Poland UK Government in Exile Portrait Exhibition

Stamp Issues of Poland’s Government in Exile 1941-1945

During World War II, the surviving Polish Government re-established its headquarters in London, England after fleeing Warsaw and subsequently France. Endeavoring to show the world that Poland still existed and continued to fight Nazi Germany. Poland was the third largest contributor to the Allied cause until 1941. The exiled government negotiated an agreement with the United Kingdom to issue stamps for use as propaganda. The agreement only allowed limited use in the UK by Polish armed forces and established postal agencies aboard Polish Naval and Merchant Marine vessels. Exhibit Scope

Exhibit Plan

This exhibit shows all of the stamp designs in unused form. The stamp designs illustrate the destruction wrought by the Nazi blitzkrieg (lightning war), the military capabilities of the Polish forces, and records the Polish military contribution to the allied cause. It includes the full text of the Polish-UK agreement and attempts to show by covers how the actual implementation of the UK-Polish agreement limited the stamps value as propaganda.

Poczta Polska Wartime Pride and Propaganda Polish UK agreement Stamp Designs: 1st London Issue: Wartime Destruction and Combat Training 2nd London Issue: Polish Forces at War 3rd London Issue: Victory at Monte Cassino 4th London Issue: Tragedy Maritime Postmarks: Navy and Merchant Marine Covers: Postally Used Registered Mail Philatelic Souvenirs Conclusion

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Poczta Polska: Wartime Propaganda and Pride

The idea of issuing postage stamps was originally considered by the Polish government in exile in France, but was overtaken by the rapid defeat of the allied armies in western Europe. In early 1941, the Polish government in exile, reestablished in London, initiated talks with the British G.P.O. on issuing postage stamps for use by Polish Forces in Great Britain. These postage stamps would proudly proclaim that Poland existed and would be free once again. The two requirements: (1) British sovereignty was not to be infringed and (2) the stamps and postal system had to conform to the Universal Postal Union regulations. In July and August of 1941, agreement was reached to allow Polish stamps to be used on correspondence posted on board ships of the Polish Navy and Merchant Marine. An official exchange rate of 24 złoty to £1 pound sterling (1 złoty = 100 groszy) was adopted and the postal tariffs were set at: Letters up to 20 grams 55 groszy ( 5 1/2 d) Each extra 20 grams 30 groszy (3 d) Postcards 30 groszy Registration fee 45 groszy (4 1/2 d) Printed matter to 50g 10 groszy (1 d) Polish Army and Air Force personnel who were based at camps in Great Britain could use the stamps by following special clearance procedures agreed upon in December 1941. Addressed covers with contents were handed unsealed to the postal clerk. The correct postage was computed and paid by the sender in cash. Extra stamps in excess of the actual cost could be added if requested and paid for. After the postal clerk penciled the details of the stamps to be affixed, the letters were placed in a bag with a copy of the clerk’s register and payment using a money order. The sealed bags were collected at designated GPO locations and conveyed free of charge on specified days to London. The specified days were selected to allow mail to be collected, franked and cancelled on a ship, censored and sent to arrive on Easter, Polish National Day, Feast of Assumption (August 15), and Christmas. Polish servicemen and women could always avail themselves of the free mail privileges offered by the GPO to the camps and the Royal Navy. The only reasons to use the Polish stamps were for holiday cards and philatelic souvenirs. Many dealers sent pre-addressed envelopes to the Polish Naval HQ for stamps and ship cancellations. The Postal Section of the Polish Ministry of Finance sent packets of covers to embassies in USA and Switzerland for sale to local stamp dealers. Page 2

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Full Text of the Polish UK Agreement

Stamp Designs: First London Issue December 15, 1941

Ministry of Finance, Ruins of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Sep- Warsaw, in ruins, September 1939 tember 1939

Demolished Statue of poet Adam Michiewicz in Cracow 1940

5 groszy perf 12 3/4 x 13



Number Printed 675,000


Number printed 220, 000

Scott Number 3K1

Scott Number 3K2

Scott Number 3K3

Destruction of Warsaw, September 1939

Polish infantrymen training in Britain



Light tank with Polish markings on a training exercise in Britain




Scott Number 3K4

Scott Number 3K5

Number Printed 140,000 Scott Number 3K6

Wellington bomber and 3 Hurricane fighters with Polish and British markings

ORP Orzel sailing into British waters September 1939

1 złoty

1.50 złoty

perf 11 1/2 x 12

perf 12 3/4 x 13



Scott Number 3K7

Scott Number 3K8

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Polish Troops at War : Second London Issue November 1, 1943

A Wellington Bomber with a Polish crew sinking a U-Boat. 5 groszy perf 12 3/4 x 13

Two Polish sailors on a Polish merchantman preparing to defend against enemy aircraft.

