General George S. Patton Signed Photograph.

PATTON, George S.

Item Number: 118024

Black and white photographic print of Commanding General George Smith Patton, signed by him. One page, taken from the “Third Army: A Brief History of Operations in Europe” historical booklet, signed by Patton in the upper right corner and annotated below his image “Autographed Nov. 1945.” From the collection of 2nd Lt. John Papay, the officer in charge of security at Patton’s headquarters with a gold plaque commemorating the association. Matted and framed. The entire piece measures 16 inches by 14.25 inches. In near fine condition. A rare and desirable association, signed to Patton’s security officer in the month prior to Patton’s tragic death in December 1945.

General George Smith Patton was a senior officer of the United States Army who commanded the United States Seventh Army in the Mediterranean and European theaters of World War II, but is best known for his leadership of the U.S. Third Army in France and Germany following the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944. Born in 1885 to a family with an extensive military background (with members having served in the United States Army and Confederate States Army), Patton attended the Virginia Military Institute and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He studied fencing and designed the M1913 Cavalry Saber, more commonly known as the "Patton Sword", and partially due to his skill in the sport, he competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. Patton first saw combat during the Pancho Villa Expedition in 1916, taking part in America's first military action using motor vehicles. He later joined the newly formed United States Tank Corps of the American Expeditionary Forces and saw action in World War I, commanding the U.S. tank school in France before being wounded while leading tanks into combat near the end of the war. In the interwar period, Patton remained a central figure in the development of armored warfare doctrine in the U.S. Army, serving in numerous staff positions throughout the country. Rising through the ranks, he commanded the 2nd Armored Division at the time of the American entry into World War II.