Unfranked cover to Athens, Greece from a sublieutenant with the 30th Hellenic Infantry Regiment operating at Nymphaion, East of Smyrna in Turkey (areas under Greek administration, 1919-22). Sender’s details on cover: 30th Infantry Regiment, Postal Sector 911.
Addressee is Miss Georgia Despotopoulou, known along with her two sisters Nefeli and Ioanna for having kept correspondence with Greek enlisted men in all fronts from 1912 (Balkan Wars) to 1923 (shortly after the expedition to Turkey).
[The large handwritten pencil number “35” on cover indicates addressee’s incoming serial number, placed on each new letter received and filed in arithmetical progression for reference as each letter was always answered later.]
Postmarked for despatch with “ΣΤΡΑΤ. ΤΑΧΥΔΡΟΜΕΙΑ 911 / 29 ΦΕΒΡ. 20” military date-stamp [(Greek) Army Post, Sector 911, 29 February 1920] allotted to Smyrna Division.
Backstamped with civil s.l. “ΑΘΗΝΑΙ ΚΕΝΤΡΙΚΟΝ 29 ΦΕΒ. 20” [Athens Central PO, 29 February 1920] on arrival in Athens, and entered the Greek civil postal stream.
Passed by Greek censor when opened and inspected on arrival in Athens, Greece; sealed with tape printed ‘ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΛΟΓΟΚΡΙΣΙΑ / CENSURE HELLENIQUE’ tied with two-line h/s reading in Greek/French ’ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΛΟΓΟΚΡΙΣΙΑ / CENSURE HELLENIQUE / 4’ in black. Cover bears single circled ‘41’ examiner handstamp.
Recipient’s address at final destination was corrected to “Poste Restante” and kept at the counter.
All dates in Julian Calendar.
Item condition: Good; rough opening at left edge. See scans.