Despite the enormous disappointment of not being relieved from the front line on 23 December, as promised, the men had cheered up on Christmas Eve. The post had arrived, bringing a deluge of letters and parcels. Helmut had received ‘numerous parcels from home with biscuits, jam, brandy, lemons, [his sister] Irmgard’s notebook, the new fountain pen, goose fat’. The new pen was particularly welcome, for just two days earlier the old one had burst when the ink froze. In addition, Helmut was inundated with offerings from friends, relatives and the pastor in Pforzheim, alongside special military
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