WW2 Autograph and Photograph of Vice Admiral Jerzy Świrski

A handwritten autograph of Vice Admiral Jerzy Świrski of the Polish Navy, part of the Polish Armed Forces in the West.

The set includes two autographs, sent from the Polish Naval Command in London to George Norris, who had written a request for an autograph to the Naval Command.

The set consists of three items:

1. An envelope addressed to George Norris, dated September 12, 1944, with the return address of the Polish Naval Command in London on the reverse;
2. A letter on official Polish Naval Command stationery, dated September 12, 1944, thanking Mr. Norris for his kind words about the Polish Navy and informing him of the enclosed signed photograph;
3. A portrait photograph of Vice Admiral Jerzy Świrski, bearing his full autograph and the inscription: “Vice-Admiral, Chief of the Polish Navy, London 10th Sept 44.”

Vice Admiral Jerzy Włodzimierz Świerski (1887–1959) was one of the most prominent officers of the Polish Navy and a key figure in the creation and organization of the Navy of the Second Polish Republic. During World War II, he served as head of the Naval Command under the Polish Government-in-Exile in London. He played a crucial role in maintaining the operational continuity of Polish naval forces in exile. After the war, he remained in the United Kingdom, where he passed away in 1959.