A light anti-tank weapon in action against a German panzer.

Number Printed: 600,000



Scott number 3K9



Scott number 3K10

Scott number 3K11

Two Polish soldiers perched on a rock overlooking the fjord at Narvik.

Polish CINC General Sikorsky inspecting Polish troops in the Middle East.


Polish soldiers in Tobruk returning from patrol and exchanging greetings with the commander of a British tank.




Scott number 3K12


Scott number 3K14


Scott number 3K13

Polish partisans loosening the rails in occupied Poland 1 złoty perf 12 3/4 x 13 Number Printed: 200,000 Scott number 3K15 Page 5

Secret printing of a Polish underground newspaper in a cellar in occupied Poland. 1 złoty 50 groszy perf 11 1/2 x 12 Number Printed: 200,000 Scott Number 3K16

Greatest Victory: Third London Issue June 27, 1944

80 groszy on 1 złoty Scott number 3K19

To commemorate the epic victory at Monte Cassino, the four highest denominations of the first issue were overprinted with the words:

45 groszy on 75 groszy Scott number 3K17

Monte Cassino 18. V. 1944

1.20 złoty on 1.50 złoty Scott number 3K20

The old values were obliterated with three bars and the new values were printed above the bars. A total of 55,000 sets were overprinted.

55 groszy on 80 groszy Scott number 3K18

The Polish 2nd Corps had a prominent role in the assault on the Abbey at Monte Cassino in Italy. The assault began on February 11 and after three unsuccessful attempts and an aerial bombing that destroyed the historic abbey. The final battle for the abbey began on May 11 ended with the German surrender on May 18 to the Polish contingent. The corps was assembled in the Soviet Union from Polish POW’s and Polish citizens who were deported to the Soviet Union by NKVD in 1940. Released by Stalin after the Nazi invasion in 1941, the refugees and POW’s made their way to the camps along the Caspian Sea to rejoin the war. Evacuated to Iran and equipped by the United States and Britain and trained by their own leaders, this corps fought with distinction under British command throughout Lybia and Italy. As commemoratives, the overprints represent a real disappointment in a design intended to celebrate Poland’s greatest wartime triumph. The scenes depicting ground combat are from early training exercises in Britain. It is likely that the Polish government in exile was pressured by the British government to avoid offending the Soviet government by printing stamps depicting the 2nd Corps heroics. Page 6

Heroics and Tragedy: Fourth London Issue February 3, 1944 Warsaw Rising Semi Postal

The Fourth London Issue shown here as a plate number block of four was issued to finance a relief fund for the survivors of the Warsaw Rising. The stamp’s design features a soldier with a bandaged head, a boy scout and a girl fighting on a barricade. In the smoke of battle hovering over the fighters is the mermaid forming the coat of arms of Warsaw. The mermaid symbolizes the spirit of the city. The surcharge of 2 Złoty was donated to a Relief Fund for the Survivors of the Warsaw Rising. On August 1, 1944. the Warsaw Rising began with the Polish Home Army of up to 50,000 men, women and children tried the oust the Wehrmacht from Warsaw before it was occupied by advancing Soviet Troops. By August 4, the Home Army controlled a large part of the city. While the Soviet’s waited just outside Warsaw, the Germans sent in reinforcements and bombarded the city with air and artillery. After 62 days the Warsaw Rising was crushed when the supplies of ammunition, medicine, food and water ran out. The Soviet government refused to allow allied aircraft to land in Soviet occupied territory thus blocking any possible resupply to the beleaguered city via the air.

