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The Glow-Worm Churchillians by-the-Bay E-Newsletter
Northern California Affiliate of the Churchill Centre Volume 3, Issue 3 Third Quarter 2011 “We are all worms. But I do believe that I am a glow-worm.” * *(Violet Bonham Carter, Winston Churchill as I knew Him, page 16— WSC’s remark was made at a dinner given by Lady Mary Elcho.)
From All the Rumours by Reginald Arkwell and Alfred Leete (One Shilling Including Amusement Tax), London, Duckworth & Co., 1916.
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Contents
Review: A Daughter’s Tale: The Memoir Of Winston And Clementine Churchill’s Youngest Child, by Lady Mary Soames, page 3
Battle of Britain, September, 1940, page 17 Bookworm’s Corner by Jim Lancaster, Page 19
A Favorite Churchill Anecdote from WWII as related by Harry S. Truman, page 22 The Atlantic Charter Seventieth Anniversary, page 27 Labour Exchanges and Churchill, page 34 Up Coming Events, page 38 Churchill in the News, page 42 Interspersed with various Churchilliana
Churchillians by-the-Bay Board of Directors: Richard C Mastio, Chairman and Contributions Editor for The Glow-Worm, Jason C. Mueller, President, Gregory B. Smith, Secretary and Liaison with Churchill Centre, Michael Allen, Treasurer. Directors: Jack Koers, Carol Mueller, Editor of The Glow-Worm, Lloyd Nattkemper, Dr. Andrew Ness, Barbara Norkus, Katherine Stathis, and Anne Steele. Glow-Worm named by Susie Mastio © Copyright, All Rights Reserved Glow-Worm and Churchillians by-the- Bay, Inc.
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Book Review: A Daughter’s Tale: The Memoir Of Winston And Clementine Churchill’s Youngest Child, by Lady Mary Soames Sunday, Sep 04 2011 Daily Mail
From her private diaries, Winston Churchill's daughter Lady Mary Soames gives a vivid account of London society at war It was September 3, 1939. There was a blue summer sky with white clouds floating slowly by and I had made plans to ride with friends in the country. At 11.15 came the brief statement by Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister. No reply had been received to Britain’s ultimatum that Hitler withdraw from Poland, he said, and, consequently, we were at war with Germany. I found it impossible to believe. There must have been five or six of us there, subdued and moved by the announcement. Then we set off in a gallop.
This gesture of sheer theatre was the perfect touch – releasing tension and emotions. But I believe it marked the end of our world as we had known it. During these early days of the war I divided my energies between helping with the major task of sewing blackout curtains and doing four-hour shifts as a telephonist at the ambulance headquarters in Westerham, near our home at Chartwell in Kent. My father Winston Churchill had become First Lord of the Admiralty and it was planned, to my delight, that I should live in London with my parents. Just short of my 18th
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birthday, we moved into Admiralty House, between Whitehall and Horse Guards Parade. I started as soon as possible at Queen’s College, Harley Street, joining a part-time course in English Literature, History and French. I also enrolled with the Red Cross making bandages: this was a severe test of my patriotism, as my natural aptitude with needle and thread is zero. I much preferred my shifts at a Forces canteen at Victoria Station (except when one of my superiors took the unsporting view that I talked too much to the customers and planted me behind the steaming tea and coffee urns, from where I emerged rather crossly, and with my hairdo predictably ruined). I was unashamedly happy and excited by what I regarded as my first taste of ‘grown-up’ life – the badges of which were a telephone in my room and a latchkey.
'It was now that my love and admiration for my father became enhanced by an element of hero-worship. My affection became inextricably entwined with all the emotions I felt as a young, patriotic Englishwoman' London social life was lively – theatres were full, there were plenty of nightclubs and often we would dine where we could dance. The Savoy, the Dorchester, the Cafe de Paris and Kettner’s were favourites. I was not deemed to be ‘out’ and so nightclubs were officially forbidden, but the most dashing of us contrived to sneak off to clubs with a favourite young man. War was never far away.
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We walked home in darkness. There would be no traffic, the only sounds those of distant footfalls. In May 1940, as I danced at the Savoy until the early hours with Mark Howard, heir to Castle Howard in Yorkshire, Germany swooped in on Holland and Belgium. I wrote in my diary: ‘The bestiality of the attack is inconceivable.’ With Chamberlain’s resignation, my father became Prime Minister. I listened spellbound to his broadcasts and was thrilled when my mother took me to hear him in the Commons on June 4, when he reported the dramatic tale of the Dunkirk evacuation. He spoke of our determination and ability to ‘defend our island home . . . if necessary for years, if necessary alone’. It was now that my love and admiration for my father became enhanced by an element of hero-worship. My affection became inextricably entwined with all the emotions I felt as a young, patriotic Englishwoman. With the Blitz becoming daily more ferocious, I spent more time back at Chartwell. In one letter, my mother referred to Winston’s speech in the Commons on September 5, 1940, when he had announced the exchange with the United States of 50 old American destroyers for naval bases in the Caribbean – a deal of huge importance to us at the time. ‘I read Papa’s speech of course,’ I wrote back, ‘and it was so cheering and invigorating . . . I think it is the best thing I’ve heard for a long time. What a “poke-in-the-snoot” for Hitler!’ In ordinary times, my contemporaries and I would have been making our ‘debut’, the highlight of which was being presented at Court. Of course in wartime, presentation parties were cancelled. But one great annual social event – Queen Charlotte’s Annual Birthday Dinner Dance for debutantes
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at the Grosvenor House hotel – continued to take place. In 1940, this was the event of the season, and it evoked much excited anticipation. I (according to my ‘dear diary’) began dressing at about 5.30 . . . ‘Well, I must say it was lovely to wear such a really beautiful white taffeta hooped dress (slightly off the shoulders!) I wore tiny camellias in my hair – my pearl necklace – my aquamarine & pearl drop earrings, long white gloves – & a sweet little diamond naval crown!’ I was in a state of euphoria – and my cup of happiness overflowed when towards the end of dinner my father unexpectedly arrived to join us for a little while. Summing it all up in my diary: ‘I can only say the evening was a dream of glamour & happiness.’ Early in 1941 I went to Petworth House, Sussex, for a dance given by Lord and Lady Leconfield. Leaving Chequers early on an icy Saturday morning, I took the train to London and I was shocked to see the effects of a winter’s bombings: yawning gaps, boards replacing blownout windows, apparently abandoned shops declaring in large letters ‘BUSINESS AS USUAL’, and entrances shored up with sandbags. Arriving at Petworth, I found an ‘enormous house party assembling – some of whom I knew already’. The dance itself was ‘nothing short of heaven. Positively pre-war. Oh the glamour of not having tickets – & it’s not being in a hotel. Retired footsore & weary but very happy to bed at 4.30am.’ It was only two months later in 1941 that I found myself returning to none other than that hardy perennial, Queen Charlotte’s Ball for debutantes in the vast underground ballroom at the Grosvenor House hotel.
