of humor and appetite. We can send him without fear of parcels to vary the ordinary. He is still in Poissy and begins to build bridges, where Henry II of England passed the Seine after having landed in La Hougue and set the country on fire and blood! History follows and renews, alas with the same hardness of manners and means. We have hardly changed, especially those sacred Boches always ready for carnage.... We thought it was the big offensive Tuesday 16, and then everything calmed down....

... Piprel does his job admirably, these little dads and their moms are missing!...a big van brought warm clothes from Paris to them. I saw the teachers and also not the mayor, the budget of the municipality will not allow to open the school canteen this winter. Many of those who were customers have parents who did not leave. They will be helped with bread and meat vouchers; your money will be used for that. J-reserve the arrangement; the allowances are paid with much more parsimony than in 1914; not without reason, there was such abuse! The children still touch, but the mothers of whom many are farmers do not touch anything. In general the fathers of 4, 5 or 6 children remain behind. Thus, Guy Jennyqui does not fear his trouble remains at the DCA in Paris and is part of the patrols that travel Paris at night. We want to avoid burglaries in the deserted streets, although Paris gradually repopulates.... We had to reopen the high schools, but all the preparations for the great schools are scattered everywhere. This explains the pagay that reigns over their organization, without it being the fault of the principals or teachers who are submerged. At Coutances, no serious lessons have yet been done to these great boys, most of whom are settled in the home. The principal who seems to be a man of heart has provided each specialty with a room where they are masters of doing what they want: smoking, writing, singing, and even decorating as they please. Needless to say, JP has already distinguished himself with drawings of aircraft and boat.

... it seems that what the old house and its reserves have been able to provide has allowed them to settle down almost properly, but these old houses in French provinces unfortunately lack the most elementary comfort; the water is at the end of the garden and also the toilets. That would hardly suit me....Jai, to tranquillize all my children and also the brave Tatou, who might need it, wanted to make acquaintance with the doctor who replaces Dr. Lehoux. She's a lovely, young girl, she's been looking at me, and she's in good condition right now if it's that heart a little worn out as it is at my age and anemia that Lehoux has treated with vigour. I'm still on the treatment of injections and energetic drugs and I swallow every day 1⁄2 pint of fresh beef blood.
...We harvest the last pears by breakdown, which make happy at Coutances.

(Observation of François: The breakdowns were large baskets of wicker (at least 50cm high and in diameter in which vegetables and fruit were received, even before the war; they arrived at the small freight station, just below the apartment of Avenue de Lamballe.)

.... Jean C. writes to Simon that he does nothing, absolutely nothing, as well as his entire regiment since he left, the rear is full of troops, the barracks too; a JP comrade who wanted to commit was asked to put this back to a little later. It comforted JP so many volunteers to train first. So Jean C. is in charge of telling you, my Jean, especially not to move where you are, you are doing other services. A letter he received from Gilbert told him that if you want to come back, he only did Drillon to send. J.C. declares that it would be a disaster. It is possible that later we need your reserves, it will be time to come. I knit you a good neck, don't forget to bring up sweater and wool socks that Simon tsawed last year, she will make another pair of them. All women knit in France; at the Coutances high school all students are busy for soldiers. It is still a way to think about them. Our Bison excels in all these female works, she is also very maternal with cousin Yves to whom she gladly gives explanations for the duties. She's changed a lot, she's a big girl now. A letter I received yesterday in response to a card I sent her where I said "the old house is too big, too empty and then I can't scold you anymore" So she answers "We miss you... we love being scolded!"

Sunday, October 22, 1939 .... I just received a letter from the 14 of B.A. .... this annoying insistence of JP's bronchitis, we should try to make it disappear, the future depends on it, more than ever your sons will need to work .... so to be well. So here are the reservists left; I understand the hardness of separating these young households and I would like to know that Mrs C. (Cherry, Capt ??, Canon??) She could leave with her husband. It can't be that she stays in Rosario with the worry she would have. ....All hearts are tight, and old hearts do not find any better.

....Until here none of our little soldiers of the country n − is reported injured or dead, except for 2 boys d −Asnières, who served as motorcycle liaison agents, crashed against a tree.

... He was definitely not gone to Toulon where it seemed that the arsenal could not do without him. He was mobilized in Paris, in uniform and was in the service of Dautry, whose use was made to go to Armament; this still allowed him to take care of the CPDE. His wife and his children settled, both badly and badly, and rather bad than well in Epône near St-Germain en Laye, after having (I fear) well embarrassed friends with whom they had been living since the 1st days of September. The old Dessus fixed at Crillon retreated before all the smalah. Nicole Le Mée takes classes twice a week at the Sorbonne.

.....I wonder what year of work will be able to provide our boys with Coutances. But it would have to take away his exam. It is true that his class will not be called before seven 40, the 2^nd I see that Jean-Louis will not wait for his class to get to work. I will need him here to organize the firemen, tell him...

Nany to Jean and Germaine Hausermann in Rosario

Vierville Saturday, October 28, 1939(EXTRACTS)

My John, I received your letter of October 14th on Sunday 22.... You wrote me from Buenos Aires, but I felt like you were going back to everything by leaving your collaborators, your friends that you would have wanted to accompany if they hadn't dictated another duty.