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Maritime Postmarks: Naval and Merchant Type WI Polish warships were issued special date stamps for cancelling the new stamps. The stamp was a metal rectangle, size 50 x 29 mm, with an outline of a warship sailing towards the left side. The two line inscription: Type WO

POLSKA MARYNARKA/ WOJENNA (Polish Navy) is above the adjustable date box which also contains number indicating the ship or postal agency. Below the date box on the lower right are the words A GENCJA POCZTOWA (Postal Agency) on two lines. Type WI had the agency number inside the date box. Type WO, a stamp made of rubber was introduced in November 1943. Note that the agency number is outside the date box.

Type MI On April 1, 1942 Polish Merchant ships were issued the special date stamps for cancelling the Polish stamps. The stamp was also made of metal, size 50 x 29 mm, with the bow of a ship sailing forward on the left of the design. The two line inscription: Type MO

POLSKA MARYNARKA/ HANDLOWA (Polish Merchant Marine) differs from the Polish Navy inscription. Below the date box is the single line inscription AGENCJA POCZTOWA . Type MI had a date box with the agency number inside. The rubber stamp, type MO, has the agency number outside and is a scarce cancellation. The dates were changeable and there ae examples of Type MI cancellations with 15 XII 1941 dates of issue. These would be cancellations applied well after the actual first day of issue.

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Christmas 1941 True First Day Cover — December 15, 1941

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The Christmas card on the right illustrates the agreement between the Polish Government and the United Kingdom enabling the Polish Government to issue postage stamps for use on the correspondence posted on Polish ships as mail from Free Poland. The card exchanged between two 2nd Lieutenants apparently in Scotland. The unit address, P.O. Box 260/109, indicated the 66th Tank Battalion and the addressee, P.O. Box 260/93, was the Research Bureau Anti Aircraft Artillery. According to the GPO records, mail from the camps was collected between December 2—6, 1941. The card was placed in a separate bag along with any other mail without any stamps affixed. Since the stamps could not be used for mail to enemy occupied territory, the card had to be released by British Censorship. The majority of Polish mail carries the P.94 censor number, with “P” standing for Private Mail. A high magnification examination shows clearly that the red handstamp was applied first. Once released the mail would be placed in a sealed bag to await instructions from the Polish Ministry of Finance/ Post Section. Once the name of the ship is known the bag of mail was forwarded to the captain for franking with the stamps and cancelling with the special metal canceller. The canceller took the form of a rectangle sized 50 x 29 mm. The outer frame contained an outline of a ship sailing left. The words AGENCJA/POCZTOWA (Postal Agency) in two lines at the bottom right hand corner. Above the central rounded framed date box is a two line inscription POLSKA MARYNARKA/WOJENNA (Polish Navy). The date box contains the date of cancellation and the number of the postal agency. In this case, it is Agency No. 1 or the ORP (Ship of the Polish Republic) PIORUN, an N-Class destroyer launched as the HMS Nerissa. Renamed and handed to the Polish forces on November 5, 1940. At the time of issue, she was undergoing repairs at the Glasgow shipping yard. Throughout the war, the blue censor handstamp was used on mail of the Royal Navy personnel, including the Polish Navy. Unfortunately, the date inscribed by the censor is confusing, it could be “12/24” meaning December 24 in the American style. If we take a more European view then it could be 12/12/41 assuming that the second 1 was inadvertently omitted. It is clear that the blue ink overlays the red and the handstamp was probably used by a member of the Polish Navy. The date December 12, 1941 would be more in keeping with the rules for processing mail with Polish stamps. The green ink violates the Polish UK agreement and the card should have been destroyed or returned to the sender by the censor. Page 10

First London Issue — First Day Cover

This is probably prepared as a philatelic cover showing the full issue. Note the British censor hand stamp showing a crown and Passed PER 34. The PER indicates an item permitted for import/export and 34 was often seen on Polish Items. The envelope is back stamped Polish Ministry of Finance and likely traveled by surface mail to the United States. Although we cannot rule out the possibility that it was hand delivered to the Polish Embassy in New York and addressed there. There is at least one other registered cover on the market addressed to Mr. Narajowski at the embassy at 14 Wall Street.