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We of the previous year’s vintage rather patronisingly agreed, as I noted in my diary, that ‘this year’s debs aren’t much to write home about’! Just as we were going down for dinner an air raid began, but we heard only odd bumps and thuds above the music. Emerging from the ball in the early hours after the All Clear had sounded, our party heading for the nightclubs met barriers and closed streets, with ambulances and fire engines clustered round the Cafe de Paris in Coventry Street, which had received a direct hit [more than 30 were killed]. Recalling it now, I am a little shocked that we headed off to find somewhere else to twirl away whatever was left of the night. Chequers brought some delightful friends into my life, and some quasi-romantic interludes – the latter of short duration.
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Young men on leave lunched and dined with us, and we saw each other on and off in London: the uncertainties of our lives heightened feelings. Local dalliances apart, in a period of two months I became engaged to be married – and then dis-engaged – to Eric Duncannon, the son of Lord and Lady Bessborough. We met in March at their home at Stansted Park in Sussex. Eric was nine years older than me. An officer in his county regiment, he was extremely cultivated. During April he courted me elegantly: letters, long telephone calls, an evening or two dining and dancing, and John Donne’s Collected Poetry And Prose. I became much attracted to him.
A daughter's tale: Mary with Churchill taking a ride on some borrowed horses
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At the beginning of May, he came for the weekend to Chequers, and on the Sunday, in the White Parlour, he asked me to marry him. My diary shows me as being taken by surprise: ‘I’m in a daze – I think I’ve said “Yes” – but O dear God I’m in a muddle.’ My mother, Clementine, was not enthusiastic; my father – with other things to think of – was genial, but left it all to her. I vacillated. My mother confided her doubts to Lord Beaverbrook, the newspaper magnate, writing: ‘It has all happened with stunning rapidity. She is only 18, is young for her age . . . & I think she was simply swept off her feet with excitement.’ The families conferred, and no one could have been kinder or more welcoming than my future parents-in-law. But on a long and tedious journey to join my parents at Ditchley in Oxfordshire, serious misgivings crowded in on me. At last we arrived. My mother whisked me off to her room and told me she had discussed the whole matter with my father and they wanted our engagement put off for six months. I was aghast. My mother asked me if I felt certain of my feelings – and I was unable to answer. Letters were sent by dispatch rider to the Bessboroughs, and drafted announcements rescinded. We all got through the evening in civilised fashion, aided by a long film: ‘Had a lot of cider cup – felt better,’ I wrote in my diary, but I was aware I had behaved stupidly and went to bed ‘crushed, humiliated, but fairly calm’.
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I joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), where I would serve with Royal Artillery personnel on gun sites, to perform all duties other than actually forming the gun teams. It was one of the best decisions I took in my life, even if at times I feared I might panic when I was plotting officer or orderly officer, and fail in my duty – and, above all, not be what was expected of my father’s daughter. I was stationed in Enfield, North London, but the focus of my off duty life was home. The atmosphere reflected the war news, which in early 1942 was unrelentingly bad. ‘Papa is at a very low ebb,’ I wrote. ‘He is not too well physically – and he is worn down by the continuous crushing pressure of events . . . He has not weakened – never for a moment – but he is desperately taxed. O God, we need him so much – spare him to us.’ Not all meetings were tranquil. In a letter I describe one evening: ‘On Wednesday I went home again and Mummie, the Dove [my odd soubriquet for my father] and myself were all alone which was rather heavenly. We dined in the garden of No 10. Papa and Mummie were in terrific form . . . one or two enjoyable flare-ups – during one of which Mummie said, “Oh, you old son-ofa- bitch!” Dinner ended in happy silence. Papa sank into the New Yorker magazine – Mummie and I rose to go. “Don’t leave me,” said the Dove pathetically. Mummie contemplated him with a judicial eye, “The trouble is, Winston – you [would] like 20 people to come and watch you read the New Yorker!” Quelle famille! How I adore them.’ Another occasion, little more than a week later, was overcast by Rommel’s success in the
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Western Desert. As I noted:‘Papa’s last words to me were: “Now not a word – and no one must see in your face how bad things are.” They won’t!’ Early in 1943, I wrote: ‘On the Sunday I went for a long and lovely walk with Mummie after lunch. We talked . . . especially of Papa. It appears that he MIGHT get [a] coronary thrombosis – and it might be brought on by anything like a long or high flight.
Proud father: Sir Winston Churchill, top right, at the Debutant Ball at which his youngest daughter Mary was one of the 220 girls to 'come out'
The question is whether he should be warned or not. Mummie thinks he should not – I agree with her.’ This knowledge made us even more anxious whenever my
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father had to fly. From then, persuaded by his doctor and colleagues, he travelled as much as possible by sea. But it was by air that he went on January 12 to North Africa to meet President Franklin D. Roosevelt for the Casablanca Conference; ten days later he went on to Turkey; and from there he went on to visit the Eighth Army in Tripoli, before flying home. On February 18 my mother had told me he had a feverish cold; this developed into pneumonia. I went home a few days later, writing: ‘Might this be the beginning of the end? I was shocked when I saw him. He looked so ill and tired – lying back in bed. What beautiful hands he has. I found the house frightening – nurses’ caps, kidney bowls & bedpans.’ It was not until March that doctors were confident that my father was at last restored to health. From July 29 to September 20, 1943, I was officially ‘Attached to the Personal Staff of the Minister of Defence’.
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This meant I was to go with my parents to Canada for the Quebec Conference with Roosevelt. I would act as an aidede-camp (ADC) to my father. The conference was about Operation Overlord – the Allied invasion of North-West Europe. One night at dinner ‘I was delighted to find myself next to Lord Louis Mountbatten . . . who is such fun and makes me laugh. After dinner the Pres. talked to me for quite a time – I find him so stimulating and gay.’ (My sister Sarah and I fell for Lord Louis in a big way and dubbed him ‘glamourpants’.) There were more journeys for my father. In Tehran, he again met Roosevelt and Marshal Stalin between November 28 and December 2. He planned to visit the battle front in Italy, but arriving in Tunisia, he felt so ill he went straight to bed. The next morning pneumonia was diagnosed; his condition continued to deteriorate. My mother flew out and reported back. A letter dated December 19 read: ‘Papa much better today. Has consented not to smoke, and to drink only weak whisky and soda. In fairly good spirits.’ The following day: ‘Papa very refractory and naughty this morning and wants to leave this place at once. All doing our best to persuade him that complete recovery depends on rest and compliance with regulations.’ As a Christmas present, I had sent my father a set of Gilbert and Sullivan operas. I was overjoyed to receive this letter written in his ‘own paw’ on January 2, 1944: ‘Darling Mary, Last night we played through two of your records, Pirates Of Penzance and Patience. I read, and brooded on the flowing music. On the whole, one of the happiest hours I have had in
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these hard days! How sweet of you to have had the impulse! How clever to have turned it into action and fact. Your ever loving Father. W.’ The first wave of V-1 ‘doodlebugs’ were now reaching London, and I was moved to a gun battery near Chartwell and then to Hastings on the coast in an effort to intercept them. When Winston was visiting the Italian front, I wrote to him through the Downing Street Private Office, saying: ‘The Battle Of Hastings proceeds according to plan. We are busy and in good heart and proud of our increased usefulness . . . Tender love Darling Papa from YOUR DOODLE GUNNER – MARY.’
