Layout 8 - Winston Churchill

R I D D L E S , M Y S T E R I E S , E N I G M A SHarvie-Watt: Behind Closed DoorsWhile visiting the secret War Rooms and Churchill Museum in London,Qxwe saw the rooms occupied by Winston Churchill’s staff and assistants.The doors were open so that visitors could see where the people worked andslept during the Blitz. But there was one exception: a closed door under a signreading, “General Harvie-Watt.” Is there a reason for this? I understand thatHarvie-Watt was a personal assistant to Churchill, and influential, yet I foundno reference to him in the museum. —ADRIAN LOTHERINGTONAPhil Reed, director of the WarRooms, advises that Harvie-Watt’sroom has never been open since thearea was refurbished in 2003. Althoughsome rooms were restored to theirwartime appearance, space limitationsprevented more. The room housescomputer service equipment.George Harvie-Watt (1903-1989) was Conservative MP forKeighley, 1931-35, and for Richmond,Surrey, 1937-59. He was educated atGeorge Watson’s College, Edinburgh,then at the University of Glasgow andthe University of Edinburgh. He wascommissioned into the TerritorialArmy Royal Engineers in 1924 andbecame a barrister at Inner Temple in1930. In 1941-45 he was WSC’sParliamentary Private Secretary, so hewould certainly be entitled to a roomin the bunker.Harvie-Watt became a LieutenantColonel in the Territorial Army in1938 and was promoted to Brigadier in1941—hence the “General” title. Manycopies of his memoirs, Most of My Life(London: Springwood, 1980) are availableon bookfinder.com. There areseveral mentions of him in JockColville’s memoirs, The Churchilliansand Fringes of Power, and of course hecomes up in Sir Martin Gilbert’s officialbiography, Winston S. Churchill.In Volume VI, 828-29, is anamusing account from autumn 1940,when Harvie-Watt was commandingan anti-aircraft unit during a visit byChurchill and General Pile, whichhelps explain why WSC later madehim his PPS—and why Churchill wasable to imbibe so many whiskies—henever drank them neat!....As they arrived, Pile told Harvie-Wattthat Churchill was “frozen and in aHARVIE-WATT from the jacket of hismemoir, Most of My Life. Below: withChurchill and Inspector Thompson onV-E Day, London, 8 May 1945.bad temper” and suggested that thePrime Minister be brought “a strongwhisky and soda.” Harvie-Watt sent adespatch rider to find one.“Meanwhile,” he later recalled, “everythingwas going from bad to worse.The field was almost waterlogged andthe rain poured down. Everything Itried to show the Prime Minister hehad seen before.” The searchlightSend your questions to the editorcontrol radar set, which hadworked on the previousnight, failed to function.A few days earlier it had beenannounced that because of illhealth,Chamberlain wouldresign as Leader of the ConservativeParty. The question being muchdebated was whether or not Churchillshould succeed Chamberlain as Leader.“I said it would be fatal if he did notlead the Conservative Party,” Harvie-Watt recalled, “as the bulk of the partywas anxious that he should be theLeader now we were at war.”Churchill, however, “was still suspiciousof [the Conservatives] and oftheir attitude to him before the war. Isaid it was only a small section of theparty that took that line and that themass of the party was with him. Mystrongest argument, however, and I feltthis very much, was that it was essentialfor the PM to have his ownparty—a strong one with alliesattracted from the main groups andespecially the Opposition parties. Butessentially he must have a majority andI was sure this majority could onlycome from the Conservative Party.”Not wishing to miss an opportunity ofadvice from a member of the WhipsOffice, Churchill questioned Harvie-Watt about “the strength of Ministersand what influence they wielded.”Harvie-Watt replied: “If you have astrong army of MPs under you,Ministers would be won over orcrushed, if necessary.” Churchill, henoted, “seemed to appreciate my argumentsand thanked me very much.Then he began to feel the cold againand agitated to get away.”At this moment the despatch riderarrived with the whisky, and Harvie-Wattpoured one for the freezing PrimeMinister. Churchill swallowed a halftumbler,then cried out at the taste of theneat whisky: “You have poisoned me.”Churchill did not nurse a bottle,as an alcoholic would, and occasionallyremarked to those who took whiskyneat, “you are not likely to live a longlife if you drink it like that.” Perhapsthis is more than you wanted to knowabout George Harvie-Watt. ,FINEST HOUR 149 / 19