Part two of historian Alan Roberts’ trilogy on love letters sent from Skipton prisoner, Otto Goerg, to his girlfriend Lizzie, in Berlin.

THE German officer-prisoners at Skipton’s Raikeswood Camp were a mixed bunch ranging from mighty landowners to subsistence farmers. Some went on to have quite glittering careers while others led more modest existences. Twenty-four-year-old Second Lieutenant Eugen Wendel had been captured at the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917, and worked as a teacher when he returned to civilian life. He enjoyed writing plays for the children – nativity plays at Christmas and others when the mood took him. There was the Christmas Star, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs from 1921.

Machine-gunner and jeweller Otto Goerg and his young sweetheart Elizabeth were left facing a difficult time in their romance. Elizabeth (Lizzie) had written a letter containing just 31 words – the first letter for several weeks. She no longer sent him kisses. Had she tired of Otto and had she found someone else?

The Walt Disney cartoon film of 1937 showed the seven dwarfs singing ‘Heigh-Ho’ as they went off to work to mine for precious stones. Goerg lived near the town of Idar-Oberstein situated near some remote hills in western Germany. The town had become the centre of the German jewellery industry thanks to the discovery of semi-precious stones like agate and jasper in the surrounding countryside.

Could this be the basis of the Disney film? Sadly the answer is ‘No’. The original Snow White story was collected by the Brothers Grimm over two hundred years ago. The dwarfs, they said, were mining for gold and metal ores. The precious stones seem to have first featured in the Disney film more than a hundred years later. Several German towns claimed to be the setting for the story but Goerg’s hometown was not one of them.

June 1918: The bread has arrived in good condition. He hopes his mother is better after the operation. His brother and co-owner of the firm has been posted to Saarbrücken. At Skipton Otto has been forced to have some expensive dental fillings. Privileges have been withdrawn. It’s one shower per week, no newspapers, no music and the shop has been shut. Otto hopes the weather will stay fine for the hay harvest.

April 1919: His brother has sent him the results of the stocktaking by letter. He has received the ham and Easter cakes which were brilliant. He is worried about his grandfather and his parents. The war was over and they would all meet up again soon. Lieutenant Wommer had lived in a neighbouring village and had died at Keighley during the influenza pandemic. Otto had not heard from Wommer’s family. He hopes Filmann’s business trip is successful and that his brother has already set off.

It’s back to Lizzie. Nineteen-year-old Lizzie weighs just over 9 stone. That’s more than I do he complains. Food was becoming scarce.

It’s now Christmas 1918 and Otto is sad. Everyone is trying hard to make Christmas at Skipton into a joyous occasion. Otto will not delude himself. He believes that Christmas is a time to be spent at home among your friends and family. He asks if she remembers how they were going to celebrate the previous Christmas together. He wonders what will happen next year? Will their yearnings for each other ever be realised. No matter how wonderful you may dream, you always wake up unfulfilled.

February 1919: Otto complains he is not receiving enough letters from Lizzie. He has read about the uprising in Berlin, but other letters are getting through. Life is tolerable at Skipton, but he is incredibly bored. He has read through the copies he made of his letters. They are full of sentimental tosh and a record of his own misfortunes. She must have a good laugh reading them. How can a twenty-eight year old write such stuff?

April 1919: Lizzie had an operation on her neck. She is going to a spa town called Bad Oeynhausen to convalesce. He sends his Treasure a 1,000 kisses.

May 1919: Lizzie asked whether they will understand each other so well in the future. Otto thinks the answer is ‘Yes’: they love each other so much and are so well matched. He hopes she will not be disappointed by all his weaknesses and shortcomings. He thinks it is part and parcel of being human. You can do without people who consider themselves perfect.

He is looking forward to showing her round his home town, but hopes she will not find it too backward after living life in fashionable Charlottenburg near Berlin.

The fighting at the front has been over for more than six months. The letters he writes are no longer censored and Otto will soon be able to write the letters on proper notepaper. There is a real sense that Otto and Lizzie will be able to meet up again soon. The dreams they have cherished for some time may soon become a reality. Could they meet up in Cologne, they wonder? The city was under British military occupation, including some soldiers from our own area. It was easy to get to, but would Otto be too conspicuous in his German officer’s uniform?