Mary Churchill wearing one of her favourite dresses, a sapphire blue long-sleeved jacket over a tartan taffeta skirt
My mother confided to me that D-Day was scheduled for June 5. Owing to unsatisfactory weather, the invasion was delayed by 24 hours: so on June 5 I waited all day in a fever of anxiety. That evening I went to a party: ‘Great fun – very gay. Got home [to my billet] about three-ish. I
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don’t think I could have been asleep very long – I suddenly awoke, rather chilly, and heard a throbbing continuous roar – and I knew D-Day was here.’ I rushed into the garden, and could make out aircraft towing gliders overhead: I fell to my knees and prayed as I had never prayed before. Victory in Europe was celebrated by two days of holiday, when joyful crowds thronged the streets day and night. I wrote: ‘How can I ever describe the crowds or their welcome to Papa as he made his way through London,’ driving in an open car and ‘escorted by only four mounted police to clear a pathway through the streets’. At luncheon he had talked to me about the Germans: ‘Retribution and justice must be done, but in the words of Edmund Burke, “I cannot frame an indictment against a whole people.” ’ Of my father’s reaction I wrote: ‘Papa in the midst of national victories and personal triumphs suddenly looks old and deflated with emotion, fatigue and a heartbreaking realisation of the struggles yet to come.’ © Lady Mary Soames 2011. A Daughter’s Tale: The Memoir Of Winston And Clementine Churchill’s Youngest Child, by Lady Mary Soames, is published on September 15 by Doubleday, priced £25. To order your copy at the special price of £20 with free p&p, call The Review Bookstore on 0843 382 1111 or visit www.MailLife.co.uk/Books.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2033381/From-private-diariesWinston-Churchills-daughter-Lady-Mary-Soames-gives-vivid-account-London-societywar.html#ixzz1WwVkeNS4
17 2:43pm Sunday 4th September 2011 Thousands died during the Battle of Britain with Biggin Hill fighters in the firing line. DAVID MILLS looks back at how Spitfires and saucepans shot down the Luftwaffe.
SEPTEMBER 15, 1940 marked a key turning point in the Battle of Britain. It was on this day that RAF fighters started to drive back the Luftwaffe, with major roles played by 72 and 92 Squadrons from Biggin Hill.
In the words of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, it was “one of our great days...the most brilliant and fruitful of any fought upon a large scale by the fighters of the Royal Air Force”.
Churchill followed the action by keeping a close eye on the plotting table as more fighters were scrambled than at any point so far.
The two Biggin Hill squadrons destroyed nine enemy planes and damaged 12.
In total the RAF shot down 56 with a loss of 26, causing Hitler to postpone Operation Sealion, the invasion of Britain.
But September was still a month of devastation for Londoners, as Luftwaffe bombs killed more than 7,000 people and injured 9,000.
The death toll however could have been much higher had it not been for Biggin Hill Spitfires breaking up a formation of German Dorniers and 109s directly above onlookers in Sevenoaks.
Historian and author Bob Ogley said: “In the morning sunshine the Spitfires accounted for 10 of the enemy and wrecks of blazing aircraft were scattered all over the Kentish orchards.”
While fighter pilots risked their lives, with new Spitfires arriving at Biggin Hill almost daily, those on the ground also played a part – by providing saucepans.
Thousands of kitchen aluminium utensils were donated to be used for the production of more fighter planes.
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In Bromley one benefactor offered £500 if the town could raise £4,500 – the cost of one Spitfire was £5,000.
The residents of Bromley found the money with no trouble at all.
The Battle of Britain officially ended on October 31, 1940, but the bombing of British towns and cities continued.
Across the country more than 13,000 people had been killed and 20,000 injured.
During the 113 days of the Battle of Britain’s, 45 pilots from Biggin Hill were killed and 46 wounded with 104 Spitfires and 51 Hurricanes lost or damaged.
But in the words of Mr Ogley: “Britain remained unconquered and so did her most bombed fighter station, Biggin Hill.
“Group Captain Grice, taking a line from the Windmill Theatre, whose starts were frequent visitors to The Bump, was proud to say, ‘We never closed’.” HERITAGE CENTRE CAMPAIGN
Campaigners are hoping to open a long overdue military heritage centre on a site next to Biggin Hill airfield to remember The Few who gave their lives for so many.
The centre will chart the groundbreaking development of radar and communication technology used by aircraft during the First and Second World War, as well as house a large collection of artefacts and memorabilia from pilots based at the airfield.
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Bookworm’s Corner by James R. Lancaster
Jim and Tommy Two accounts of the Inter-Regimental Polo Tournament in Meerut, India, in February 1899. Winston Churchill’s account in A Roving Commission pp 209-211 The great day arrived. As we had foreseen we met the 4th Dragoon Guards in the Final. The match from the very first moment was severe and even. Up and down the hard, smooth Indian polo ground where the ball was very rarely missed and everyone knew where it should be hit to, we raced and tore. Quite soon we had scored one goal and our opponents two, and there the struggle hung in equipoise for some time. I never left the back, and being excellently mounted kept him very busy. Suddenly in the midst of a confused scrimmage close by the enemy goal, I saw the ball spin towards me. It was on my near side. I was able to lift the stick over and bending forward gave it a feeble forward tap. Through the goalposts it rolled. Two all! Apart from the crippled No. 1, we really had a very good team. Our captain, Reginald Hoare, who played No. 3, was not easily to be surpassed in India. Our back, Barnes, my companion in Cuba, was a rock, and almost unfailingly sent his strong back-handers to exactly the place where Savory was waiting for them with me to clear the way. For three years this contest had been the main preoccupation of our lives, and we had concentrated upon it every resource we possessed. Presently I had another chance. Again the ball came to me close to the hostile goal. This time it was travelling fast, and I had no more to do in one fleeting second than to stretch out my stick and send it rolling between the posts. Three to two! Then our opponents exerting themselves swept us down the ground and scored again. Three all!
