Jerzy Włodzimierz Świrski (5 April 1882, in

Kalisz Kalisz () is a city in central Poland, and the second-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship, with 97,905 residents (December 2021). It is the capital city of the Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of Gr ...

– 12 June 1959, in London) was a Polish

rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

and officer in the

Russian Imperial Navy The Imperial Russian Navy () operated as the navy of the Russian Tsardom and later the Russian Empire from 1696 to 1917. Formally established in 1696, it lasted until being dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution and the declaration of ...

and later the

Polish Navy The Polish Navy (; often abbreviated to ) is the Navy, naval military branch , branch of the Polish Armed Forces. The Polish Navy consists of 46 ships and about 12,000 commissioned and enlisted personnel. The traditional ship prefix in the Polish ...

. As Chief of the Polish Naval Command (1925-1947), he was a member of an elite group of high ranking Polish naval officers from foreign navies who became founder members of the re-established naval forces of the newly independent

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Polish naval forces under his command, were embedded with the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

and contributed significantly to the success of Britain's maritime war effort. He notably fell out with a Polish war time Prime Minister-in-exile,

General Sikorski A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED Online. Mar ...

, but was supported by the British and survived in post. He was appointed an Honorary Knight Commander of the

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...

Background

He was born into a military family on 5 April 1882 in Kalisz, in the

Russian Partition The Russian Partition (), sometimes called Russian Poland, constituted the former territories of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that were annexed by the Russian Empire in the course of late-18th-century Partitions of Poland. The Russian ac ...

of Poland. His father, a graduate of the

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

Cadet Corps, was an officer in the

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army () was the army of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was organized into a standing army and a state militia. The standing army consisted of Regular army, regular troops and ...

. Świrski attended the Marine Cadet Corps School in

St Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

from 1889 to 1902. He completed the course for Navigation officers.

Russian Imperial Navy service

As a commissioned officer in 1902, he joined the

in the rank of

Midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...

. Initially he was

Watch officer Watchkeeping or watchstanding is the assignment of sailors to specific roles on a ship to operate it continuously. These assignments, also known at sea as ''watches'', are constantly active as they are considered essential to the safe operation ...

and junior navigation officer on board the cruiser ''

Askold Askold and Dir (''Haskuldr'' or ''Hǫskuldr'' and ''Dyr'' or ''Djur'' in Old Norse; died in 882), mentioned in both the ''Primary Chronicle'', the ''Novgorod First Chronicle'', and the ''Nikon Chronicle'', were the earliest known rulers of Kyiv, ...

''. From 1905 he served in the

Black Sea Fleet The Black Sea Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Mediterranean Sea. The Black Sea Fleet, along with other Russian ground and air forces on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula, are subordin ...

, as watch officer on the destroyer, '' Rostislav'', on the -type

minelayer A minelayer is any warship, submarine, military aircraft or land vehicle deploying explosive mines. Since World War I the term "minelayer" refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines. "Mine planting" was the term for ins ...

'' Dunay'' and on the

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

, '' Donetz''. He was later engaged in mine laying operations and as navigation officer on the cruiser '' Pamiat Merkuria''. During 1908 he was briefly training officer on board the mine layer, ''Kronstadt''. Between 1909 and 1911 he returned to the ''Pamiat Merkuria'' as its navigation officer and also on the ''Jevstatije''. Subsequently he served as navigation officer of the Russian Torpedo Division and commander of the torpedo boat, ''Stremitielnyi''. In 1912 he advanced to navigational

Flag officer A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which that officer exercises command. Different countries use the term "flag officer" in different ways: * ...

of the Brigade of Naval Destroyers, commanding the ship ORP ''Myśliwy''. From 1914 he was a member of the Training Commission for the Black Sea Fleet. Throughout World War I he was the navigation officer of the Black Sea Fleet, rising in 1917 to the rank of

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

, then

naval commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries, th ...

Navy of the Ukrainian People's Republic

In 1918 he was nominated Chief of Naval Operations of the Navy of the Ukrainian People's Republic and Minister of Naval Affairs of the

Ukrainian People's Republic The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) was a short-lived state in Eastern Europe. Prior to its proclamation, the Central Council of Ukraine was elected in March 1917 Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, as a result of the February Revolution, ...

. That same year he was promoted to

Rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

of the Ukrainian Hetmanate. On 17 December 1918, he resigned in protest against the cooperation of the government of the Ukrainian People's Republic with the West Ukrainian People's Republic against Poland.

