Bidspirit auction | The funeral of Gen. Władysław

The funeral of Gen. Władysław Sikorski - 24 Original photographs: The funeral of Genarał Władysław Sikorski. On July 5, 1943, in the fourth year of the war, Europe was spread over the unexpected, tragic death of General Władysław Sikorski, Prime Minister of the Polish government and the Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Armed Forces. Official announcements said that the previous day (July 4) he had lost his life as a result of the crash of the four-engine Liberator transport plane (AL523), which fell into the sea and sank shortly after taking off from the airport in Gibraltar. On its board, the general was to fly back to England, returning from the inspection of Polish Army troops in the East. Apart from Sikorski, other passengers of Liberator were killed or missing: Zofia Leśniowska (Sikorski's daughter), Brig. Tadeusz Klimecki (Chief of Staff of the Commander-in-Chief), Col. Dipl. Andrzej Marecki (head of Division III in the Staff of the Commander-in-Chief), Lieutenant Mar. Józef Ponikiewski (adjutant of the Commander-in-Chief), Adam Kułakowski (secretary), Jan Gralewski (courier from occupied Poland), Colonel Victor Cazalet (British liaison officer to the Polish government), John P. Whiteley (member of the British parliament) and two civilians Walter H. Lock and Harry Pinder. The dead or missing crew members included S / Ldr co-pilot William Herring, W / O navigator Lewis Zalsberg, F / Sgt Dobson Hunter radiotelegraph shooter, F / Sgt radiotelegraph shooter George Gerry, and flight engineer Sgt Francis Kelly. The only survivor was the first pilot of the plane, Czech F / Lt Eduard Prchal. The news of Sikorski's death was a serious shock for all Poles. He was considered by many to be the only Polish politician who had real authority and respect among the Allied leaders. The name of Sikorski was a synonym of faith in a fully independent and strong post-war Poland - both for Poles in the occupied country and for those in exile. On July 14, 1942, the general's body was taken to the Westminster Cathedral, where a memorial service was held. It was attended by many of the highest-ranking civil and military dignitaries of various Allied countries, including Prime Ministers of Great Britain Winston Churchill and Czechoslovakia Jan Šrámek, as well as British Foreign Minister Anthony Eden. It was also attended by: Sikorski's successor as Prime Minister of the Polish Government Stanisław Mikołajczyk, Chairman of the National Council Stanisław Grabski, Deputy Prime Minister Jan Kwapiński, Ministers Henryk Strasburger, Jan Stańczyk, Wacław Komarnicki, Stanisław Kot, President Władysław Raczkiewicz and the widow of General Helena Sikorska Among the military were the following generals: Mieczysław Boruta-Spiechowicz, Janusz Głuchowski, Michał Karaszewicz-Tokarzewski, Józef Haller, Tadeusz Malinowski, Aleksander Narbut-Łuczyński, Marian Żegota-Januszajtis, Kazimierz Sosnkowski, Karol Masny, Stanisław Ujewski, Stefan Dembiński, Bronisław Regulski, Rudolf Niemira, Bronisław Duch, Kazimierz Sosnkowski, and Vice Admiral Jerzy Świderski, Col. Stanisław Sosabowski, Lt. Col. Jerzy Borkowski. Mass was celebrated, among others, by Fr. Bishop gen. div. Józef Gawlina and British Archbishop William Godfrey. Dimensions of photos: Mostly 75x105mm. Peeled off the album, all photos are described.