20 I must explain that in Indian polo in those days, in order to avoid drawn matches, subsidiary goals could be scored. Half the width of the goalposts was laid off on either side by two small flags, and even if the goal were missed, a ball within these flags counted as a subsidiary. No number of subsidiaries equalled one goal, but when goals were equal, subsidiaries decided. Unfortunately our opponents had the best of us in subsidiaries. Unless we could score again we should lose. Once again fortune came to me, and I gave a little feeble hit at the ball among the ponies’ hoofs, and for the third time saw it pass through the goal. This brought the 7th chukka to an end. We lined up for the last period with 4 goals and 3 subsidiaries to our credit, our opponents having 3 goals and 4 subsidiaries. Thus if they got one more goal they would not merely tie, but win the match outright. Rarely have I seen such strained faces on both sides. You would not have thought it was a game at all, but a matter of life and death. Far graver crises cause less keen emotion. I do not remember anything of the last chukka except that as we galloped up and down the ground in desperate attack and counter-attack, I kept on thinking, ‘Would God that night or Blücher would come.’ [referring to the Battle of Waterloo] They came in one of the most welcome sounds I have ever heard: the bell which ended the match, and enabled us to say as we sat streaming and exhausted on our ponies, ‘We have won the Inter-Regimental Tournament of 1899.’ Prolonged rejoicings, intense inward satisfaction, and nocturnal festivities from which the use of wine was not excluded, celebrated the victory. The amusing account by Lieutenant-Colonel Baden-Powell, commander of the 5th Dragoon Guards, author of Aids to Scouting and Scouting for Boys, founder of the Boy Scout movement in 1908. This account is in his Memories of India pp 34-36. This book is undated, but it is believed to have been published in 1919. The Inter-Regimental polo tournament is the great event of the year for all regiments in India, and on one occasion it was held at Meerut while my regiment was stationed there. All the teams visiting the place for the occasion naturally made use of our mess, and we formed a very large and happy family. On the night after the final tie had been decided, we had a grand dinner to signalise the event. The health of the winning team was drunk collectively and individually with all honours, and each member of it in turn tendered his thanks to the assembled company. Then the winning team proposed the health of the losers, and they naturally returned their thanks in a similar way, and proceeded to propose the toast of the runners-up, and so it went on during the greater part of the evening until every team in the place had had its health proposed, and speeches had been made without number, all harping on the one topic of polo. When all was over and a sigh of relief was going round, there suddenly sprang to his feet one of the members of the 4th Hussars’ team, who said: “Now, gentleman, you would probably like to hear me address you on the subject of polo!” It was Mr. Winston Churchill. Naturally there were cries of: “No, we don’t! Sit down!” and so on, but disregarding all their objections, with a genial smile he proceeded to discourse on the subject, and before long all opposition dropped as his honied words flowed upon their ears, and in a short time he was hard at it expounding the beauties and the possibilities of this wonderful game. He proceeded to show how it was not merely the
21 finest game in the world but the most noble and soul-inspiring contest in the whole universe, and having made his point he wound up with a peroration which brought us all cheering to our feet. When the cheering and applause had died down one in authority arose and gave voice to the feelings of all when he said: “Well, that is enough of Winston for this evening.” and the orator was taken in hand by some lusty subalterns and placed underneath an overturned sofa upon which two of the heaviest were then seated, with orders not to allow him out for the rest of the evening. But very soon afterwards he appeared emerging from beneath the angle of the arm of the sofa, explaining: “It is no use sitting upon me, for I’m india-rubber.” and he popped up serenely and took his place once more in the world and the amusement that was going on around him. I have often remembered the incident on occasions since then when in politics or elsewhere he has given proof of his statement.
This cartoon by Ellison of the Birmingham Mail was drawn for Churchill's 70th birthday in 1944. It captures the Prime Minister's dynamic public image.
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A Favorite Churchill Anecdote From WWII
Harry S. Truman 1947 Diary June 27: Called in Sec[retary] of State, Gen[eral] Marshall, Sec[retary] of War, Sec[retary of the] Navy, Gen[eral] Eisenhower, Adm[iral] Leahy, and Adm[iral] Nimitz along with Dr. Lillienthal to discuss new atomic bombs, and the advisability of testing them. Gen[eral] Marshall agreed that they should be tested but at a date beyond the Foreign Minister's meeting in Nov.-say from Feb[.] to April. I appointed Patterson, Forestal [sic] and Dr. Lillienthal to work out details with Gen[eral] Eisenhower and Adm[iral] Nimitz as advisors. Gen[eral] Marshall & Adm[iral] Leahy to be consulted as developments proceed. We must make the tests without insulting the Bolshies or our own Red helpers-headed by Wallace.
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Lunched with Marshall & Att[orne]y. Gen[eral] Clark in John Pye's dining room. Ross, Clifford, Latta[,] Haskett & John Steelman present. Marshall told the best story of World War II[,] at least Winston Churchill thinks it is. I endorse Churchill's judgement-about an American Army Chaplain being driven into Tunis after the German surrender. All Americans had gone forward so Germans took over traffic direction. Traffic terribly snarled up. The Chaplain with his corporal driver was stopped by a tough Nazi at a street crossing and completely "balled out" just as an American cop would do it-only in addition to the balling out the Nazi traffic cop told the chaplain what he thought of the inefficiency and general no account make up of Americans. The Chaplain was kind and polite and tried his level best to be decent. In fact he went so far that the poor corporal driver could hardly hold his tongue. Finally the Chaplain pointed to his insignia and informed the tough Nazi cop that he belonged to the religious section of the army and finally remarked-"I am only up here to plant some of you Nazi bastards." The corporal was made very happy by that remark and I suppose the good Chaplain regreted
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[sic] it. Any way it's a good story and I agree with Winston.
A Man's Life, Motivational Posters
MARRIED SEPTEMBER 12, 1908
Time Magazine, People, Sep. 22, 1958 On their 5oth wedding anniversary, celebrated on the French Riviera, Sir Winston and Lady Churchill received the attentions of an esteeming world: telegrams and letters (from the Queen, the Prime Minister, the President of the U.S.), hampers of flowers, a gallon of 119-year-old cognac, a 25-lb. chocolate cigar. The day was quiet, with a few champagne toasts on the villa terrace; but, as the New York Times editorialized, it was "still another great day in a life that has known much greatness."
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,863890,00.html#ixzz1R6SmYd9Y
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Oral History Interview with Admiral Robert L. Dennison Graduate of U.S. Naval Academy, 1923; Assistant Chief of Naval Operations, 1945-47; Commander of the U.S.S. Missouri, 1947-48; Naval Aide to President Harry S. Truman,1948-53; Commander in Chief of the Atlantic Command, Commander of the Atlantic Fleet, and Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic, 1960-63. Washington, D.C. November 2, 1971 By Jerry N. Hess HESS: You also wanted to mention Mr. Churchill's visit to the United States in January of 1952. DENNISON: Early in 1952 members of the new British government headed by Winston Churchill came to Washington for a series of talks. Churchill was accompanied by Lord Cherwell, Lord Ismay, Anthony Eden, and Sir Oliver Franks. On the day of their arrival, Saturday, January 5, the President invited the British party to meet him aboard the Williamsburg for a cruise down the Potomac. In addition to the President, Secretaries Acheson, Snyder, Lovett, Ambassador Gifford, and Averell Harriman were also invited. The President wanted complete privacy so there were no reporters present and no photographers. We were to make an overnight cruise on the Potomac. I was aboard in my usual role, accompanied by Chief Petty Officer Paul Begley who was a member of my staff. Chief Begley always accompanied the President to take pictures for the record. On this particular occasion the President and his party met with the British in the afterlounge [206] of the Williamsburg. The forward bulkhead of the lounge contained a fireplace which seemed an ideal background for a photograph of the President and the Prime Minister. At least so I thought. I asked both of them if they would mind posing for their picture. They readily agreed. Just as Begley was about to snap this historic picture I noticed that over the mantel hung a painting of the engagement between the U.S.S. Constitution and the H.M.S. Java on December 29, 1812, off the coast of Brazil. In this engagement the Java was destroyed after Captain Lambert had surrendered to Captain Bainbridge. I stopped Begley and went up to apologize to the Prime Minister and the President, explaining, as of course the President well knew, that this was not deliberate but perhaps they would prefer a more neutral background. The Prime Minister put on his glasses, examined the painting, and then, putting his glasses down on the end of his nose, turned to me and said, "Young man, that was many years ago. Go ahead and take your picture." The President, of course, was amused.
