In the autumn of 1942, author Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz was finally able to leave the Camp Hay internment camp in Australia and return to England. On 10 August 1942, fearing that he may not survive the hazardous voyage, he wrote this letter to his mother, who was interned in England on the Isle of Man. It is not known who kept the letter and sent it to his mother after his death. Boschwitz’s ship, the “M.V. Abosso”, was sunk by German torpedoes on 29 October 1942. The author and 361 other people perished at sea.

The letter reveals that Boschwitz was mainly concerned about the future of his works. Following the publication of his novel “Der Reisende“ (The man who took trains) (1938/39) in the English language, he completed a further revision of the German manuscript during his internment, believing that this would improve its chances of publication. His letter refers to “those unfulfilled contracts” which could have been a good point at which to resume his writing career after the war. This remark suggests that Boschwitz had already concluded contracts with other publishers before he was interned and deported to Australia. Evidently it was no longer possible to fulfil them.

He also hoped that further opportunities for publication would open up for his novel “Menschen neben dem Leben” (People Alongside Life), (1937) after the war, particularly in Germany. The two other novels mentioned in the letter have been lost.