Description

1941 (Jul 19) Plain stampless envelope with small piece to back flap gone, some staining & creases but together with letter datelined 19/7/41 to his wife stating “I am still in a Prisoner of War transit camp so do not wtite to me meanwhile I am quite fit & well so do not worry about me as we are well treated” & addressed to Norh Auckland from 22885 Private J. C. Cleaver cancelled Feldpost cds & with red unframed Kreigsgefangenen & with on reverse Geoffnet /Obercommando der Wehrmacht . . b . . label (Riemer B – 55) tied red circular Eagle Swastika hand stamp & manuscript Nov 29th 1941 arrival date ……………………………………………………………………….
German airborne forces captured 2100 New Zealand troops when Crete was invaded & occupied in May 1941 & an initial POW Camp was set up on the island to hold these..The 1st Capture cards being issued on 26 June. This is very early mail from here and exceptional with surviving letter. The POW’s were later moved in batches to a holding Camp at Corinth, Greece prior to being sent to Germany & the Crete camp was cleared by January 1942 so the window for mail from Crete is only 6 months & mail is very scarce