26 Three enlargements of this photograph were each autographed by the President and the Prime Minister.
November 9, 1948 A local contingent of VFW members called on the President around noon. They invited the President to attend Armistice Day ceremonies, gave him three guyaberas (Cuban made Irish linen sports shirts) and presented him a medal commemorating the President's visit at their National Convention in Miami a few weeks before. Truman received another congratulatory letter, this time from a man with whom he'd shared responsibility for waging and winning World War II, Winston Churchill. My dear Harry, I sent you a cable of my hearty congratulations on your gallant fight and tremendous victory. I felt keenly the way you were treated by some of your party and in particular by Wallace who seemed to us over here to be a greater danger than he proved. But all this has now become only the background of your personal triumph. Of course it is my business as a foreigner or half a foreigner to keep out of American politics, but I am sure I can now say what a relief it has been to me and most of us here to feel that the long continued comradeship between us and also the Democratic Party in peace and war will not be interrupted. This is most necessary and gives the best chance of preserving peace. I wish you the utmost success in your Administration during this most critical and baffling period in world affairs. If I should
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be able to come over I shall not hesitate to pay my respects to you. With kind regards, Believe me Your friend, Winston Churchill
Seventieth Anniversary of the Atlantic Charter Celebrated and Remembered
Lieutenant Governor John Crosbie attended the ceremony on Aug. 14 in Ship Harbour to commemorate the birth of the Atlantic Charter by US president Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, which happened 70 years ago in secret... Published on August 25, 2011
Charter Foundation , International Churchill Society of Canada , United Nations , Ship Harbour , Britain , Placentia Bay Seventy years ago, in August 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt of the United States of America and Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Britain met in secret on the waters of Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, near Ship Harbour. They reached an agreement on a document called the Atlantic Charter, which would incorporate aims to guide the war and
28 govern peace and later be the foundation for the United Nations. This past week the people of Ship Harbour celebrated that event on Aug. 14 with the assistance of national and international organizations. Following ceremonies and a dinner in St. John’s the night before at CFS St. John’s that featured the menu served to Roosevelt and Churchill, Phonse Griffiths of Ship Harbour was honoured with an Award of Merit by the International Churchill Society of Canada for his work in trying to preserve the site. Among those attending the dinner was the Lieutenant Governor John Crosbie and support groups who also gathered at the Atlantic Charter Monument in Ship Harbour the next day to celebrate the event in fine style. About 200 people attended including the entire company from HMCS Avalon. The ceremonies replicated the religious ceremonies that had been held 70 years before on the deck of HMS Prince of Wales, the ship on which Churchill had arrived. On stage were emcee Cathy Griffiths, the Chair of the Atlantic Charter Foundation and Lieutenant Governor John Crosbie and Mrs. Crosbie, Placentia-St. Mary’s MHA Felix Collins, Avalon MP Scott Andrews, CFS St. John’s Base Commander Lawrence Trim, CPO and Base Chief Herman Harris, and RCMP representative Staff Sergeant Major Dave Tipple. The religious ceremonies were conducted by Padre Lieut. Jack Barrett with hymns sung by Amy Wilson. Support groups on hand included navy cadets, legionnaires, and Harvey Mercer from the Argentia Management Authority. Following the religious ceremony a talk was presented by Peter H. Russell, the author of a new book “The First Summit and the Atlantic Charter.” (The book was available for sale at the celebration with all proceeds going to Atlantic Charter Foundation). Mr. Russell’s speech not only gave an outline of how the meeting was set up and what happened, but added some tidbits of information, such as while on the HMS Prince of Wales President Roosevelt made his longest walk since suffering polio 20 years before. He also reported that the British warship carrying Churchill had to circle around to avoid arriving half an hour early and about Churchill’s two visits on land at Joe’s Cove near the Memorial site. Professor Russell emphasized to those attending the importance of recording and preserving stories that had been handed down to local residents by their parents and grandparents. The events on stage ended with the introduction of visitors from other parts of Canada and Britain who have supported the celebrations including the Crow’s Nest Naval Officers Club, the Churchill Society for Parliamentary Democracy, the International Churchill Society of Canada, the Churchill Centre, London and the Atlantic Council of Canada. Following the official ceremony there was a celebration on the meadow next to the monument area and by the water. This included tents sent up for food, and refreshments. There was a souvenir stand with three young girls who were selling the Atlantic Charter book (also available at the Leyton Gallery of Fine Arts, St. John’s or through the Atlantic
29 Charter website), mugs and placemats. Nearby was a stage that provided music during the afternoon supplied by “Avalon� from Fox Harbour. Meanwhile Phonse Griffiths provide a guided walk of the site and led a tour of the Atlantic Charter Museum where the table was exhibited from the USS Augusta that Roosevelt and Churchill had sat at for the discussions. Although there had been some fog around for the ceremony in the morning the sun came out for a great afternoon. For more information about the Atlantic Charter and the new Foundation that has been set up, please visit www.atlanticcharter.ca.
Atlantic Charter ensured freedom By ALAN DOWD
Winston Churchill called it "a great hour to live." Franklin Roosevelt described it as a summer "cruise." The White House told the press it was just a "fishing holiday." It was the Atlantic Conference, one of the most consequential summits in history, and it transpired 70 years ago this month off the coast of Newfoundland. And in the dark hours of the Second World War, it gave us a roadmap to a better world.
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First and foremost, Roosevelt and Churchill vowed "no territorial changes that do not accord with the ... wishes of the peoples concerned" and endorsed "the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live." Mindful of Versailles' failures, Roosevelt and Churchill wanted the postwar peace to encourage "economic advancement," improve labour standards, and tear down barriers to trade. If economic nationalism and closed-off markets helped sow the seeds of war, they reasoned, then a postwar world characterized by free trade, freedom of the seas, and a more liberal economic system would help sow the seeds of peace. "One of the preconditions of any lasting peace will have to be the greatest possible freedom of trade," Roosevelt told Churchill. Likewise, if the military defeat of Germany was incomplete in 1918, the Atlantic Charter called for "the final destruction of the Nazi tyranny" and the disarmament of aggressive nations. Related, the Charter envisioned the "establishment of a wider and permanent system of general security." Therein lay the seeds of the UN. Two global wars in the span of 20 years convinced Roosevelt and Churchill that they had an obligation to try to check mankind's destructive impulses. These war aims gave the Allies something to fight for: "a better future for the world," in the words of the Charter. Long before that better future could be realized; the summit signaled to Churchill that help was on the way. With his country besieged, Churchill wanted the United States to enter the war as soon as possible. But given the American public's wariness, U.S. entry was not possible in August 1941. So Roosevelt vowed, as Churchill put it, to "wage war but not declare it."
