Unfranked cover to Athens, Greece from a sergeant with the 1st Hellenic Engineers Battalion based at Eski Sehir in Turkey (within the Smyrna greater area in the country’s Aegean region under Greek administration, 1921-22). Sender’s details (in Greek) on flap: ‘‘Π. Πυρπιρής, Ι Τάγμα Μηχανικού Μετόπισθεν, Μικρόν Επιτελείον, Τ.Τ. 919” [1st Engineer Battalion Rear, Small Staff, Postal Sector 919].
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 “62” handwritten number on cover’s front side indicates addressee’s recorded incoming serial number, placed in arithmetical progression on each new letter received and filed for reference as each letter was always answered later.]
Inspected prior despatch to Greece, and backstamped with double elliptic blue/green stamp texted “ΕΛΛ. ΣΤΡΑΤ. ΛΟΓΟΚΡΙΣΙΑ.” [Hellenic Military Censure] in the interim wih “TT 919” [Postal Sector 919] at center, assigned to the Northern Divisions Group, (Eski Sehir 27/9/21-19/6/22).
Postmarked for despatch with “ΤΑΧ. ΤΟΜ. 919 / 7 ΑΠΡ. 22” [(Greek) Army Post Office 919, 7 April 1922] military date-stamp, allotted to North Group divisions (Eski Sechir 27/9/21-19/6/22).
Backstamped with s.l. ΑΘΗΝΑΙ 14 ΑΠΡ. 22 (ΑΦΙΞΙΣ) [Athens Civil Central PO, 14 April 1922] on arrival at destination; presumably, it ended in its “Poste Restante” counter.
All dates in Julian calendar.
Item condition: Very good, although opened roughly (two short slits); see scans.