Most of the letters were written by Egon to his wife Anne. A few of the later ones are addressed to "Liebe Mutti" (Dear Mom), and one of them was written to Egon. All the handwritings are so similar as to be indistinguishable. Judging by what little could be gleaned and translated from the letters, most of which are handwritten in an almost illegible chicken scratch, WW2 started rather well for Paymaster Leonhardt. In early 1940, the 98th Infantry Division was stationed in France, and he was very busy buying clothes, lingerie, etc., and sending them to his family. There is almost no geographical information on the location of Egon's division. In his April 1941 letter, he mentions Sofia, Bulgaria, and the fact that the twisting mountainous roads were so full of moving troops that he decided not to risk the trip there. He happily informed his wife that he was given a lot of fresh eggs to eat, and the combination of abstinence and the abundance of protein gave him many "happy dreams."

Various sources agree that the 98th Infantry Division was sent to the southern sector of the Eastern Front in June 1941, was part of Operation Barbarossa, then in November 1941 was sent to the central sector of the Eastern Front where it fought until March 1943. In March 1943 it was resubordinated to the 17th Army, Army Group A. Egon's last letter is dated 31 December 1942. It is addressed to his mother and, though not much of his handwriting can be read and understood, the general tone of the letter is rather desperate and gloomy, with phrases like "we will fulfill our duty" and expressed hope to return home soon. In April 1944, the 98th was mired in the Crimea by Hitler's obsession to defend it at all costs. In early May 1944, General Tolbukhin launched the offensive operation by forces of the 4th Ukrainian Front and the Separate Coastal Army. The operation completely liberated the Crimea, destroying in the process the 98th Infantry Division and the entire German 17th Army. The remnants of the division's troops were evacuated by sea and moved to Croatia where the division was reformed by August 1944. Whether or not Oberzahlmeister Egon Leonhardt lived to see that day, is unknown.

The letters are in excellent condition: the paper is strong and pliant, not brittle, the handwriting is crisp, there are no blurred spots or any other damage. A fluent German speaker may hopefully decipher Egon's handwriting and get the complete story of these letters.