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In other words, it was during the Atlantic Conference that Roosevelt quietly pulled the plug on American isolationism. Likewise, it was during the Atlantic Conference that Britain began to hand off its global responsibilities to America. Thus was born what Churchill later called the "special relationship." Ever since, these two partners have stood together, from Berlin to Baghdad to Benghazi. It's no accident that the U.S. has developed bonds with Canada and Australia -- two other pieces of the British Empire -- that are as strong as the U.S.-UK alliance. After the summit, Churchill told the House of Commons that Britain and the United States "will have to be somewhat mixed up together in some of their affairs for mutual and general advantage." Thus, they commanded each other's troops during the war; forged permanent partnerships on trade, intelligence, armaments, military basing, and strategic military doctrine after the war; and continue to deepen their alliance today. Consider the new U.S.-UK National Security Strategy Board. Cochaired by each country's national security adviser, it will develop a common approach to emerging security challenges. Much about the postwar world flows from the Charter: shared responsibility, free trade, and free government -- all buttressed by a widening circle of free nations. It pays to recall that the Berlin Airlift was an Anglo-American operation. Britain, America and fellow Anglo-sphere partner Canada built NATO; defended Korea at the beginning of the Cold War; liberated Kuwait at the end; and faced down Moscow in the years between. After the Cold War, they stabilized the Balkans and reunited Europe. And today, they are dismantling al Qaeda, rebuilding Afghanistan, and giving Libya a chance at "a better future."
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Indeed, in today's Arab Spring, we hear echoes of the Atlantic Charter: "the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live." Ever the visionary, Churchill knew the Charter would "remain a guide ... for other peoples of the world." The Charter's enduring relevance is just one measure of its success. Another is found in Germany and Japan. Seventy years ago, they were predator nations. Today, they are peaceful, prosperous and free. Likewise, the wider world -- even with the troubles in the Middle East, the ongoing financial crisis, and the threat of terrorism -- is more peaceful, prosperous and free than it was before the Charter. To be sure, the world is still afflicted by tyrants and wars. Roosevelt and Churchill were not so naive as to think they could remedy the world's ills with a piece of paper. But owing to their declaration of peace, great-power disagreements haven't triggered a global war in nearly 75 years, the zone of partnership and prosperity is larger today than it has ever been, and we have a roadmap for enlarging it. Not bad for a three-day fishing trip. Alan W. Dowd is a senior fellow with the Fraser Institute specializing in security and military affairs.
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July 21, 2011, 12:15 PM ET
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Champagne’s Toast to Winston Churchill By Will Lyons
Sir Winston Churchill once described Pol Roger’s headquarters in Epernay as the world’s most drinkable address. Now, in homage to the relationship the former British Prime Minister enjoyed with the Champagne house, the municipality had decided to rename the street where Pol Roger is based after the Statesman. A spokesperson for the Champagne house in Epernay said the street has been renamed and the new address will be changed from 1 Rue Henri Le Large to 1 Rue Winston Churchill. “We are thrilled,” said Pol Roger U.K. director James Simpson, “to discover that Pol Roger has now moved house but curiously has remained in the same place.” Churchill’s relationship with the Champagne house stretches back to 1945 when, some months after the liberation of Paris, he received an invitation to a luncheon given by the British ambassador to France. At the lunch he met the charming Odette Pol Roger, who became a life long friend. On the death of Sir Winston Churchill, in 1965, Pol Roger ordered black-bordered labels to be placed on their labels. In 1984 they introduced a prestige cuvée named after him and made it in the robust, mature style he liked. In April, Pol Roger white foil Pol Roger Brut Réserve Champagne NV was served at the wedding reception of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace
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Friday, 29 July 2011
Churchill’s job centres are still packing them in after 100 years
Launch ... Camberwell exchange in 1910 London
Flaw in Winnie's plan By MICHAEL PORTILLO Former Employment Secretary WHEN Winston Churchill launched Labour Exchanges he put himself at the cutting edge. For the first time the government recognised that unemployment was not caused by laziness as much as by a poorly functioning labour market. In 1910 the state accepted that it should help bring people seeking jobs into contact with employers offering posts.
35 Before the Second World War it was almost unimaginable that a man could choose to be without work. But since the war the welfare state - which offers benefits even to those with no National Insurance record - has brought the risk that people will decide against work simply as a lifestyle choice. When I was Employment Secretary 15 years ago I wrestled with that moral hazard. I introduced the Jobseeker's Allowance, a name chosen to emphasise that taxpayers should support only those genuinely looking for work. In this recession there will be millions who cannot find work, and the Jobcentres must play their original role in assisting people back into employment. A century ago we grasped that unemployment need not be a symptom of idleness. Sadly, in the last 50 years we've learned that you cannot always rely on a worker's pride to guarantee that he or she will work if they can. Separating those who need help from those who are playing the system isn't easy. It's a policy conundrum Mr Churchill couldn't foresee.
TODAY, they are a familiar sight in towns and cities across the nation. By JENNA SLOAN
But when Britain's first job centres opened their doors on February 1 1910, they transformed the way we look for work. The first Labour Exchanges were set up by Winston Churchill - then a Liberal MP and President of the Board of Trade - who feared the newly formed Labour Party was grabbing working-class votes.
Reform ... Winston Churchill A study by social reformer Seebohm Rowntree had shown shocking levels of poverty, and there were fears Germany was overtaking Britain with the creation of a more advanced welfare state. No national unemployment figures were kept, but unions reported increasing numbers of members out of work. And with the union movement gaining strength, there were fears that unrest could stoke communism.
36 Churchill knew he had to act, so on February 1 he oversaw the opening of 62 Labour Exchanges.
Then ... Camden exchange It was a radical concept and marked the first time the government had stepped in to bring together job adverts and people looking for work. When the Labour Exchange opened in Camberwell, south London, more than 600 men queued up, desperate to find employment. Churchill visited three of the centres in London on the day of the scheme's launch and declared: "These Labour Exchanges are a piece of social mechanism and are, I believe, absolutely essential to any wellordered community. "The exchanges I have visited today are all painted green which, I believe, is the colour of hope." Today, the colour green is still reflected in the Jobcentre Plus logo, but while people continue to queue for work and struggle to get their first career breaks, little else remains the same. The exchange in Camden, north London, is now a nightclub, while the exchange in Exeter has been turned into a charity shop and a curry house. Both buildings were among the original 62 to open across the country.
37 In 2010, job seekers hunt for positions using online computer terminals and have scheduled interviews with staff. A century ago unemployed men and women - who were dealt with separately - were handed tickets detailing work available while staff were protected by large screens.
