An SD-man E.Sarkanis wrote to his teacher

3 Names: Andersons, Jansons, Sarkanis

Here I am publishing two postcards that were written in 1942 by an SD-man Edgars Sarkanis. He wrote both of them to Jānis Jansons, who was the school principal in Valmiera and presumably his schoolteacher. The first postcard was sent without the address on it and I decided it was addressed to J.Jansons, because the both postcards were found in the bunch of cards from his archive.

The first postcard was sent from Fürstenberg in Mecklenburg from the school of the SD (Security Police), what was situated quite near to Ravensbruck concentration camp. This was the school where the men from Arājs Command were sent to for the acquisition of necessary qualification. The information about this Command and about another its member J.Jogints is published in another Page.

The group with E.Sarkanis were educated for other tasks than that of J.Jogints. From the second postcard it follows, they were trained for the counterpartisan warfare. Both E.Sarkanis and I.Andersons mentioned in the postcard were not found in the A.Ezergailis' List of the Arājs Command members engaged in the extermination of Jews /Ezergailis/. The name of Edgars Sarkanis was found on the list of fallen soldiers of the Latvian SS-Legion /Kaŗavīrs/ with additional information that he was born Nov. 21, 1922 and perished July 11, 1944. The members of Arājs Command later joined the Waffen SS divisions. The name of Imants Andersons, who is mentioned in a letter, was also found on the list of the perished soldiers, but this is a much more common name, so it is quite possible that there were more people with the name Imants Andersons

This is a fragment of the first postcard with the address of the Security school.

The full text in Latvian:

5 IV 42

Sveiki!

Atrodamies šeit jau 2 nedēļas. Tikai vakar nokārtojās pasta sūtījumu jautājums. Tomēr šoreiz vēl garāk nerakstīšu, jo nevar zināt kā ir īsti ar pastu. 8 stundas pa dienu mums ir apmācības, 4 uz lauka, 4 stundas telpās lekcijas. Ēšana laba dzīvojamās telpas plašas. Pie mums jau īsts pavasaris.

Visu labu: Edgars Viesturs
Arī Andersons Imants, kas pašlaik nav klāt.
Mana adrese

Deutsche Post Postland
An SS-Mann E.Sarkanis
Fürstenberg (Meckl.)
Sicherheitspolizeischule
2. Kompanie, 3 Zug, 1.Gruppe

Sūtams bez markas

This is a view of Fürstenberg from the postcard. Of course, it is neither the security school nor the concentration camp. It is the local park with a view to a lake.

Now my translation of the letter:

5 IV 42

Hello!

We are here for 2 weeks now. Only yesterday the problems with post sending were solved. But at this time I am not yet going to write a lot, because it is still not known what will be the matter with the post. We have training 8 hours a day - 4 are field training, 4 hours of lectures in the classes. The food is good, the living premises are comfortable. We already have here a real spring.

All the best.
Edgars, Viesturs and also Imants Andersons who at the moment is absent.

My address:

German Post, Ostland
To SS-man E.Sarkanis
Fürstenberg (Mecklenburg)
School of the Security Police
2 Company, 3 Platoon, 1 Group

Deliverable without postage stamp

The second card was sent much later - on December 12, 1942, when E.Sarkanis was on his service in the Wileika region of Belorus. First have a look on the address part of the postcard.

Now the letter part of the postcard.

Full text in Latvian

Wileika 8 XII 42

Sveicināti!

Izbraucām 20. novembrī no rīta. 3. dienas pēcpusdienā bijām šeit paši ar savām automašīnām. Iet diezgan interesanti. Nevar teikt, ka šeit ir visai mierīgs apvidus. Bieži jāizbrauc uz partizāņu ķeršanu. 1.decembrī triecienā ieņēmām 2 sādžas. Nebija jau gan nekas sevišķs. Uz janvāra vidu braukšu laikam atvaļinājumā. Rakstu piezīmes par dzīvi šeit. Gaidīšu kādu vēstuli vai kartiņu, jo mums šeit pat avīzes nepienāk. Visu labu. Edgars.

My translation:

Wileika December 8, 1942

Hello!

We departed on November 20 in the morning by our autos. In the evening of the third day we reached this place. It is rather interesting here. One may not assert it is a quiet region here. We are rather frequently engaged in the chasing of partisans. On December 1 we attacked and captured 2 villages. Nothing special it was. Possibly in the middle of January I shall go on leave. I am writing some notices about life here. Waiting for a letter or a card, because we do not receive here even newspapers. All the best. Edgars.