You are offerding on a FANTASTIC example of an original WW2 German Wehrmacht / Deutsches Afrikakorps Printed Field Letter, personally signed in pencil by Generalleutnant Erwin Rommel! Issued from Rommel’s command in North Africa, this standardized correspondence was used to answer the enormous volume of letters and greetings being sent to him from Germany during the Afrika campaign. Rather than carrying a printed or reproduced signature, this example bears an original handwritten “Rommel” signature in pencil at the conclusion. The letter has been carefully mounted by its corners to a heavier period album card, helping keep the thin wartime paper flat and protected over the decades.
During the North African campaign Rommel received such a large volume of correspondence from supporters and admirers in Germany that it became impossible for him to answer every letter individually. His headquarters therefore used standardized printed or mimeographed responses explaining the demands of the desert campaign and praising the performance of German troops fighting alongside their Italian allies. These letters emphasized the extreme desert conditions, the fighting spirit of the Afrika Korps, and confidence in eventual Axis victory.
Made of period paper with printed German text, this example is inEXCELLENT condition considering its age! The sheet shows expected handling, folds and age-related wear, but remains complete and highly presentable. MostIt has been carefully attached at the corners to a heavier period album card, which has helped preserve the document and prevent excessive wrinkling. Most importantly, the letter bears the original handwritten pencil signature of Erwin Rommel at the conclusion.The letter itself is a fascinating piece of Afrika Korps history. Rommel explains that he has received so many greetings and good wishes from the homeland that it is impossible for him to answer them individually. He then turns to the performance of the troops under his command, describing the extreme conditions faced in North Africa: tremendous daytime heat, cold nights, endless sand and dust, difficult fighting over enormous distances, and often extremely challenging terrain. He praises the achievements of the German Afrika Korps under these conditions and concludes by stating that they are determined to carry out the mission given to them until the last enemy has been defeated.
Full English translation:
“I have received so infinitely many greetings and good wishes from the homeland that it is impossible for me to answer these greetings personally. The daily Armed Forces reports, which you all surely follow with great interest, give you an indication of the achievements of the troops entrusted to me. Their achievements are tremendous. The great heat during the day, the cold at night, the endless sand and dust, and not least difficult fighting over extensive areas, sometimes in the most difficult terrain, continually place the highest demands upon every soldier of the German Afrika Korps. The special communiqués give you confirmation that we are meeting these demands and are determined to fulfill the mission given by the Führer until the last enemy has been defeated.
Rommel
An EXCEPTIONAL original wartime Afrika Korps document personally signed by one of the most famous German commanders of World War II! PERFECT for any Afrika Korps, Erwin Rommel, autograph, Heer, North Africa or World War II collection or display!
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