Constant Eugene Leopold Lebreton was a Poilu, an ordinary French soldier of the First World War, captured
early in the conflict and incarcerated in Quedlinburg camp, some two miles from
that German town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
The camp held 12,000 prisoners of various nationalities, and had its own
newspaper, Le Tuyau, meaning a pipe
or conduit, or more informally a tip or suggestion. It also had its own
currency, examples of which can be found on an excellent website recounting the
history of the camp.
Prisoners were
expected to work and maintain the camp, and were paid a small sum in camp
currency. They were generally well treated, but infectious diseases such as
Typhus were always a risk. And the archives inform us that by the end of the War, 703
prisoners had died, of which 412 were Russian, 144 French, 101 British, 32
Italian and 14 Civilians.
The card to Constant Lebreton from his wife, who lived in
the tiny village of Maltot in Normandy, reads:
“Saturday 7th
August 1915
My dear Husband. It is
with much pleasure that I received your card dated 17th July, in
which you asked me to write to you more often. In effect, I didn’t write to you
often in June because I was very poorly, but now I am much better and I will
write to you more frequently. You must often receive many cards I think that trouble you,
but myself also. And I find that the time hangs very long. Tell me how many cards and
letters you receive, as well as parcels. You say that the bread is very good in
the recent parcel. I have got you some biscuit bread. You must tell me if the
contents of the parcels pleases you, and if you like the chocolate,
as well as the coffee, if we can send it. Dear husband, you tell me of the
shipments of the Red Cross committee. Here, those don’t exist. I did enquire.
Could you give me some information about the subject, what your comrades
receive, and what needs to be done, because at Maltot, there is nothing done,
that’s to say, no effort made to take part in the committee. You know how the
world is here, nothing has changed. Vivement que tu sois de retour. Until you
return to make us happy. The children send you their kisses. It is Marie who
has been to the [station?] this morning. Hello to all. Your wife who loves and
embraces you with all her heart. Till soon. With good news I hope.” (My translation)
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