Letter from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams, May 28, 1945
- Date
- Creator
- Williams, Clarence
- Format
- letter
- Category
- Stories
- Subcategory
- Clarence Williams
- Repository
- Institute for Holocaust Education
- Collection
- Clarence Williams Collection
- Bibliographic ID
- Folder 12, Item f
- Data URI
- soh.sto002.00114.xml
- Sender(s)
- Williams, Clarence
- Sent from
- Bayrischzell, Germany
- Recipient(s)
- Williams, Gretchen
- Received at
- Omaha, Nebraska
Bayrischzell, Germany28 May 1945.
My Darling —
Well honey, another week has passed and
still we have no information as to what
our set up is to be. I didn’t get a chance
to write you yesterday because of taking an
excursion. We had to walk about a mile
after arriving and with a bad ankle,
I was really worn out when we got
back. I went to bed about 8:00 PM and
really slept. I wasn’t sorry that I went
along however as the tour was wonderful.
We visited the castle or home of Ludwig II,
former King of Bavaria located on an island
in the Chiem Sea. It is impossible to describe
the beauty of the castle as it seems like a
dream. Its what you read about in fairy
tales. The walls are of beautiful multi-colored
marble. In the center of the main entrance
are two large beautiful peacocks about 8 ft
high, their wings and feathers are of gold
and they are mounted on a large white
marble base. The huge chandeliers are of
gold and glass, are about 20 ft in length
and 12 ft in diameter. The drapes look like
a very heavy type of velvet covered with
gold braid and design and they are all of
beautiful colors that harmonize with
the gold trim. The arched in culan or
oval ceiling and walls are covered by the most
beautiful oil paintings I have ever seen. The
floors are of oak and maple with inlaid
designs in the center and around the edges
and are so highly polished you can see
your reflection. Of course we had to walk
on carpeting so as not to damage same.
The bed rooms contained hand carved beds
painted in gold with their great canopies
over them. In fact every thing in every
room was trimmed in gold. The king’s
bath was of marble, about 4 feet deep and
20 ft in diameter with a carpeted stairway
leading down on either side. His dressing
rooms had walls of mirrors all else being
in gold trim. One room was 332 ft in
length and had 52 high chandeliers. We
were told it required 2,300 candles to
fill the chandeliers. I took some pictures
while there and hope some of them will
be good just to give you an idea of the
place. We crossed the lake by a ferry
that would hold about 200 fellows. I surely
enjoyed the ride on the lake, reminded
me of lake rides at Bairds cottage.
Outside of the tour, the day was
very quiet, went to church in the morning
and then had a very good dinner.
We had steak, mashed potatoes and brown
gravy, and sliced pineapple for desert.
Oh you, pondered milk[?] was the drink, can
you imagine me drinking that stuff.
Even it tastes good occasionally but of course
it does have a chalky taste.
I am inclosing a few more pictures that are described on the back and also will send an advertisement of the lodge where we are now staying plus a map on a card, describing the Chiem Sea, in another envelope.
Well honey, I guess thats about all the news for now and I must get to work as I have a lot of laundry to wash.
Take good care of yourself for me —
Worlds & Worlds of LoveAlways yours Clarence
Pfc. C. O. Williams 37738878
Co A - 122d Med Bn.
A.P.O. #411 - c/o P.M.
New York, N. Y.
AIR MAIL
U.S. Army Postal Service MAY 29 1945