“this cruel tragedy for our country and people”
5 July 1943:
Secret telegram to British War Office
#Polish Premier & Commander-in-Chief General Władysław Sikorski killed in plane crash taking off from Gibraltar, along with daughter, staff.
His death was a blow to Poland’s diplomatic as well as military position
Note the classification level: This is equivalent of the "Five Eyes" level of some of the documents that Donald #Trump illegally retained https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes
2/n
9 July 1943
The Scotsman reports on salvage work on the B-24C Liberator bomber that crashed off Gibraltar carrying #Polish Premier & C-in-C Władysław Sikorski: recovery of his dispatch case & 3 more of 18 bodies, including Sikorski's daughter & British liaison Col. Victor Cazalet, MP
3/n
July 1943: Death of #Polish Premier and Commande-rin-Chief Władysław Sikorski when the B-24 Liberator carrying him crashed off Gibraltar following troop inspections in the Middle East
This panel showing the plane was part of a series I saw in Kraków in 2008 commemorating the 65th anniversary of his death
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7 July 1944 Polish Jewish Observer (London) tribute to #Polish Premier & Commander-in-Chief Władisław Sikorski, killed in a plane crash, 4 July 1943
Part of the backstory: In April 1944, longstanding international concern over endemic #antisemitism in the Polish Army peaked as some 30 Jewish soldiers were courtmartialed for seeking transfer to British forces. They rejected an amnesty in May, and refused to leave their prison unless transferred.
#WWII #Poland #aviation #Mazeldon
5/n
Progressives mourned the death of #Polish Premier Władysław Sikorski, because he was seen as strong & pragmatic (PT).
He succeeded the far-right #Polish leadership after the defeat of 1939 & was seen as an upholder of the democratic-pluralist tradition. Thus he negotiated a military modus operandi with the USSR when it joined the Allies (having colluded with the Nazis in the dismemberment of Poland in 1939) but also confronted it over the Katyń massacre
#WWII #Poland #aviation #Mazeldon
6/n
As in the case of the unexpected demise of any world leader, the death of #Polish Premier & General Władysław Sikorski in July 1943 gave rise to conspiracy theories.
On the right: the claim that #Stalin (via Kim Philby) had him killed because he had demanded an explanation for the #Katyń massacre
On the left, German dramatist Rolf Hochhuth claimed Churchill had him killed for being too close to the Soviets
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldiers_(play)
7/n
10 July 1943: the body of #Polish Premier and General Władysław Sikorski, killed in a plane crash off Gibraltar, arrives in Plymouth
This Pathé newsreel depicts the journey
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