Different eras, same problems ... Britain The first Labour Exchanges also provided hundreds of jobs for the clerks who run them. In Leeds, a Yiddish-speaking clerk was needed to help the city's large Jewish population. The male candidate had to be "familiar with the conditions obtaining among his co-religionists". A hundred years on, Jobcentre staff are still helping immigrants who do not speak English to find work, with workers in Hull being taught basic Polish phrases such as: "Are you here to look for work?". Translation cards are also provided, and Jobcentre leaflets are available in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Gujurati, Punjabi, Urdu and Welsh.
Today's Jobcentre Plus employs 78,000 staff in 750 offices. They process 10,000 new vacancies and receive 81,000 phone calls every day. In the UK there are currently 2.46million people, or 7.8 per cent of the population, out of work. But Employment Minister Jim Knight is still proud of the work Jobcentres do. He said: "Jobcentres have brought together the benefits and the job search, and it is a system where you get something for something. "You get money as long as you are looking for work and you have to come in fortnightly to show you are serious about finding it."
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2833143/Britains-first-Labour-Exchangesopened-in-1910.html#top#ixzz1TTNVy8ZL
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Events of Interest to Churchillians
Marcus Frost will give a presentation on the remembrances of the Earl Mountbatten of Burma on October 15th, 2011 at the Highlands Inn in Carmel, California sponsored by Churchillians by-the-Bay. Marcus needs no introduction to Churchillians—he has contributed to the memory of Sir Winston in many ways—as a member of the Board of Trustees and the National Chairman of the local chapters coordinators of The Churchill Centre and Churchill Museum. The Earl Mountbatten was the Centre's first patron until he was killed in 1979 by terrorists. Following his death our Patron has been Lady Mary Soames. For details and to RSVP email Carol Mueller at 1churchillians@gmail.com
39 Churchill Centre and Horses in California bring you
THE WINSTON S. CHURCHILL & JAMES S. BRADY COURAGE CUP 2011 Cup presented by Ms. Celia Sandys, Winston Churchill’s grand daughter Master of Ceremonies Ms. Renee Richardson, KFOG Morning Show
POLO IN THE PARK Saturday, October 8th, 2011 Wine Country Polo Club, Santa Rosa Buy tickets online.
PRE-EVENT GALA Friday, October 7th, 2011 22-22nd Ave, San Francidco
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BENEFITING EQUINE THERAPY FOR AUTISM Proceeds benefit the James S. Brady Therapeutic Riding Program, a non-profit equine therapy program for children with autism or other special needs. Read more about the Brady Program.
See website for details: sfpolointhepark.com Tickets for 'Churchillians- by-the- Bay' are discounted as follows : - Friday Night Gala Web Site =$175
Special for Churchillians = $100
-Sat Polo 'Churchill Tent' Web Site=$375
Special for Churchillians = $175
-Sat Polo 'Churchill Tent--Table of 8 ' Web Site = $2800 Churchillians = $1400 -Sat Polo 'Reserved seating' Web Site=$100
Special for
Note : tickets remain $100
-Sat Polo 'Reserved seating --Table of 8' Web Site=$700 $700
Note : tickets remain
NOTE : Children under 16 FREE for all types above Special for Churchillians RSVP to 1churchillians@gmail.com, Checks will be made payable to our cosponsor ‘Horses in California' which is a 501c3 Regarding Oct 5th & 6th : Wednesday night there is a Cocktail Reception at Gordon and Ann Getty's home list price $350 Special for Churchillians = $100 Thursday night there is a Dinner Honoring Sir Winston at the St Francis Hotel, list price $350 & up Special for Churchillians = $150
NOTE : make these checks out to : 'The Churchill Centre'
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The Claremont Institute’s Dinner in Honor of Sir Winston Churchill Friday, September 16 - Saturday, November 12, 2011 The Claremont Institute is proud to welcome Congressman Paul Ryan, keynote speaker and recipient of the 2011 Statesmanship Award. Rep. Ryan currently serves as Chairman of the House Budget Committee and member of the House Ways and Means Committee. Date: Saturday, November 12, 2011 5:30 PM VIP Reception 6:00 PM General Reception 7:00 PM Dinner Program Location: The Island Hotel 690 Newport Center Drive Newport Beach, CA Keynote Speaker, Congressman Paul Ryan Welcoming Remarks, William J. Bennett Emcee, Pat Sajak Valet parking is included in ticket price. Business attire, please. Tickets: General Ticket - $250 per person - Attendance for 1 at General Reception and Dinner. (Estimated tax deductible portion is $75) VIP Ticket - $1,000 per person - Attendance for 1 at VIP Reception and Dinner, photo opportunity. (Estimated tax deductible portion is $825) For ticket sales, PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER. Tables:
42 Silver Table - $5,000 - Attendance for 2 at VIP Reception & Dinner; attendance for 8 at General Reception & Dinner; preferred seating. Gold Table - $10,000 - Attendance for 10 at VIP Reception & Dinner; premier seating.
CHURCHILL IN THE NEWS Bletchley Park's Exhibition Celebrates Anniversary Of Churchill's Secret Visit
Bletchley Park Opens New Exhibition To Celebrate The 70th Anniversary Of Churchill's Secret Visit To Bletchley Park 6th September 1941.
Sir Winston Churchill famously visited Bletchley Park in secret on 6 September 1941 to see the work of the codebreakers, and it is after this eventful visit that he released more funding for the work taking place at Bletchley Park. This enabled them to continue their work that shortened the war by two years. The late John Herivel a Codebreaker at Bletchley Park described the visit as "Our Finest Hour" and had the honour of being introduced to the Prime Minister. He describes the visit in his book Herivelismus. "We saw before us a rather frail, oldish looking man, a trifle bowed, with wispy hair - then he spoke briefly but with deep emotion."
43 Niels Bjerre has been interested in Churchill's life since the early 1990´s. However, it was visits to the Cabinet War Rooms in London in 1987 that gave him the keen interest in and admiration for this "Greatest Briton". "Like many other countries which were occupied by the Nazis during the Second World War we Danes see Winston Churchill as the saviour of the free world. He succeeds in not only kindling the spirit of the British people, but also everyone else who wants to fight against dictatorship!"
The exhibition will be on display until 25 October 2011 in Hut 8.
Bella sold PM grandfather's art to keep festival going Thursday, July 28, 2011
Central Somerset Gazette Wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill has been keeping a central Somerset charity alive. On the eve of next week's 30th anniversary Glastonbury Children's Festival, the Second World War leader's great-granddaughter has revealed for the first time the part that her famous ancestor has unknowingly played in the charity which was founded by her mother.
