The Polish Post has prepared a special philatelic issue entitled “General Kazimierz Sosnkowski (1885-1969)”. The stamp was put into circulation on 19 November 2023, the 138th anniversary of General Sosnkowski’s birth. The ceremonial presentation of the stamp took place at the headquarters of the Polish Post Office in Warsaw.

Kazimierz Sosnkowski was a Polish military commander and politician, independence activist and, from 8 July 1943, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. He was described by Marshal Józef Piłsudski as “a soldier with an open mind, great abilities, accustomed to measuring the strength of the state in the most varied efforts and to assessing phenomena of a non strictly military nature”.

According to the Polish Post, a black and white photograph of General Sosnkowski, from the collection of Halina Babinska, was used for the design of the stamp. It shows General Sosnkowski in a British-type uniform with Polish buttons with an eagle in the crown and the distinctions of a general-at-arms on the epaulettes. Above his left pocket one can see the pilot’s badge of honour, presented to him by the commander of the Polish Air Force, General Mateusz Iżycki, on 26 May 1944. Underneath there are ribbons of Polish and foreign orders, decorations and medals, with the Silver Cross of the Military Order of Virtuti Militari Fifth Class hanging from it. On the uniform’s pocket one can see the badge of the Polish First Brigade of the Polish Legions ‘For Faithful Service’, which Colonel Kazimierz Sosnkowski received from the hands of Józef Piłsudski on 6 August 1916. On the left sleeve one can see the “Poland” patch worn by soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces under British command. Below there is an embroidered recognition insignia of the 2nd Polish Corps in the form of a shield with the Warsaw Mermaid on a red background.

On the occasion of the issue, the photograph of General Sosnkowski was specially coloured. The stamp was printed using offset technology, on fluorescent paper in an edition of 144,000 units. The issue was created in collaboration with the Military History Office.

Adrian Andrzejewski