Józef Unrug

Admiral
Józef Unrug
Born(1884-10-07)7 October 1884
Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany
Died28 February 1973(1973-02-28) (aged 88)
Lailly-en-Val, France
Allegiance German Empire
Second Polish Republic
Branch Imperial German Navy
 Polish Navy
Years of servicefrom 1907
RankRear Admiral (Wiceadmirał)
CommandsSM UB-25, SM UC-11 and SM UC-28
C-i-C of the Polish Navy
Battles / warsWorld War I, Polish-Soviet War, Invasion of Poland (1939)
Awards

Józef Unrug (German: Joseph von Unruh; 7 October 1884 – 28 February 1973) was a German and Polish admiral who helped establish Poland's navy after World War I. During the opening stages of World War II, he served as the Polish Navy's commander-in-chief. As a German POW, he refused all German offers to change sides and was incarcerated in several Oflags, including Colditz Castle. He stayed in exile after the war in the United Kingdom, Morocco and France where he died and was buried. In September 2018 he was posthumously promoted in the rank of vice admiral by the President of Poland. After 45 years his remains, along with those of his wife Zofia, were exhumed from Montrésor and taken in October 2018 to his final resting place in Gdynia, Poland.