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Merchant Ship Cancellation

After April 1, 1942 Retro First Day Cover

This cover addressed to the Financial Counselor at the Polish Embassy in New York City has a December 15, 1941 date, but the cancellation shows the words Polska Marynarka Handlowa (Polish Merchant Marine) and a ship sailing forward on the left of the design. This canceller was not issued to the ships of the Polish Merchant fleet until April 1, 1942. The dates were changeable so this cover may have been prepared on S.S. Zagłoba (Merchant Shipping Postal Agency No 8). On December 12, 1942, Polish Naval Lieutenant Bohdan Pawlowicz crossed the border at St. Alban’s, Vermont from Canada after sailing on the S.S. Zagłoba from Manchester to Halifax. Pawlowicz was a Polish diplomat in 1933 and was probably assigned to the embassy. He may have prepared the covers with the retrospective dates as souvenirs for the embassy. The Zagłoba arrived in Halifax November 21, 1942 and required a month for repairs in Halifax. It left New York on January 12, 1943 in convoy SC118 loaded with military equipment and was torpedoed on February 6, 1943. The cover does not show a back stamp or any indication that it actually entered the mail in either Canada or the United States as it would from a merchant vessel.

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Second London Issue Christmas Cover

This is one of the most interesting covers. It was mailed as a registered letter by Miss Helena Kiecoń at 8 Ashton Rd Blackpool to Mr. Bolesław Nizieński at 13a. Kent Rd. Blackpool. Blackpool housed the headquarters of the Polish Air Force. The submarine Wilk (Postal Agency 27) is the most probable source of the cancellations and processing site. The Wilk was decomissioned in April 1942, but remained in the English channel as a training vessel. The envelope carries the customary British registration marking a cross in blue crayon on the face, but not on the back suggesting that it was treated as a postcard. The registration marking is correct for the Polish Navy. The P 94 (P for private mail) censor handstamp was commonly seen on Polish personal mail. The card may have been prepared for philatelic reasons since the envelope is obviously over franked with 5 złoty worth of stamps. Given the date and shape, it likely carried a Christmas card. According to British records, Miss Kiecoń and Mr. Nizieński were married in June 1948. Page 13

Monte Cassino Overprints First Day of Issue June 18, 1944

An obvious commercial cover showing the Monte Cassino Overprints. Allegedly canceled on the WILK (Postal Agency 27). The submarine WILK escaped to Rosyth, Scotland on September 20, 1939 after fighting for 20 days in the Baltic. In September 1941 she rammed a U -Boat and, after repairs, used as a training vessel in the English Channel. She was decomissioned in April 1942, the crew tranferred to JASTRZAB which was sunk by friendly fire May 2, 1942. The cover does not show a British Censor mark. Covers with preprinted Philatelic addresses were sent in bulk to the Polish Naval Headquarters in London and returned from there with stamps affixed and a ship postmark. Whether or not, this cover and others like it were actually cancelled on the decommissioned WILK is not known.

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Monte Cassino Overprints FDC June 27, 1944

Even self-addressed this is a philatelic souvenir. The June 27, 1944 Naval (Wojenna) postmark applied by the submarine Sokól (Postal Agency 25) does not agree with any date recorded by the GPO for handling mail franked with Polish Exile stamps. That and the lack of a censor mark and apparently contemporaneous crease indicates that it was probably sent to Polish Naval Headquarters and returned under separate cover. The handwriting in the lower right corner appears to be dated August 16, 1948.

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Allied Triumph and Polish Tragedy

It is doubtful that this FDC even entered the mail as May 3, 1945 was the only day in 1945 that the GPO recorded for Polish franked mail. Conclusion The Polish government in exile lost its influence with the allies despite its significant contributions to the war. Roosevelt and Churchill left the territory of Poland to the Soviet sphere of influence. Poland’s soldiers and citizens knew it would mean death or imprisonment as traitors to return to their homeland. Many resettled in the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, or Australia. The stamps did little to convey to the public that a free Poland still existed. Regular mail for the soldiers, sailors, and airmen in the Polish forces during World War II was free. The stamps cost money and could only be used on 4 days a year. Eighty-five years after the first stamps were issued, you can still buy mint no hinged examples on the streets of Warsaw, on eBay and from dealers at nominal prices. Used examples carry substantially higher prices, but most of the used covers did not see the light of day in British post offices. Many are overpriced and over hyped souvenirs rather than genuine postal history. Some of the First Day covers are really retrospective cancellations prepared for collectors.

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Poland UK Government in Exile Portrait Exhibition

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