Translation?

[legionitalia]

Hello, Wondered if anyone could give a quick translation! Very artistic handwriting! Much Appreciated! Here's the back first.

[legionitalia]

Front

Here's the front With nice S.ST.A. Stamp.

[legionitalia]

Front

[Hank C.]

Here's most of it. One sentence in the middle I couldn't quite get.

best,
Hank

Lieber ….
Will mal ein Lebenszeichen von mir geben. Wir werden am 26. oder 27. 6. entlassen oder vielleicht auch fr******252;her. Da haben wir ja die Hauptsache(?) hinter uns. Wie lange bleibst du noch im Metz? Wie ist das essen bei euch, sicher besser als bei uns meinst du nicht auch.......(then a bit farther down)....
Lieber Rudi, willst du so freundlich sein, wenn es geht, die 10 mark zu schicken. Weisst ja, wie es ist, wenn man kein Geld hat.
Will nun schlafen, in der Hoffnung von einer antwort von dir. Es gruesst dich vielmals, dein Kamerad…


Dear ….
Just want to give you a sign of life. We will be released on the 26<SUP>th</SUP> or 27<SUP>th</SUP> of june, maybe even earlier. Then we’ll have the main time(?) behind us. How long will you stay in Metz? HOw is the food where you are, surely better than where we are don't you think so too......Dear Rudi, can you be so friendly, when possible, and send the 10 Marks. You know how it is, when a person has no money. I want to go to bed now, with the hope of an answer from you. Many greetings from your comrade....

[legionitalia]

Thanks much Hankmeister! Not very high spirits in this letter. Being broke definitely sucks!

[GHP]

Lieber ….

His first name is Rudi. Further, the letter is posted to Mtr. Rudi Dietsch, Metz-Teil 2 Lazarette, Tirolistrasse 24. They appear to be sailors ... if "Mtr" is an abbreviation for Matrose.

The sender's address is:

Mtr. Freid[? land ?] Paul, 2.19.S.St.A., Arsweiler ueber Diedenhofen

The section you couldn't read mentions a courtmartial:

Bei uns war heute das Kriegsgericht, hatte allerhand Verhand?; lungen? gegeben.

[We had a courtmartial today, all hands were given Verhand, lungen/bungen???]


Okay -- don't laugh .... I don't speak German well and this was the best I could do!!

Regarding "Hauptsache," according to Babblefish, it translates to "main thing" -- so perhaps Paul is telling Rudi the "major things are behind us"???

Cheers,
Guy

[helmutderpa]

More

Arsweiler über Diedenhofen is a French town near Metz.
This means Angevillers over Thionville.

This is where I live. A nice item