....A good letter from Mrs Godard – always to the Mine – tells me about you "Tell him to stay where his task is; Pierre is in Le Mans, inactive second lieutenant artillery since 1st.^ir Seven, Louis, who had not done anything, has just been sent back to his sugar factory for two months, where he must also make sugar, because it is his task."Odette Bligny's husband is in the same case; in sum only the active army – officers and soldiers – are in action, yet some of it was sent to the rear to rest.

.... Jean C. was also at rest with his regiment in Arcis-sur-Aube and he had signaled to his wife to come to see him, but despite all the papers she could provide, she could never exceed Paris. Authorization is given only in serious cases. She's back to the poor girl, very disappointed. All that remains is to wait for the permissions Daladier promises to all in a short time. We must avoid what we did in 1914 by holding under arms the soldiers who stayed for more than a year without returning home. The situation was quite different.... Now the Maginot line wall supported by our tanks and guns is facing... an inconceivable barrier.

There is little detail in the press releases, as activity is reduced to little. There must be victims, but so far our little corner is unharmed. Classes 1909 and 1910 (men aged 49 and 50) - I'm not.
.... We really wonder what we think and keep this crazy d-Hitler. It seems that we were expecting a strong attack between Sambre and Moselle this week, then at the passage of hundred of Boches tanks through Holland. ..

.... In Paris, we must say, we are gradually returning since until now German bombs, probably for fear of reprisals, have not appeared on the Ile-de-France.
... of Phil, also good news, he is always in good mood; the Seine climbs up and down and it is a question of sending them to Rochefort s/mer. He prepares the EORs, of course, they are trained, daily even, at steps of 15 to 20 km; for it is a question of the genius, carried in time of peace, following infantry.

.... We also train our boys, at Costances 1h every day – PMS - and 5h consecutively on Thursday. It will not hurt them, but I wonder how this will fit with the intensive preparation that awaits them for studies. They have fortunately taken here good health reserves and the menu of the mother's house will not lack steak, but I complain the poor boys put in boarding; despite the best will in the world, I doubt that it will suffice. The boys have found some comrades of Janson and even Kayser,

(Observations of Francis: "The comrades of the Kayser course you are talking about (15 and 28/10/39) are: Stolz, who was at Coutances, and whom you knew at EDF; and François de Lapisse of the Cropte de la Motte de Sainte Hélène, whom the main staff of the course tried vainly to call Monsieur de la Motte (and who resigned to calling him as everyone called him, by his first name only!), comrade very intelligent, very pleasant, very chahuteur, which did not prevent him from having a very suitable situation in the Taitinger champagnes.
Still in the same letters, Nany was wrong when she said that Picardat was at Coutances, he was somewhere on the Normandy coast, east of Caen; the math teacher was Chatry, from Lille, like all the other teachers. Moreover, there were many courses in industrial graphic design, since, thanks to this, I had in the writing of Centrale a score of 20/20 (high coefficient), which explains, with the absence of oral, my ranking in the contest!"

But the studies are still poorly organized, the graphic and bump drawing, because of the lack of teachers will be removed from the program, idem therefore in the exams. The two little ones follow their class very well. J-wait for the rest, with what impatience! their visit tomorrow. There is only 65 km, 1h1/4 with the 402. This will break my loneliness, aggravated this week by a hurricane that lasts for 4 days. I cannot put my nose out. ...... The wind has brought down the last pears and it has allowed me to make happy. A colony of small Czechs had its share......

The lightning fell yesterday with a terrible noise on the lightning of the bishop's tower (it must be said to my little ones) not causing any damage, not even that, always to fear, to welded the lightning rod. But is it? My TSF post has been silent since then, and I regret it well because the new data 3 times a day and the very good music was helping to spend the hours knitting. I had not had time to close the counter, because it was suddenly, surprising the whole house and scarring the Tattoo. The large gusts of wind have chopped as flesh to pâte the border d'hortensias that surrounds the front of the house and which still had beautiful pink balls whose I promised to garnish your dear father's tomb to Toussaint. Fortunately I was able to go on Thursday, and it was long time since this had not happened, but the beef blood that I absorbs every day since then 1 1⁄2 me begins to make its effect;
... Simone says that she saw Gaby confined to an office in the Ministry of Armaments. I don't suppose her installation looks like her office on the street in Vienna!

Sunday morning 29/10,and here I am before the factor comes and brings it, (the mail was carried on Sundays, I didn't remember) I hope at least, the dear letter....Since last night, I have found a doctor for my post, and I am not angry. In this case it was the son of Gambier who was sent with other soldiers as coast guard. So he came very kindly and found that a lead had been melted, so little, he returned from guard and found on the beach the body of a drowned one. Where does he come from? Some victim of the Boches perhaps, of which one large submersibles has failed near Dover; a wreck where 60 bodies have been found. How sad all this is! The sea throws away in its fury, because the storm continues, piles of wrecks that come we do not know where.
....Goodbye to all my lovers, I kiss you very much, your Nany.

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