Interwar Period

Independent Poland

Before the end of hostilities, in December 1917, he had made contact with Polish organisations. He became an active member of the 'Polish House' in

Sevastopol Sevastopol ( ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea and a major port on the Black Sea. Due to its strategic location and the navigability of the city's harbours, Sevastopol has been an important port and naval base th ...

. After the fall of the Ukrainian People's Republic, he left for Poland, where he joined the League for the Renewal of the Polish Navy, and later went to France where he was active in the National Committee for Poland. In 1919 he joined the Polish Army and was integrated into the Department for Maritime Affairs in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, becoming head of the Organisational Section. In July 1920 he was deputy to the chief of the Department for Maritime Affairs and was acting chief between 6 August to 5 September 1920. From September 1920 he was commander of the Coastal Force, Wybrzeże Morskie, based in Puck. In January 1921 he was confirmed in the rank of colonel of the navy and in April became a member of the Marine Corps. In February 1921 he advanced to the rank of Commander. In May 1922 he was confirmed in the rank with retrospective recognition of seniority dating from June 1919 within the Marine Corps. On 24 November 1922 the Polish Premier and the

Chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

confirmed his status, as of 1 January 1922, as Head of the Fleet, based in Puck. In August 1924 he moved with the Fleet Command to Grabówek,

Gdynia Gdynia is a city in northern Poland and a seaport on the Baltic Sea coast. With an estimated population of 257,000, it is the List of cities in Poland, 12th-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in the Pomeranian Voivodeship after Gdańsk ...

. In May 1925 the President of Poland,

Stanisław Wojciechowski Stanisław Wojciechowski (; 15 March 1869 – 9 April 1953) was a Polish people, Polish politician and scholar who served as President of Poland between 1922 and 1926, during the Second Polish Republic. He was elected president in 1922, followi ...

released him from the Fleet Command and appointed him as chief of Marine Operations in Warsaw. In 1931 he was promoted to the rank of

. On behalf of the Polish Treasury, he signed contracts for the procurement of naval

Destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

Submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...

s and in 1938 for the

Minelayer A minelayer is any warship, submarine, military aircraft or land vehicle deploying explosive mines. Since World War I the term "minelayer" refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines. "Mine planting" was the term for ins ...

, ORP "Gryf". ORP Gryf

World War II

On 5 September 1939 Świrski and his staff left Warsaw for

Pińsk Pinsk (; , ; ; ; ) is a city in Brest Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Pinsk District, though it is administratively separated from the district. It is located in the historical region of Polesia, at the confluence of ...

, but due to heavy bombing they diverted to the border at

Kuty KUTY (1470 AM, "Hermosa 1470") is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Palmdale, California, United States and serves the Antelope Valley area. The station is owned by High Desert Broadcasting LLC and broadcasts a regional Mexican fo ...

and crossed into

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

, arriving in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

on 6 October. He reported to General Sikorski and presented him with a strategy for the deployment of the Polish Marines. These included the continuation of the Polish Navy as a political and naval force, including the merchant fleet, collecting personnel, organizing military transport in France and consolidating resources. Having become Chief of the Directorate of the Polish Navy in October 1939, in December Sikorski recognized the role played by the Polish Navy in the war and ordered that naval matters be concentrated under the command of its chief, Jerzy Świrski. This meant that for the first time, the Polish Navy became independent of the Army. In 1940 after the fall of France, the Polish Ministry of Military Affairs, evacuated to the United Kingdom which became the war time base of the

Polish Government in Exile The Polish government-in-exile, officially known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in exile (), was the government in exile A government-in-exile (GiE) is a political group that claims to be the legitimate government of a sovere ...

Polish-British Naval Agreement

On 18 November 1939 the British and Polish governments had signed an Anglo-Polish naval agreement and protocol laying out how their forces would co-operate. Świrski was a co-signatory of the

Anglo-Polish military alliance The military alliance between the United Kingdom and Polish Second Republic, Poland was formalised by the Anglo-Polish Agreement in 1939, with subsequent addendum, addenda of 1940 and 1944, for mutual assistance in case of a military invasion from ...

, alongside Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General

Władysław Sikorski Władysław Eugeniusz Sikorski (; 20 May 18814 July 1943) was a Polish military and political leader. Before World War I, Sikorski established and participated in several underground organizations that promoted the cause of Polish independenc ...

and Ambassador

Edward Bernard Raczyński Count Edward Bernard Raczyński (19 December 1891 – 30 July 1993) was a Polish diplomat, writer, politician, President of Poland- in-exile (between 1979 and 1986). He was the longest living (101), and oldest serving Polish President (from ...

