War letters from Maurice Rougier
4 March to 8 April 1945
(He is a liaison officer between the 1st Army and the 2nd Corps)
5021
pm written letter from Besançon on 3 March 1945 by Maurice Rougier in Grannie
Extract from the written letter from Gérardmer ? on 4 March 1945addressed to Granie in Bourg:
"Sunday, March 4
Dear ladies
I made a sensational mouthful last night with the Fourniers, whose most beautiful piece was a beautiful 8-pound pike...
I left with my truck (from Besançon), This morning at 7:00 and arrived at G. (Gerardmer most likely?) - At 11:30.
(From Lattre de Tassigny, He's not here, he's on leave until Saturday and I haven't been able to see the Chief of the EM yet. (Chief of Staff, Cd., which also changes, but at the firm I was suggested that I will probably stay here waiting for his return. So I don't give you a postal sector because if it is to change your letters in a few days would be lost.
....I'm temporarily staying in a hotel where the popota is located, in a luxurious room with central heating! It seems that if we stay we are put at home and it's much less well. Menu of the popota really without restriction, I regret to be able to send you some parts of it.
MV tells me that he has an opportunity for Bourg, so don't be surprised to receive this letter by this extraordinary way....
I'm happy with my trip and I'm fine, all three of you.
Mauritius
Extract from the written letter from Gérardmer on 8 March 1945addressed to Granie in Bourg:
"...I am bored to stay so long without news of you and I hope you're okay. But the blow is regular and all comrades complain to stay for 15 to 20 days without news from them when they arrive.
I'm doing my little internships here waiting for my assignment, I finished yesterday with the first office and I start today the second....
I'm fine, but I don't want to eat too much or drink because here we're not very private in this respect....
Extract from the written letter from Gérardmer ? on 9 March 1945addressed to Granie in Bourg:
"Friday, March 9, 1945
...Our little town is in a valley of about 900m wide, a clear and fast river flows down.....These poor people from the offices lead a well sedentary life that I would hardly like their only walks seem to be those that are necessary to go home or to the poppie, with which we eat and drink too much, what to become sick of, even in the evening after dinner they give it to the Office until 10 or 11 hours! I hope I could have something that allows me to do a little more outdoors. ....
You've seen the great success of the Americans who have just crossed the Rhine between Bonn and Coblenz, wrapping up a dozen German divisions that are in a bad position, they've already set up a head for the next few years. (in Remogen) The Germans seem to be very low and if they were not stunned by the people of the party, I think they would do well with Kamarades! It seems, in any case, that even when the Nazis were beaten 100% prepare a war of partisans and a maquis, Hitler and all his clique would take refuge in a small area made up of Tyrol. Here it is fairly quiet, it seems, along the Rhine but patrols cross the river every night and come to bother our posts.
Tonight, dinner is great for all the poppies who spread out 40 Belgian journalists in ballads.
I would like to touch my American equipment without delay because my cockroach is heavy and holds my shoulder that makes me feel a little bit bad, but it seems that I have to wait until I get affected, I have the list in front of my eyes, we're touching lots of things coat, vary, waterproof, blankets (2), and I'd be obliged to hand you some of my stuff....
Extract from the written letter from Gérardmer ? on 12 March 1945addressed to Granie in Bourg:
"... In any case excellent reception due to my relays with D. (De Lattre de Tassigny)I was on Tuesday night at dinner by General V, the outgoing Chief of Staff, who is also in the 49th class....
Here's the useless power card.
pm letter of 13 March 1945Extract from the written letter from Gérardmer ? on 16 March 1945addressed to Granie in Bourg:
"Dear ladies
This is the Chief who just got back from Paris, where the General was still (From Lattra) , with my assignment as liaison officer to the 2nd Corps (see the official transfer notice)I'm making my preparations for my departure, I'll be in a well-known Alsatian town 25 km from our old garrison. (So Molsheim, 25km to Strasbourg SO) .....I am pleased with this job which will make me walk a little on the roads and at the same time allow me to resume contact with modern war...
I'm careful not to overeat or drink, but to gradually adapt to this rich food that we were no longer used to (morning meat and evening - wine at discretion etc.).
Extract from the written letter from Molsheim ? on March 18, 1945addressed to Granie in Bourg:
"...I joined my new PC last night. Good reception, this time I am staying at the home, obviously less well than at the hotel where I was... I started my liaison work today and just made 120km. I have a car and a driver who drives very carefully.... The operations are working very well and all Alsace will be released tomorrow perhaps.
Extract from the letter from (north of Strasbourg) on 22 March 1945addressed to Granie in Bourg:
"...I am sorry you're not getting enough meat, you know, tap the pig! I'm sorry I couldn't get you to join our agaps, I haven't eaten so well. (Commander of the 2nd Corps)And I beg you to believe that the kitchen is good. You know that I'm in an EM similar to the one where I left in 39-40, my role is to link him with the upper echelon...
