Private Papers of H H Kassman – Letters from Kassman in Italy, August 11-November 3, 1943
Date:
15.10.1943
Location:
South Africa, איטליה, בריטניה, טריפולי, סיציליה
Personality:
H. Henry Kassman
Organization:
German Army, הצבא הבריטי
Archive:
Imperial War Museum (IWM)
Folder Number:
Gunner HH Kassman 8-12.1943
Description
Pages 1-10: Letters from 11/8/1943-3/11/1943: Kassman’s impressions of Sicily (very detailed), further familial discussions, army life, Alec’s (brother) frequent letters from South Africa, some details of war movements, parcels back and forth, mail times and organization, anecdotes about people Kassman met, Italian opinions of the Axis Powers and various moves later on in the war, Viviane’s experiences in the United Kingdom, local greetings of convoys of soldiers from different countries, unpopularity of the Germans in Italy, Kassman’s visit to a hospital.
Notable North Africa mentions:
-In letter to mother from 22/9/1943: Italian village wall with “the inscription ‘Tunisi, Dibuti, Suez’, these presumably being territorial ambitions.”
-In letter to Viviane from 15/10/1943 (final paragraph): When Kassman was in Tripoli, “the British authorities were very hot on any Italians who tried to get rich quick and quite a number of shops were shut.” (In the context of inflating prices to make money off soldiers.)