. In outline Polish vessels would operate embedded within the

, but under their own command. A note dated 6 June 1940 stated that: "A detachment of the Polish Navy, consisting at present of three destroyers, two submarines and a depot ship, is operating in conjunction with the Royal Navy. The depot ship '' ORP Gdynia'' is stationed at Plymouth; two of the destroyers, ORP ''Błyskawica'' and ''Burza'' form part of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla and the third ORP ''Garland'' will shortly join the Mediterranean, and the two submarines, ORP ''Orzeł'' and ''Wilk'' form part of the 2nd submarine Flotilla." Unlike the Polish army and air-force, which were largely decimated in the attack on Poland and the survivors thrown into the battle for France in 1940 to suffer further heavy casualties, the Polish Navy, initially had no shortage of manpower. Three destroyers, two submarines and two training ships, all fully manned, reached the UK. In addition Polish merchantmen contained reservists and other seamen who could be conscripted. The training ships included officer instructors and young officer cadets. In all some 800 officers and other ranks commenced naval service based in the UK. ORP Piorun2

When in 1940 the naval command, under Jerzy Świrski transferred from Paris to London, two administrative divisions were created: The North Command based in

Greenock Greenock (; ; , ) is a town in Inverclyde, Scotland, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The town is the administrative centre of Inverclyde Council. It is a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, and forms ...

and the South Command based in Devonport. Later, the Mediterranean Command was formed after Polish naval forces had expanded to over 3,000. In 1941, shortly after his promotion to

Vice admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...

, differences emerged between Świrski and Sikorski who had decided to stand him down. As a result, both Świrski and his deputy, Commander Karol Korytowski were to lose their posts. The reason for the dismissals was their management and procurement style in the Marines and especially Świrski's tendency towards independent thinking. The pretext was ostensibly the death by suicide of the commander of the submarine, and the submarine flotilla leader, Lieutenant Commander Bogusław Krawczyk, who opposed the admiral's management priorities. Commander Tadeusz Morgenstern-Podjazd was called in to replace Świrski, but in the event, Świrski remained in post and Morgenstern was confirmed as his deputy. The reason was the

British Admiralty The Admiralty was a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, department of the Government of the United Kingdom that was responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. Historically, its titular head was the Lord High Admiral of the ...

could not see anyone competent enough to replace him. Świrski's loyalty towards the

Allies of World War II The Allies, formally referred to as the United Nations from 1942, were an international Coalition#Military, military coalition formed during World War II (1939–1945) to oppose the Axis powers. Its principal members were the "Four Policeme ...

was to earn him the

. In October 1942 Morgenstern resigned and Korytowski resumed his previous role. Following Sikorski's dramatic death in an air accident off

Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...

in July 1943, Świrski continued in his earlier role.

Post-war

After the war Świrski did not return to Poland and remained in exile. He was regarded as a distinguished leader of men and as a brilliant strategist. In the history of Polish naval forces he is rated as an exceptional officer and educationalist of the younger officer corps. Among his signal achievements was his three-pronged plan to ensure the sustainability of the Polish Marines as a defence force: 1. A strategy for the establishment of an effective maritime force (1925 ), 2. The concept of Polish Marines closely shadowing and cooperating with the

(1939) 3. Preparing the Marines for post-war effectiveness (1943). He died in June 1959 in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and is buried there in

Brompton Cemetery Brompton Cemetery (originally the West of London and Westminster Cemetery) is since 1852 the first (and only) London cemetery to be Crown Estate, Crown property, managed by The Royal Parks, in West Brompton in the Royal Borough of Kensington a ...

. A memorial plaque in his honour was unveiled in St Michael Archangel church at

Oksywie Oksywie (, ) is a district of the city of Gdynia, Pomeranian Voivodeship, northern Poland. Formerly a separate settlement, it is older than Gdynia by several centuries. Oksywie is notable as the location of the Polish Naval Academy and one of th ...

, Gdynia in 1983. A similar plaque was unveiled in the Polish Naval Cemetery in Gdynia to mark the 80th anniversary of the formation of the Polish Marines. JSwirski tablica

Promotions

Michman ( rus, мичман, p=ˈmʲit͡ɕmən, ) is a rank used by the Russian Navy and a number of former communist states. The rank is a non-commissioned officer's and is equivalent to in armies and air forces. Within NATO forces, the rank is rated ...

