Description:

Patton Jr. George



George Patton Signed Envelope, During Operation Fortitude, The Deceptive PSA/DNA Encapsulated And Graded

 

Air Mail Envelope, 6.75" x 4", addressed to "Mrs. G.S. Patton, Jr", from Lt. Gen G.S. Patton, Jr. George Patton signed the envelope within the return address as the Censor, "G.S. Patton Jr". Postmark dated "May 22, 1944". PSA/DNA encapsulated and graded NM 7.

 

A fantastic signed envelope while in the middle of Operation Fortitude just prior to the Invasion of Normandy. Like the rest of the world, Patton learned of the Normandy invasion  by listening to the BBC at seven o’clock on the morning of June  6, 1944. Though he had been sidelined from the invasion, he played  an important role in it by his absence. In February 1944, Overlord planners at Supreme Allied Headquarters had formulated a plan—“Operation Fortitude South”—to deceive the German commanders into thinking that the Norman landings were merely a feint to draw German defenders away from a main Allied invasion at Pas de Calais.



Fortitude was a massive operation of deception conducted by the Allied Forces to lead the Germans to believe that they would be landing in Pas-de-Calais, where France and England were closest, or in Norway, because der Fuhrer and his cronies thought this most probable.

 

The aim was also to make them believe that the Normandy landings in May 1944 and in the south of France in June 1944 were mere diversions, and that the real landings would take place in Pas-de-Calais, so that the German army would concentrate its troops there during the Landings, giving the Allies time to muster. The means implemented for this operation were as follows:

 

  • Deliberately letting the enemy get hold of false secret information via exchanges with neutral countries, spies and double agents.
  • Creating dummy military units in England, sometimes with fake tanks and inflatable aeroplanes, movements of troops and heated radio conversations.

This encouraged the Germans to build many bunkers and reinforce the Atlantic Wall along the Côte d’Opale, in Pas-de-Calais.

The German authorities apparently clung to their belief that the landing would occur in Pas-de-Calais right until September 1944.

 

A month after the Normandy invasion, secretly landing at an airstrip near Omaha Beach, Patton entered a waiting jeep. When army and navy personnel rushed up to see him, Patton stood and delivered a short impromptu speech: “I’m proud to be here to fight beside you. Now let’s cut the guts out of those Krauts and get the hell on to Berlin. And when we get to Berlin, I am going to personally shoot that paperhanging goddamned son of a bitch just like I would a snake.” The troops cheered Patton’s remarks. He soon learned that he was to lead the Third Army and that his first responsibility was to clear the Brest peninsula of Germans. Patton’s presence was still a secret to the enemy. He wrote to his wife Beatrice on July 10, 1944, “Sunday I went to a field mass. It was quite impressive. All the men with rifles and helmets, the altar the back of a jeep. Planes on combat missions flying over and the sound of guns all the while. . . . There is nothing to do at the moment but be a secret weapon.”

 

As the official British history notes, it was “the most complex and successful deception operation in the entire history of the war.” This is a superb piece from this period !

 



WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

***Please contact our office for information on third party shippers***


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item.Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000