WW2 Era Letter written by German Soldier in Greece. Speaks of having Malaria.

[Heartfeltzero]

A rough translation of the letter reads:

“October 3rd 1943

Dear Godfather!

Today on a Sunday I have to write to you right away. Unfortunately these lines are coming from the field hospital. Fate caught up with me just like many of my comrades. I fell ill with malaria tropica, the insidious fever sickness of the tropics. Today it is over again, but on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd Sept the fever didn’t go below 40°C. The peak was on the evening of the 23rd with 41.6°C. You can guess how one feels then. I believe that we're getting one in the eye in our future lives. Here in Greece, things are pretty lively. Back then the story with the Italian and now there are gangs appearing again on a larger scale. How's your dear wife in munich? I wish you healthy days. When you're sick, you'll learn to appreciate health.”

[Willmore]

Hi there.

Thank you for sharing this with us.

The feldpost number relates to 7./Kompanie Gebirgsjäger Regiment 98 (1. Gebirgs Division)

25331
(Mobilmachung-1.1.1940) Stab II Gebirgsjager-Bataillon 98
(2.1.1940-27.4.1940) Stab II Gebirgsjager-Regiment 98
(28.4.1940-14.9.1940) Stab II u. 6.-10. Kompanie
Gebirgsjager-Regiment 98.

1.Gebirgs-Division - Feldgrau

1. Gebirgs-Division

Kind regards,

Will.

[Willmore]

I actually have a death card to a member of Stabsbatterie I./Gebirgs Artillerie Regiment 79 (1. Gebirgs Division) who died of Malaria in September 1943 in Ioannina, Greece.

Here is his casualty card.

[Willmore]

Amazingly I searched ancestry just now and found a copy of his death card, the same one I have in my collection.

Name: Franz Huber
Age: 22
Birth Date: 7 April 1921
Death Date: 2 September 1943
Death Place: Traunstein, Bayern (Bavaria), Deutschland (Germany)
Civil Registration Office: Kammer
Father: Georg Huber
Mother: Therese Huber

[Heartfeltzero]

Thanks!

- - ------- - -

That’s really interesting, I wonder if that’s the same location the writer was recovering from.

[Willmore]

I would say it is likely they would have been in the same hospital, because Feldlazarett 54 was the medical service for troops of 1. Gebirgs Division.

Field post numbers from mobilization: The units were all entered with the number 54 in the field post overview. In mid-1940 the addition of the 1st Mountain Division to the ambulance trains and the field hospital disappeared. In mid-1940, the Mountain Medical Company 54 was renamed the 1st Mountain Medical Company 54. At the same time a 2nd Mountain Medical Company 54 was also registered. In 1943, the 1st Medical Company was briefly renamed the 1st Medical Company 178. but renamed back again in 1943. On February 12, 1945, the 2nd ambulance platoon 54 was cancelled. The 1st Ambulance Motor Train 54 was renamed the Ambulance Motor Company 54 on the same day.

Unit and Field post number

Gebirgs-Sanitäts-Kompanie 54 - 23764 bis 1940
1. Gebirgs-Sanitäts-Kompanie 54 - ab 1940 23764 bis 1943 ab 1943 23764
2. Gebirgs-Sanitäts-Kompanie 54 - ab 1940 31024
1. Kranken-Kraftwagen-Zug 54 - 22617 bis Feb/45
2. Kranken-Kraftwagen-Zug 54 - 05502 gestr. Feb/45
Kranken-Kraftwagen-Kompanie 54 - ab Feb/45 22617
Feldlazarett 54 - 22704
Gebirgs-Veterinär-Kompanie 54 - 10046

Divisional units 54 -
Lexikon der Wehrmacht - 1. Gebirgs-Division

Kind regards,

Will.

[Heartfeltzero]

Very nice! Thanks!