(

) - 1902 * 1904mor-13 rotation

Leitenant (

Lieutenant (junior grade) Lieutenant junior grade is a junior commissioned officer rank used in a number of navies. United States Lieutenant (junior grade), commonly abbreviated as LTJG or, historically, Lt. (j.g.) (as well as variants of both abbreviations), i ...

) - 1905 * 1909mor-14 rotation

Starshii leitenant (

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

) - 1912 * 1904mor-16 rotation

Kapitan vtorogo ranga (

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

) - 1914 * 1904mor-17 rotation

Kapitan pervogo ranga (

) - 1917 * PL Epolet plk

Pułkownik marynarki (

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

of the navy) - 30 January 1921 * POL PMW pagon1 komandor infobox

Komandor (

) - 3 May 1922 * Kontradmirał (

Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (India), in India ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ' ...

) - 2 December 1930 * POL PMW pagon1 wiceadmiral infobox

Wiceadmirał (

) - 1941

Honours and awards

Grand Cross of the

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...

; previously Commander's Cross and Officer's Cross (Poland) * Gold Cross of Merit (Poland) *

Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus (, ), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It remained under the Congress Poland, Kingdom of Pola ...

(Poland) *

Order of the Cross of Liberty The Order of the Cross of Liberty (; ) is one of three official state Order (decoration), orders in Finland, along with the Order of the White Rose of Finland and the Order of the Lion of Finland. The awards of the Order of the Cross of Liberty ...

(Finland) * Legion Honneur GO ribbon

Grand Officer of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

; previously Commander and Knight (France) * Ordre du Merite maritime Commandeur ribbon

Ordre du Mérite Maritime The () is a French order established on 9 February 1930 for services rendered by seafarers to recognise the risks involved and the services rendered by seamen, and reflect the important economic role of the Merchant Navy to the country. The or ...

(France) *

Order of St. Vladimir The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir () was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of the Kievan Rus'. Grades The order had four ...

(Russian Empire) * Order of St. Anna (Russian Empire) *

Order of the Sword The Royal Order of the Sword (officially: ''Royal Order of the Sword''; Swedish: ''Kungliga Svärdsorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry and military decoration created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Or ...

(Sweden) * Honorary Knight Commander of the

(United Kingdom) * Ribbon - Victory Medal MID

Allied Victory MedalZarządzenia Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej. Zezwolenie na przyjęcie i noszenie orderów , czasopismo ''Dziennik Personalny Ministerstwa Spraw Wojskowyc'' published by Ministerstwo Spraw Wojskowych, p. 380 Nr 8 of 11 November 1931 http://www.wbc.poznan.pl/dlibra/docmetadata?id=72384

Bibliography

* ''Dziennik Personalny Ministerstwa Spraw Wojskowych'' (Personnel Journal in the Ministry of Military Affairs) * ''Roczniki Oficerskie'' 1923, 1924, 1928 i 1932. (Officers' Annual Reports) * Graczyk Marcin. ''Admirał Świrski'', Gdańsk: published by Finna Oficyna Wydawnicza 2007 * Czerwiński, J., Czerwińska, M., Babnis, M., Jankowski, A., Sawicki, J., ''Kadry Morskie Rzeczypospolitej'', vol.II Polska Marynarka Wojenna published by Wyższa Szkoła Morska, Gdynia 1996, * Nawrot Dariusz 'Polska Marynarka Wojenna w koncepcjach admirała Jerzego Świrskiego' in ''Zeszyty Naukowe Akademii Marynarki Wojennej'' Year LII, No. 2 (185), Gdynia, 2011 * Romanowski Bolesław. ''Torpeda w celu!: Wspomnienia ze służby na okrętach podwodnych 1939-1945'' Warsaw, 1973 * Sokołowska, Małgorzata and Kwiatkowska, Wiesława ''Gdyńskie cmentarze: O twórcach miasta, portu i floty'', Gdynia: Oficyna Verbi-Causa, 2003

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swirski, Jerzy 1882 births 1959 deaths Burials at Brompton Cemetery People from Kalisz Polish Navy admirals Military personnel of the Russian Empire Polish people of World War I Ukrainian admirals Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir Grand Crosses of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Gold Cross of Merit (Poland) Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Liberty Grand Officers of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Order of St. Anna Recipients of the Order of the Sword Companions of the Order of the Bath