WWII German Wehrmacht Feldpost Letter & Envelope-Feldpost Nr. 23853-1943

Original WWII German military Feldpost letter with its matching wartime envelope, sent by a German serviceman using Feldpostnummer 23853. The envelope bears both a period “Feldpost” postal cancellation dated November 1943 and a clearly visible official circular military unit stamp incorporating the German eagle and swastika, with the wording “Dienststelle Feldpostnummer 23853.”

Research into Feldpostnummer 23853 identifies the number as having been assigned during the war to a German Army medical transport formation. Feldpost reference records show:

• Initially: 3. Kompanie, Kranken-Transport-Abteilung 604
• Later: 2. Kompanie, Kranken-Transport-Abteilung 610

The latter assignment is the one associated with the later-war period and is therefore the most relevant identification for this November 1943 correspondence. Contemporary Feldpost research likewise identifies FPN 23853 with 2. Kompanie Kranken-Transport-Abteilung 610. 

The reverse of the envelope is handwritten with the sender’s information and appears to identify him as an Unteroffizier (Uffz.), followed by “Feldpost Nr. 23853” and a platoon designation. The front is addressed to Adolf Willing in the Karlsbad/Eger region of the former German-speaking Sudetenland area.

Included is the original multi-page handwritten letter, written in German in pencil. The letter remains folded as originally mailed and displays substantial period character, including age toning, scattered foxing/staining and expected handling wear. The handwriting remains visible throughout, although portions are light and difficult to decipher. The envelope shows edge wear, small tears, staining and general age-related deterioration consistent with an approximately 80-year-old field-post item.

Of particular interest is the combination of the identified Feldpost number, military medical-transport association, dated wartime cancellation, original contents, sender notation and intact Wehrmacht unit stamp. Feldpost material that retains its original letter is considerably more desirable historically than an empty envelope because it preserves the correspondence as a complete wartime grouping.

An interesting additional piece of corroborating research is a documented 1942 Feldpost cover using the same Feldpostnummer 23853, identified in an auction catalog as 3./Kranken-Transport-Abteilung 604 and originating in Ukraine, showing the number’s documented connection to German casualty/medical transport operations on the Eastern Front. 

Condition: Good original wartime condition overall. Envelope exhibits toning, staining, edge losses/tears and handling wear. Letter exhibits folds, foxing and age discoloration with light pencil handwriting. No attempt has been made to clean or restore either piece. Please examine photographs carefully for exact condition and markings.