| THIS IS A
STORY THAT TRULY BRINGS THIS TRAGEDY CLOSER TO THE HEART
 Twenty-one
year old Walter Salk perished aboard
the Wilhelm Gustloff on the night it was
torpedoed. His niece, Rita Rowand from Virginia, USA has kindly agreed to share the personal
details of his story with us. It is a moving narrative
that reinforces the human side of this terrible tragedy - and the
emotional impact it has on family and friends.
The letters truly tell the
story by themselves - beginning with excerpts of Walter's
wartime-censored letters to his parents back home in Essen-Altenessen.
Despite work of the censors, one gets glimpses into Walter
feelings. It is obvious that the pressure is mounting as
the Soviet Red Army closes in on the port town of Gotenhafen
(Gdynia) - home of the Wilhelm Gustloff and the 2nd
U-boat Training Division.
According to Rita:
"Walter
Salk was a seaman-mechanic in the Germany Navy. He was
stationed on the Wilhelm Gustloff in 1945. He had
served on the T.S. Murwik where he met and befriended a young
canteen worker named Christa Hausen.
I
recently discovered a series of letters which documents
Walter's last days on the Gustloff before it sank, and
a poignant letter from Christa to Walter's mother, (my
grandmother), inquiring as to his whereabouts. Because
of only basic communications at that time, immediate
notification of the sinking of the Gustloff was not
evident.
On
February 1, 1945, a few days after the sinking, my grandmother
wrote to Walter. This letter was returned to her and is
part of the collection. I
have translated some excerpts from the letters to tell the
story of how this tragedy unfolded in one family's lives, and
also have the notice from the German Controller of the Naval
Document Centre, which officially notifies of Walter's death,
after being listed as "missing" for over one year.
I know
from my mother's accounts, that my grandmother clung to a
thread of hope that perhaps he was captured by the Russians
and still lived in confinement, somewhere in Russia. But
that was not the case, and the official notice from September
28, 1946 concludes that since Walter was not one of the ship's
survivors and it was virtually impossible that he could have
been captured since no Russian ships were in the area around
the time of the sinking, to pick up survivors."
And now, here are excerpts
from these very letters:
Gotenhafen, December 25,
1944
My dear Parents!
Yesterday we had our holiday
but I had duty from 7:00 am to noon, and then again from 20:00
to 21:00 hours…We were each given 10 cigarettes and 4
cigars. How is Inge [his sister, my mother] and Grandma (oma)
and Grandpa (opa)? …
Gotenhafen, January 3,
1945
My dear Parents!
Yesterday I got your nice
letter with all your lovely greetings and the 50 DM, of which
I am very grateful…
Gotenhafen, January 8,
1945
My dear Parents!
Yesterday I got your letter
from January 1. Thank you! …
Gotenhafen, January 9,
1945
My dear Parents!
I just want to thank you
again for the money you sent. Its 23:10. We watched a film
this evening at 20:00…
Gotenhafen, January 14,
1945 (final letter)
My dear Parents!
…everything is as always.
Yesterday, some comrades and I went out… I will be glad when
I leave Gotenhafen, …and get stationed somewhere else. I
will let you know my new address. Now I must close, I have
duty later…
Your son, Walter
 Essen-Altenessen,
February
1, 1945
(Letter
eventually returned as undeliverable)
My dear Walter!
I want to send my greetings
to you. A lot has changed in the East recently. I am
writing to let you know that Aunt Martha left on January
16th. We didn't hear from her until January 25th.
She was in East Prussia and may not be able to get out.
She was going to try and visit you. Maybe we'll hear more from
her soon. Your father is feeling a little better, and
Inge will be having her 17th birthday on the 9th of
February. Send me your new address as soon as you know
it. You are my good boy.
Heartfelt greetings and
kisses from your Mother and Father.
Flensburg, March 8, 1945
(From Christa)
Dear Mrs. Salk!
You will be surprised to get
a letter from someone you have never met.
My dear Mrs. Salk, I would be
very grateful if you could give me some news. I know
your son very well, I was Canteen Helper on the T.S. Murwik.
Walter and I became good friends.
Now, I have not received any
mail from Walter since the 21st of January. Since he was
living on the Wilhelm Gustloff, and it was torpedoed, I am
dreading that Walter was on board. Perhaps, Mrs. Salk,
you can tell me if Walter still lives?
Walter told me shortly before
he was repositioned from Flensburg, "If you don't hear
from me, you will know I am dead." One of his
friends gave me your address, and so I beg you dear Mrs. Salk,
give me some information if you have gotten any news of him,
and I would be eternally grateful.
With kind regards,
Christa Hausen
Warnemunde, December 18,
1945
OFFICIAL NOTICE
With this list we notify you
that Mech. Maat Walter Salk, born on September 29, 1923 in
Essen-Altenessen on the ship "Wilhelm Gustloff," on
the high seas near Stolpmunde in the middle Ost See [Baltic], is
officially listed as missing.
H. Brueggemann
 Naval Document Centre
British Naval Headquarters
(Marine-Personal-Document Central
By British Marine Oberkommando)
(21 a) Minden/Westf.
September 28, 1946
Ref. Nr.: Vd. 0232
Re: Whereabouts of Mech. Mt.
Walter Salk, on the Ship "Wilhelm Gustloff"
Ref: Letter from Rudolph
Dommasch, [ed.note: Uncle of Walter] of March 7, 1946
Dear Mr. Salk!
It is my duty to give you the
painful news that your son, Mech.Mt. Walter Salk was
officially listed as missing since January 30th, 1945. He was
stationed on the Ship, KDF "Wilhelm Gustloff."
This
ship was torpedoed by a Russian submarine on January 30th,
1945 and sunk. Your son was not one of the survivors to be
rescued, so you must reconcile yourself that he is no longer
among the living. The possibility that he could be in a
Russian prison camp is extremely unlikely. Russian ships were
not in the area at the time of the rescue operation.
Should you not have heard
from your son by now, we officiate that he is legally declared
dead and recorded as such in Hamburg.
German Controller
Naval Document Centre
Dedicated to the memory
of Walter Salk
born: September 29, 1923
died: January 30, 1945
Thank you Rita Rowand for
sharing this touching story from your family history.
All photos are property of Rita Rowand.
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