▁ ▁Final ▁days ▁and ▁death ▁ ▁After ▁his ▁res ignation , ▁Marsh al ▁Baron ▁M anner heim ▁bought ▁Kirk ni emi ▁Man or ▁in ▁L oh ja , ▁int ending ▁to ▁spend ▁his ▁ret irement ▁there . ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁he ▁under w ent ▁an ▁operation ▁for ▁a ▁per for ated ▁pe ptic ▁ul cer , ▁and ▁in ▁October ▁of ▁that ▁year ▁he ▁was ▁diagn osed ▁with ▁a ▁du oden al ▁ul cer . ▁In ▁early ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁it ▁was ▁recommended ▁that ▁he ▁should ▁travel ▁to ▁the ▁Val mont ▁San ator ium ▁in ▁Mont re ux , ▁Switzerland , ▁to ▁recuper ate ▁and ▁write ▁his ▁mem oir s . ▁Val mont ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁M anner heim ' s ▁main ▁residence ▁for ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁his ▁life , ▁although ▁he ▁regularly ▁returned ▁to ▁Finland , ▁and ▁also ▁visited ▁Sweden , ▁France ▁and ▁Italy . ▁ ▁Because ▁M anner heim ▁was ▁old ▁and ▁sick ly , ▁he ▁personally ▁wrote ▁only ▁certain ▁pass ages ▁of ▁his ▁mem oir s . ▁Some ▁other ▁parts ▁he ▁dict ated . ▁The ▁remaining ▁parts ▁were ▁written ▁from ▁his ▁re collections ▁by ▁M anner heim ' s ▁various ▁assist ants , ▁such ▁as ▁Colonel ▁Al ad ár ▁Pa ason en ; ▁General ▁Erik ▁Heinrich s ; ▁Gener als ▁Grand ell , ▁O len ius ▁and ▁Mart ola ; ▁and ▁Colonel ▁Vil jan en , ▁a ▁war ▁historian . ▁As ▁long ▁as ▁M anner heim ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁read , ▁he ▁proof