A unique commemorative guttergraph, made by the most outstanding engraver of Lviv, Wladyslaw Buszek, given by the Jazlowiecki Lancers, in 1935 to their new commander, Colonel, Edward Godlewski. As one of the commanders of the Home Army, he contributed to saving Krakow by stopping the uprising in the AK Krakow area.
Dimensions: 116mm x 96mm.
Weight: 90 grams.
The guttergraph in the shape of a gently convex shield made of silver plate. In the upper part of the center, superimposed plaque with Our Lady of Jazlowiec, patroness of the 14th Jazlowiec Lancers Regiment. Below the Mother of God on the central axis, superimposed miniature badge of the 14th Cavalry Lancers Regiment in the form of a white enameled Maltese cross. In the center of the Maltese cross, a circular shield enameled in blue and black - the colors of the Virtuti Militari ribbon, on which is superimposed a miniature Virtuti Militari cross. In the background of the Maltese cross is a round rosette the so-called "sun of Podolia" on which are inscribed the letters UJ (Ułani Jazłowieccy) and the date of the regiment's formation - that is, 1918.
The reverse is plain with visible five rivets attaching a badge with the Virgin Mary and a miniature badge. In the upper part, an engraved inscription "1918 - 1935, TO THE DEAR FIELDS OF YAZLOWIECKI BOJOWNIK, FOR THE MEMORIAL OF COLLEAGUES". At the wound of the lower finial of the guttergraph, three punches are visible - the silver sample of the Lviv Assay Office, the goldsmith's name mark "W.B", and the full punch of the factory "W. BUSZEK Lviv".
One of the few known original commemorative guttergraphs of the 14th Cavalry Lancers Regiment, given on special occasions to the most prominent people of pre-war Poland. According to our research, there were a minimum of 7 guttergrafs awarded, including Marshal Jozef Pilsudski, General Tadeusz Komorowski and General Kleeberg. The piece on offer is one of two guttergraphs donated in 1935. The first ryngraf was given as a memento to Colonel Andrzej Kunachowicz when he left his post as commander of the 14PU, the second was given to his successor who returned to his home unit after many years, Colonel Edward Godlewski. The rhinograph of Colonel Andrzej Kunachowicz is almost identical to the presented piece and probably stood a pair, it can also be assumed that both were given at the same time.
The item comes from the collection of General Antoni Grudzinski, and was part of a commemorative tabloid that probably hung in the House of Jazlowiecki Lancers in London. The last photo shows the tablo in its original form, the other items are offered in the current auction.
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Antoni Grudzinski (born November 17, 1897 in Vilnius, died December 1, 1981 in London) - a certified colonel of cavalry of the Polish Army and the Polish Armed Forces, appointed brigadier general by Wladyslaw Anders in 1964. He studied at St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. He began his service in the army in July 1918 in a lancer squadron in Kuban, later renamed a lancer regiment of General Zeligowski's 4th Rifle Division. With the division he returned to the country. He was a student at the cadet school from November 1919 to April 1920. During the Polish-Bolshevik War he commanded a platoon in the 14th Lancer Regiment, and was adjutant in the same regiment until November 1926.
As of November 2, 1926, he was assigned to the Higher War College in Warsaw, as a student of the 1926-1928 Normal Course. As of October 31, 1928, after completing the course and receiving the academic diploma of General Staff Officer, he was assigned to the Command of the 2nd Cavalry Division in Warsaw as a staff officer. On April 24, 1930, he was transferred to the position of acting chief of staff of the 2nd Cavalry Division in Warsaw. As of November 1, 1930, he was assigned to the army inspector in Lviv. He returned in November 1934 as a squadron commander in the 14th Cavalry Regiment in Lviv, and in January 1935 was assigned to Branch III of the General Staff. In July 1939 he was appointed deputy commander of the 14th lancer regiment in Lviv.
He served the September campaign in the Operations Branch of the Supreme Commander's Staff in Poland and then in France, where he was assigned to the Operations Branch of the French XX Corps Staff. Deputy Chief of Detachment III of the Supreme Commander's Staff in London from June 1940. On June 30, 1941, he took command of a reconnaissance squadron of the I Corps, which was reformed into the 1st Reconnaissance Regiment on June 30, 1942. On July 13, 1942, he handed over command of the regiment and moved to the position of deputy commander of the 16th Armored Brigade. He was an officer to the Chief's orders at the Supreme Commander's headquarters in London from 1943 to 1944, and from March to September 1944 was the Supreme Commander's liaison officer to the British 21 Army Group Command. In September 1944, he was appointed deputy commander of the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade. From June 1945 to June 1947 he commanded this brigade. In June 1947, he joined the Polish Resettlement Corps and took command of the 54th PKPR Brigade Group there.
After demobilization, he settled in London. On May 27, 1978, he was appointed deputy chairman of the Military Adjudication Commission. He was a fellow of the General Sikorski Institute in London. He died on December 1, 1981 in a traffic accident.
General condition as in the photos.