I crossed Strasbourg yesterday and I made a hook through our house...... our neighborhood suffered enough and our house was bombed and demolished, our balcony jumped, the floors below suffered less..
We moved up north yesterday, and I'm pretty much in a place. (north of Starsbourg) and biting already in Germany but the Boches though badly in place still defend themselves. Of course I sometimes hear the cannon, but quite far and fairly deaf.
Thanks to Fanne and Claude for their little words, congratulations on their places, but you have to tell Mom what you're doing and not go back at 8:00 a.m. without warning.
Extract from the letter of 15km north of Strasbourg on 24 March 1945addressed to Granie in Bourg:
" ..... I am now about 15 km from our old garrison. Today's news is sensational: the Boches have evacuated the left bank and the Americans have even managed to pass to Oppenheim. We are active in preparations for penetration in Bochia....
Extract from the letter written from 15km north of Strasbourg on 26 March 1945addressed to Granie in Bourg:
"...nothing more of you today. I thought from your letter of the 15 continue to receive your news more regularly. Before last night grans dinner offered here to D. (De Lattre de Tassigny) I was and he very nicely recognized me...
Yesterday Sunday I attended the great mass, huge crowd and beautiful choirs by the Alsatians. I am staying with very kind people. The father, ill-treated by the Gestapo, is half paralyzed, the old mother and the young girl of twenty years speak well French. I sleep in a dining room ... a comfortable bed, and the bathroom - without bath - is at my disposal for the toilet.
The Americans continue their successes, they just took Darmstadt and are 15 km away from Frankfurt on the Main, the boaches seem to be in a state of disarray on this side and their situation seems to me very much like ours in May and June 40. I have touched most of my American effects, so I am well stocked with everything I have taken, I now have 2 condoms, 2 jackets and everything to come, I also have a camp bed and a tent, they really do not lack anything, what an organization! we even touch hygienical paper! ....
Extract from the letter of 15km north of Strasbourg on 29 March 1945Addressed to Fannie in Bourg:
"...I've been in a lot of traffic since I arrived at my third cantonment, I've always been with Alsatians who seem to be very good French and who have received me very well, in my previous cantonment they made me my laundry, here I was invited yesterday to eat an alsatian pie and drink the gout and the daughter of the house took over my socks. But all this will change well in the Bochie where we are going to go incessantly..."
Extract from the written letter from (in Germany, left bank of the Rhine, north of Strasbourg) on 31 March 1945Addressed to Claude in Bourg:
"Saturday, March 31, 1945, My dear Claudet
We have been in Germany since yesterday. It is less comfortable and after that in Alsace. As a safety measure, we have to evacuate a neighborhood in 2 hours and we settle in the houses. The area is surrounded by barricades and guarded by sentries and except the competent services no one has to visit the Boches. Needless to say, there are many times. We are in an agricultural community and everywhere the houses are full of provisions: jams, butter or margarine, sugar and even chocolate from the parcels to our prisoners. The closets of the house where our offices are are filled with a number of pairs of leather and rubber shoes of men and women with whom my endowment is nothing..."
Extract from the written letter from (Germany, right bank of the Rhine) on 3 April 1945addressed to Granie in Bourg:
"For a few days I wrote to you because we were on the move. Business is going well and we crossed the Rhine. Yesterday during a hike I crossed Mannheim by car, apocalyptic spectacle, just ruins and it is a city bigger than Strasbourg! The bombings of the RAF are really terrifying. Some wandering shadows only along the walls....
We are now in a fairly large city on the Rhine, not demolished at all. Le Boches are correct. We are recovering some prisoners and French deportees in the passage very happy to see us arrive. Seen Mr. this morning who is preparing to run with his armored...
Extract from the written letter from (in Germany) on 8 April 1945addressed to Granie in Bourg:
"...I finally receive from you a package of 5 letters, all those that you have written to me since the first addressed by the intermediary of Faivre....
We often move, we are currently in a small town half destroyed, there is only one area of villas where we are settled, there is obviously no water or electricity.... The boaches that were still there were put in a fire to give us the place and it is good to return their coin. We eat their supplies and God knows if they have them! jams, wines, etc... that they are taken over with many other things. They need to know what war is and that they suffer as we have suffered. I hope that they will soon send you their supplies, since you tell me that your supply is working very badly. Here, as I was telling you - apart from the life in the cellars they had organised - they do not seem to lack much: all women have stockings and shoes of leather and everyone breathes good health.
The operations are working well, enough prisoners and few casualties.... You have to be careful, the lines are far from being continuous and you can thus fall into a trap when you go forward.... I continue to do every day 100 to 110 km, this job is not unpleasant but I would prefer something where I have more responsibility. Yesterday we had the visit of General de Gaulle, great tralala, I saw him passing by by car but I did not attend the reception, I have no office or clean staff, but rather live with the 3 (The 3rd Bureau)
......
On April 10, Lt-Colonel Rougier changed his assignment to lead a foreign prisoner camp to repatriate to Germersheim.