WWII

QUEEN ELIZABETH II, JUST 4 MONTHS INTO HER NEW REIGN, APPOINTS A COMMANDER IN THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE, WITH HER GRANDMOTHER, QUEEN MARY ALSO SIGNING THE DOCUMENT AS GRAND MASTER.  A RARE COMBINATION OF SIGNATURES TO BE FOUND TOGETHER.

ELIZABETH II (1926-2022). Queen of England and regnant of the Commonwealth realms. Partially-Printed Document Signed, “Elizabeth R,” as Queen, less than 4 months into her new reign, at upper right. Embossed Seal of Elizabeth II at upper left margin. One page, large folio. [12 ¼ X 15 ¼ inches, this is the rarer large size document of that era ] June 5, 1952.  

QUEEN ELIZABETH II  ~~  KING GEORGE VI  

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, WINSTON S. CHURCHILL,  B.L. MONTGOMERY, LOUIS MONTBATTEN, CLEMENT ATLEE, MARK CLARK, ERNEST KING, CARL SPAATZ, JAN MASARYK, THE ENTIRE RUSSIAN DELEGATION TO THE WORLD TRADE  UNION CONFERENCE, AND DOZENS MORE  WWII ERA PERSONALITIES SIGN A GUEST BOOK WHEN ATTENDING VARIOUS CERMONIES AT OXFORD UNIVESITY

WORLD WAR II ERA PERSONALITIES.  A simply remarkable assemblage of dozens of prominent persons who have signed a guest book kept by a hotelier who ran an establishment near Oxford University in the years 1944-1948.

A STUNNING F.D.R. ITEM OF THE HIGHEST PHILATELIC INTEREST!

ROOSEVELT, FRANKLIN D. (1882-1945). Thirty-second President of the United States (1933-45). Unusual Postal Envelope signed “Franklin D. Roosevelt”, as President, on the return address portion of a red, white, and blue bordered, stamped envelope.

CHURCHILL WRITING AT A PIVITAL POINT IN HIS REMARKABLE LIFE’S STORY  ~  GIVING NOTICE TO SIR GEORGE ALLEN, PUBLISHER OF ‘THE PIONEER’, INDIA’S ENGLISH DAILY NEWSPAPER, —  OF HIS ARRIVAL IN SOUTH AFRICA,  TO COVER THE BOER WAR AS A NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENT – SAYING:  “I WAS PACKED OFF TO S. AFRICA IN SUCH A HURRY TO CHRONICLE THIS WAR” —

NOT KNOWING THAT JUST A MEAR TWO WEEKS LATER, HE WAS TO BE CAPTURED, WHEN HIS ARMOURED TRAIN WAS AMBUSHED BY THE BOERS.  HIS SUBSEQUENT DARING ESCAPE,  MADE HEADLINES THE WORLD OVER, AND SERVED AS THE LAUCHING PAD FOR HIS REMARKABLE POLITICAL CAREER

CHURCHILL, WINSTON, S. (1874-1965). British statesman, and Prime Minister. Simply superb, and irreplaceable Autograph Letter Signed “Winston S. Churchill”,  as newspaper correspondent for the Morning Post to cover the Boer War.  Two pages, octavo on blindstamped “South Africa” stationery.  Cape Town, [South Africa].   October 30, [1899].

HERBERT HOOVER, AS COMMERCE SECRETARY,  TO THE SATURDAY EVENING POST EDITOR ON INHERITANCE TAXES AND THE AFTERMATH OF WORLD WAR I, AND THE ABILITY OF GERMANY TO FEED ITSELF

HOOVER, HERBERT. (1874-1964). Thirty-first President of the United States (1929-33). Typed Letter Signed “Herbert Hoover” as Commerce Secretary on Department of Commerce, Office of the Secretary imprinted stationary. One full page, quarto.  January 14, 1924.  

IN 1948, JUST A SHORT 6 MONTHS AFTER THE FOUNDING OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL, EINSTEIN WRITES TO A POST-HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR STAYING IN AN AMERICAN-JEWISH DISTRIBUTION CAMP IN CYPRUS, WHILE AWAITING HIS RESETTLEMENT IN THE NEW ISRAELI STATE, AND ACKNOWLEDGES:

“WE ALL OWE THE SMALL HEROIC GROUP OF OUR BROTHERS IN ISRAEL GRATITUDE AND ADMIRATION BECAUSE THEY HAVE ACHIEVED ON THEIR OWN THAT WHICH IS THEIRS BY RIGHT”

EINSTEIN, ALBERT. (1879-1955). Theoretical physicist; Developed the general theory of relativity.  Outstanding Typed Letter Signed “A. Einstein”. 1 1/4 pages, quarto. [No place], November 24, 1948. In German. To Siegfried Hessing, Polish writer and Jewish Internee in Famagusta, Cyprus. Addressed to “Camp 67 Bg c/o A.J.D.C.”, a post-Holocaust location where Jews were awaiting permission to enter the new nation of Israel.

GENERAL CURTIS LEMAY ~~  HEADED THE BERLIN AIRLIFT & SOON TO BE HEAD OF THE STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND

LEMAY, CURTIS E. (1906-1990). Lieutenant General United States Air Force. Typed Letter Signed, “Curtis E. LeMay,” on Headquarters Strategic Air Command Offutt Air Force Base Omaha, Nebraska letterhead. One page, quarto. No place. April 10, 1951.