Download - Winston Churchill

Number 135 • Summer 2007ISSN 0882-3715www.winstonchurchill.org____________________________Barbara F. Langworth, Publisher(blangworth@adelphia.net)Richard M. Langworth CBE, Editor(malakand@langworth.name)Post Office Box 740Moultonborough, NH 03254 USATel. (603) 253-8900December-March Tel. (242) 335-0615___________________________Deputy Editor:Robert A. CourtsSenior Editors:Paul H. CourtenayJames LancasterJames W. MullerRon Cynewulf RobbinsNews Editor:John FrostContributorsAlfred James, Australia;Terry Reardon, Canada;Inder Dan Ratnu, India;Paul Addison, Winston S. Churchill,Sir Martin Gilbert CBE,Allen Packwood, United Kingdom;David Freeman, Ted HutchinsonWarren F. Kimball,Michael McMenamin, Don Pieper,Christopher Sterling,Manfred Weidhorn, United States___________________________k Address changes: Help us keep your copiescoming! Please update your membership officewhen you move. All offices for The ChurchillCentre, its Allies and Affiliates are listed on theinside front cover.__________________________________Finest Hour is made possible in part throughthe generous support of members of TheChurchill Centre and Societies, the particularassistance of the Number Ten Club, and anendowment created by the Churchill CentreAssociates (listed on page 2).___________________________________Published quarterly by The Churchill Centre,which offers various levels of subscription invarious currencies. Membership applicationsmay be obtained from the appropriate officeson page 2, or may be downloaded from ourwebsite. Permission to mail at non-profit ratesin USA granted by the United States PostalService, Concord, NH, permit no. 1524.Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.Produced by Dragonwyck Publishing Inc.JUNO BEACH CENTRETo the Prime Minister, Ottawa:As one of the original members ofthe fund-raising team that solicited $8million to open the Juno Beach Centre, Isend my sincere thanks to you and yourgovernment for the recent commitmentof additional funding. As President of theInternational Churchill Society, Canada, Iattended a tour of the Normandy beacheswith Sir Winston’s daughter Lady Soames(née Mary Churchill), in October 2004. Iwas never so proud to be a Canadian aswhen this multinational group toured this“piece of Canada.” Like many, I had afather and grandfather who fought there.Everyone in our party was complimentaryon the content and focus of Canada’swartime contribution as depicted in theJuno Beach Centre. Please know thatthere are many Canadians who applaudyour initiative.RANDY BARBER, MARKHAM, ONT.EVEREST REMEMBEREDHow enjoyable was GeoffreyFletcher’s two-part article, “SpencerChurchill (p) at Harrow” (FH 133-34).Having visited the school on the wonderfulChurchill tour organized by TheChurchill Centre last year, I could muchmore easily envision the scenes he recreatedand appreciate the environment hedescribes. The part about Mrs. Everest isparticularly touching, and so likeChurchill. The tour party visited Mrs.Everest’s grave last year, and laid a wreathon it—very appropriate.EARL M. BAKER, WAYNE, PENNA.• I’m glad you enjoyed my piece. Someyears ago ICS (UK) held our AGM at theschool and I met fellow Churchillians fromthe United States who were in England andwere welcome guests. The conversationturned to the public (private) school systemin the UK which for many years producedmost senior politicians and civil servants.Churchill had four Old Harrovians in his1940 Cabinet: L.S. Amery, J.T.C. Moore-Brabazon, D. Margesson and G. Lloyd.This gave me the idea for the article.Churchill’s schooldays in my opinion forgedhis character, particularly between 1888and 1892, but have not been fullyresearched. I am not an Old Harrovian butI was at a similar school; times had notFINEST HOUR 135 / 4D E S PAT C H B O Xchanged very much in my time! —GJFNOT “DEAD DRUNK”An author’s note to “Like Goldfishin a Bowl” (FH 134: 33) quotes me assaying I helped a “dead drunk” Churchilland Eden home after a long dinner withthe Russians at Teheran. Let me pleasecorrect that: to me “dead drunk” meanshorizontal. Sir Winston was not so faralong as that. He was still walking,just...so much that I put my arm withinhis to hold him steady and had a corporaldo the same to Mr. Eden. Thus they wereable to walk straight and upright to theBritish Consulate. Indeed they need nothave walked, because a limousine hadbeen provided, but they decided to do sobecause it was a fine, clear night.“Inside the Journals” on the nextpage accurately describes Stalin’s customof multiple toasts, which he always performedwhile remaining firmly soberhimself. WSC and Eden were thus affectedon that occasion, but were yet able towalk home in true British fashion after aheavy night, talking loudly but notsinging, and living to fight another day!DANNY MANDER, LOS GATOS, CALIF.• Mr. Mander’s adventures, writtenthrough an interview by Susan Kidder, arecoming up in a future issue. —Ed.LORD CHARLES BERESFORDOn the back cover of FH 134, theseaman in the pool with his telescope onChurchill is more likely Admiral LordCharles Beresford, who at the time wasretired from the Navy and serving asConservative MP for Portsmouth. He wasa frequent critic in Parliament of Liberalnaval administration under Churchill. (Adrawing in Punch for 1 November 1911depicts Haldane, the outgoing First Lordof the Admiralty, saying to his successor:“And you can handle Beresford,”acknowledging his thorn-in-the-side status.)The drawing may have been influencedby the 1912 Olympic games inStockholm, which ran 5 May to 22 July.JOHN S. McCLEOD, JR., MILFORD, CONN.• See corrections on this issue’s backcover. Photos of Beresford and Bridgemansuggest that either would fit the cartoon, butwe believe you are correct, in that all theother figures are political, and Bridgemanwas not. I probably put two and two together