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An Intriguing WW2 ‘Warsaw Uprising’ and S.O.E. interest Group of Ten attributed to Major Jerzy Feliks Szymanski, Polish ‘Home

Morton & Eden Ltd.

Lot 568

An Intriguing WW2 ‘Warsaw Uprising’ and S.O.E. interest Group of Ten attributed to Major Jerzy Feliks Szymanski, Polish ‘Home Army’ (A.K.) and member of the Intelligence division of the elite ‘Cichociemny’ or ‘Silent Unseen’ paratroop force. Wounded and taken P.O.W. by German forces at the Battle of Tomaszow Lubelski, he later escaped to Paris, and then to Britain. Having received S.O.E. training in Scotland, Szymanski returned to occupied Poland where he operated under the name ‘Doctor Borkowski’ and other pseudonyms, and played a role in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 as Operations Officer in the Podobwodu District. Supporting documentation shows that he was known to Major General Sir Colin Gubbins, the wartime head of S.O.E., who later assisted with his application for British citizenship in 1965, comprising: Poland, Silver Merit Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari, unnumbered, in silver, with gilt and enamel centre; Cross of Valour, dated 1920, with two bars; Cross of Merit, 2nd Class with swords, in silver and enamel; Medal for the War of 1939; Warsaw Uprising Cross, 1944; Great Britain, King’s Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom; 1939-1945 Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals; Original riband bar as worn, and an unrelated Belgian Congo, Bronze Service Medal, Leopold III issue (1935-53); Also offered with a quantity of documentation, including an original letter, signed by Major-General Sir Colin Gubbins, war-time head of the Special Operations Executive (S.O.E.) regarding Szymanski’s application for British Citizenship. It is addressed to S. Grocholski, Veritas Foundation, dated 7 May, 1965; also included are various hand-annotated copied photographs, and other copied letters; first with chipped enamel, King’s Medal for Courage with Royal Mint case of issue, generally good very fine (12). Major Jerzy Feliks Szymanski was born on 27 September 1909 at Wloclawek, Poland, and served in the Polish Army prior to WW2 as a cavalry officer between 1934 and 1939. He served in the 1st Mounted Rifles at the Battle of Tomaszow-Lubelski during the invasion of Poland, where he was wounded in action on 25 September 1939 and was captured by Nazi forces there. Managing to make a quick escape, he first travelled to Paris, where he became a personal emissary for General Sikorski, and then during the fall of France, he moved onward to Britain. There, he assisted the S.O.E. with the training of select Polish officers and soldiers in Biggar, Scotland in 1940, creating a new, elite paratrooper & espionage force called the ‘Cichociemny’ or ‘Silent Unseen’. Szymanski appears to have been an Intelligence instructor at this time. Those who passed the various examinations were then air-dropped back into occupied Poland to support the Home Army. After some work in Cairo and in Iraq, Szymanski made his return to Poland, and research suggests that he was in joint-command of the downtown Podobwodu District of Warsaw during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, where despite some impressive initial success, the Polish forces were slowly crushed whilst Soviet forces halted outside the city and failed to assist them. For his role in the uprising it appears he was awarded the Silver Merit Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari. He was taken prisoner of war once again, and having been moved around various POW camps (including one unsuccessful escape attempt), he did eventually escape from a small camp called Licterfelde near Berlin in March 1945. He reached the Polish Legation in Stockholm on 22 April 1945. Some years after the war he applied for British citizenship – his application supported by letters of recommendation (one original of which is included with the otherwise unnamed medals) written by Major-General Sir Colin Gubbins, the wartime head of S.O.E., who wrote: “He did great service during the War and we as a Nation are indebted to him, as so many other Poles for their gallantry and comradeship which was in so many cases so ill-rewarded by our country.” Major Szymanski eventually settled in Ealing, London, where he worked for Securicor, amongst other roles, and appears to have continued in further intelligence roles reporting ‘anti-Polish exile activities in London’. His name appears in numerous Polish-language books concerning the ‘Cichociemny’ force and he also penned the book ‘Losy Skoczka’ which appears to relate to the same elite paratroop force. He died in 1995. Ex Sotheby’s, 10-12 November, 1997, lot 91.

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