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44 Arabella Churchill was a favoured granddaughter of Winston Churchill, the daughter of his son Randolph, and was photographed with her beloved grandfather several times. Bella, as she was lovingly called by her family and friends, died aged 58 from pancreatic cancer in 2008. While constantly highlighted for her familial links, she was most proud of her roles as organiser of the Glastonbury Festival's children's field and as the founder and organiser of the Glastonbury Children's Festival. The children's festival was first staged in 1981, using the money raised to fund her first work in schools across the south west as the Children's World charity. It was a formula that carried on after her death from pancreatic cancer in 2008, aged 58. Thousands of children across Somerset and the UK – as well as abroad in crisis hotspots such as tsunami-hit Sumatra and civil war ravaged Kosovo and Albania – have been entertained and educated thanks to Arabella Churchill's vision. But it has not been without its sacrifices, as Arabella's daughter Jessica Churchill-McLeod has revealed. The 23-year-old, who has just completed the second year of her events management degree at Leeds Metropolitan University, has formally been asked to take over the running of the Children's Festival when her studies complete next year. "I do not feel that I am in my mother's shadow, in fact I feel the opposite," she said. "I'm very proud to have been asked to take over a job that I know meant so much to my mother.
45 "People know me, like me and loved my mother." But it is a role that comes with some terrific responsibilities as Jessica has revealed for the first time as she looks back over 30 years of the Glastonbury Children's Festival. There were times – particular when festivals were hit by terrible weather – that the work of the charity itself was threatened and it was Bella's extraordinary commitment to the charity that kept it going. At times she refused to take a wage and even occasionally would sell some of the famous Prime Minister's favoured paintings that had been left to her, but which still reside on the walls of Chartwell, the Kent home he shared with his wife Clementine until his death. "After Churchill died it was decided that the grandchildren could each select a number of paintings that were displayed on the walls of Chartwell," said Jessica. "My mum was very clever in that she didn't choose one large painting but several smaller ones. "They have stayed at Chartwell where they can be appreciated by the public, they are not personal possessions of ours. "It didn't happen often, but occasionally when the need was there, mum would sell one, using the funds to keep the work of the Children's World going." The National Trust, which was presented with Chartwell following Churchill's death, has purchased the paintings that Arabella sold. Others still remain on the walls of Chartwell. So can Jessica see herself following her mother's example when she is in charge of the festivals? "I just hope that I can do as much good as did with the paintings, when it's my turn," she said.
46 28 July 2011 Last updated at 21:01 ET
Rare Landscape Painting By Sir Winston Churchill and Given to Franklin D. Roosevelt for Sale from MS Rau Antiques NEW ORLEANS , Louisiana -- 27 July 2011
"The Tower of Katoubia Mosque" painted by Winston Churchill and given by him to president Franklin D. Roosevelt to commemorate the pair's trip to Marrakech following the 1943 Casablanca Conference. (MS Rau Antiques)
Anglofiles and history buffs already know that Sir Winston Churchill is considered “The Greatest Englishman of All Time,” according to a recent poll released in Britain. But did you know that besides Churchill being in the same league as legendary statesmen Thomas Jefferson and Talleyrand, he was also the stout defender of the “free peoples,” the author of 43 books, as well as accomplished landscape painter. In fact, he earned the prestigious "Honorary Academician Extraordinary by the Royal Academy of Arts" award in 1948. During the last 50 years of his life-- he did not take up the paintbrush until he was 40-Churchill completed 500 paintings, the vast majority of which are still in his Chartwell home. Very few of Churchill's paintings ever come on the market, and in spite of his being a prolific artist, he gave only a few of his works as gifts, and when he did, they were gifted to other remarkable people, such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who received this oil painting which depicts the famed Tower of Katoubia Mosque at sunset with the snowcapped
47 Atlas Mountains in the distance. For Churchill, this was "the most beautiful place in the world". Besides its illustrious painter, this painting has enormous historical significance because it was painted at one of the major turning points during WWII. The first of the three great Allied conferences of WWII was held in Casablanca from January 14th to 24th, 1943. The US had successfully landed troops on the North West African continent in Operation TORCH, beginning the long awaited “second front”. Churchill and Roosevelt met and it was here that they agreed upon only accepting “unconditional surrender” from the Axis powers. At the end of the conference, Roosevelt was anxious to get home, but Churchill begged and convinced him to take some time off to go visit Marrakech. Churchill said “You cannot come all this way to North Africa without seeing Marrakech. Let us spend two days there. I must be with you when you see the sun set on the Atlas Mountains.” They made the 150-mile journey with the road lined with American soldiers cheering them on. Staying at the Villa Taylor, which was owned by the wealthy American socialite Mrs. Moses Taylor, Churchill convinced Roosevelt to view the sunset from the top of the famed Berber tower. The President’s personal assistants, making a chair with their crossed arms, carried him to the top. Roosevelt was so taken with the scene from the tower; he exclaimed to the Prime Minister "I feel like a sultan, you may kiss my hand my dear.” This historically significant work bears a remarkable and complete provenance. Visit MS Rau Antiques for more information.
Woodstock Literary Festival boasts starry line-up 6:50pm Thursday 1st September 2011
SIR Terry Wogan, Winston Churchill’s daughter and former Chancellor Alistair Darling and are among the big names heading for the Woodstock Literary Festival.
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Thousands of book lovers will descend on the town for one of the UK’s fastest growing festivals, which runs from Wednesday, September 14, to Sunday, September 18. Many of the events, including the festival’s dinner featuring Terry Wogan, will take place in Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of the great wartime Prime Minister. Now in her 89th year, Lady Soames, the only surviving child of Winston and Clementine Churchill, will speak on the last afternoon of the festival about her life and new book A Daughter’s Tale. She will be in discussion with her own daughter Emma. The festival will also hear from Heather White-Smith, who as a 17-year-old girl was given the job as assistant private secretary to Lady Churchill. Her new book My Years with the Churchills: A Young Girl’s Memories describes her three years working for the family. Meanwhile the Oxfordshire Museum will host a talk by Mary S Lovell on the history of the Churchills, from the first Duke of Marlborough. Col Tim Collins, who attracted worldwide attention for his eve of battle speech to troops before the invasion of Iraq, will look at the future of that country and the challenges still facing the government. Aid worker Lucy Morgan Edwards will be discussing the future of Afghanistan with Martin Bell.
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Oxford University Professor of Government Vernon Bogdanor will chair a discussion on who runs Britain with former Foreign Secretary and ex-Witney MP Douglas Hurd. One of the most eagerly awaited talks will see Alistair Darling talking to Simon Kelner about his new book Back from the Brink 1,000 Days at No 11, in the palace’s Orangery on Friday at 12.30 pm. Mr Kelner will also be taking part in the Independent Live event on Phone Hacking, Criminality and Free Speech. The Oxford Mail’s sister paper, The Oxford Times will again be among the festival’s sponsors. This year the newspaper will be sponsoring a talk on The Magic of Reality: How We Know What’s Really True by Richard Dawkins. For sports fans the King’s Arms will be hosting an early Friday morning discussion on Football Men: On the Pitch and in the Headlines featuring Martin Keown ex-Arsenal and England player now turned BBC pundit. Other speakers at the Independent Woodstock Literary Festival include Richard Ingrams, on 50 years of Private Eye, Livia Firth (the wife of the actor Colin) on fashion, Mark Tully on India.
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