Bidspirit auction | War of Independence – Military

War of Independence – Military Mail Letter from the First Day of Operation HaHar, 13.10.1948 - Israeli military mail envelope and original handwritten letter in German, sent on 13 October 1948, the opening day of Operation HaHar, one of the key operations conducted in the Jerusalem Corridor during the War of Independence. The letter was sent through Military Post 222 by a soldier serving in a support company (Pluga Mesaiaat). Based on the date, location described in the text, and the military activity in the Jerusalem Corridor at the time, the unit was likely attached to either the Harel Brigade or the Etzioni Brigade, both of which participated in Operation HaHar and related operations in the Jerusalem sector. In the letter, the soldier writes that his unit is located “between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on the new road, ” providing a contemporary first hand reference to the military situation along the approaches to Jerusalem. The envelope bears a Haifa arrival postmark dated 20 October 1948. A particularly interesting feature is the presence of a Jewish National Fund (JNF / Keren Kayemet LeIsrael) label affixed to the envelope. Military mail was exempt from postage charges, and the label was not cancelled, indicating that it was added as a symbolic Zionist and patriotic gesture rather than for postal use. The letter is written in German using large, simple block letters. The style of writing may reflect correspondence between a German speaking mother and a son whose primary language had likely become Hebrew, resulting in a basic and highly legible written German. Accompanying the letter is a small handwritten note in German, apparently a reply or draft reply from the mother. A personal document with clear historical context, combining military mail, the War of Independence, Operation HaHar, German speaking immigration to Eretz Israel, and the everyday reality of a soldier serving near the Jerusalem front during a pivotal stage of the war. Condition: Wear, folds, tears, edge losses, stains, and signs of age and handling. Please examine the photographs carefully.