FINEST HOUR - Winston Churchill

Autumn 1995 • NumberyFINESTHOURJournal of the International Churchill SocietiesUnited States • United Kingdom • Canada • Australia • New Zealand

THE INTERNATIONAL CHURCHILL SOCIETIESUNITED STATES • UNITED KINC-DOM ." CANADT- AJT^ALIA • NEW ZEALANDPATRON: THE LADY SOAMES, D. B. E.Founded 1968, the International Churchill Societies strive to preserve interest in and knowledge of the life Dhilosoohv andheritage of the: Rt. Hon^Sir Winston S. Churchill KG CM, CH, MP (1874-1965), and the greaffl^if^JS^^Sthe quest for liberty and fraternity among the Great Democracies. The Societies are independent non-profit organizations whichwith the Rt. Hon Sir Winston S. Churchill Societies of Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary, Canada, sponsor C s ^ spe alpublications, conferences, books, symposia, tours, youth educational programmes, and the Churchill Center in Washington, DCHONORARY MEMBERSWinston S. Churchill, MPSir Martin Gilbert, CBEGrace Hamblin, OBERobert Hardy, CBEAmbassador Pamela C. HarrimanJames Calhoun HumesMary Coyne Jackman, BA, D.Litt.S.YousufKarsh,OCWilliam ManchesterThe Duke of Marlborough, DL, JPAnthony Montague Browne, CBE, DFCColin L. Powell, KCBWendy Russell RevesAmbassador Paul H. Robinson, Jr.The Lady Soames, DBEThe Rt. Hon. The Baroness Thatcher, OM, FRSThe Hon. Caspar W. Weinberger, GBECOUNCIL OF CHURCHILL SOCIETIESJonathan Aitken, MP, Chairman45 Great Peter Street, London SW1P 3LT, EnglandTel. (071) 233-3103ICS AUSTRALIASubscription office: Robin Linke181 Jersey Street, Wembley, W.A. 6014ICS CANADARevenue Canada No. 0732701-21-13Kenneth W. Taylor, Hon. Chairman146 W. 57th St, Apt 61T, New York NY 10019Garnet (Randy) Barber, President4 Snowshoe Cres., Thornhill, ON L3T 4M6Tel. (905) 881-8550John G. Plumpton, Secretary130 Collingsbrook Blvd, Agincourt ON M1W 1M7Tel. (416) 497-5349 Fax. (416) 395-4587Bill Milligan, Treasurer54 Sir Galahad Place, Markham ON L3P 3S5Tel. (905) 294-0952Committee MembersEdward Bredin, QC; Leonard Kitz, QCThe Other Club of TorontoBernard Webber, President3256 Rymal Road, Mississauga, ON L4Y 3C1Tel. (905) 279-5169Sir Winston Churchill Society of CalgaryElaine McCoy, President#830 407 2nd St SW, Calgary AB T2P 2Y3Sir Winston Churchill Society of VancouverIan Whitelaw, President1110 Palmerston Ave., W. Vancouver BC V7S 2J6ICS NEW ZEALANDGordon H. J. Hogg291 North Road, Clevedon, RD2, PapakuraICS UNITED KINGDOMCharity Registered in England No. 800030David Boler, ChairmanJoan Harris, Membership SecretaryPO Box 244, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 0YFTel. and Fax. (01892) 518171UK TRUSTEESThe Hon. Nicholas Soames, MP (Chairman)The Duke of Marlborough, DL, JP; Richard G. G.Haslam-Hopwood; The Hon. Celia Sandys; L.W.Pilgrim DFC, FCA; David Porter; Geoffrey WheelerCOMMITTEEDavid Boler (Chairman); Wylma Wayne (Vice-Chairman); L. W. Pilgrim, DFC, FCA (Treasurer);Dennis Jackson OBE, DL, RAF(ret); David Jones;Jill Kay; Mark WeberICS UNITED STATES, INC.A non-profit corporation, IRS No. 02-0365444Ambassador Paul H. Robinson, Jr., Chairman135 S. LaSalle St., Chicago IL 60603Tel. (800) 621-1917, Fax. (312) 726-9474Richard M. Langworth, President181 Burrage Road, Hopkinton NH 03229Tel. (603) 746-4433, Fax. (603) 746-4260Email: Malakand@aol.comWilliam C. Ives, Vice President77 W. Wacker Dr., 49th fir., Chicago IL 60601Tel. (312) 634-5034, Fax. (312) 634-5000Dr. Cyril Mazansky, Vice President50 Dolphin Road, Newton Centre MA 02159Tel. (617) 527-0522, Fax. (617) 296-2872Parker H. Lee ID, Secretary117 Hance Road, Fair Haven NJ 07704Tel. (908) 758-1933, Fax. (908) 758-9350Email: PHLeeIII@aol.comGeorge A. Lewis, Treasurer268 Canterbury Road, Westfield NJ 07090Tel. (908) 233-8415USA TRUSTEESAmbassador Paul H. Robinson, Jr., Chmn.Richard M. LangworthGeorge A. LewisWendy Russell RevesThe Hon. Celia SandysThe Lady Soames, DBEThe Hon. Caspar W. Weinberger, GBEUSA DIRECTORSR. Alan Fitch, William C. Ives,Richard M. Langworth, Parker H. Lee III,George A. Lewis, Dr. John Mather,Dr. Cyril Mazansky, James W. Muller,Douglas S. Russell, David L. Simpson, Jr.,Jonah Triebwasser, Jacqueline Dean WitterICS United States, continued...MEMBERSHIP SECRETARYDerek Brownleader, 1847 Stonewood DriveBaton Rouge LA 70816. Tel. (504) 752-3313ICS STORESBack issues & Sales DepartmentR. Alan Fitch8001 Harrods Landing, Prospect KY 40059LOCAL ACTIVITIES COORDINATORDr. John H. Mather, 12144 Long Ridge Lane,Bowie MD 20715 Tel., days (410) 966-1983ACADEMIC ADVISORSProfessor James W. Muller, ChairmanFlat 10 Sheppard Flats, Churchill CollegeCambridge CB3 0DS EnglandTel. (01223)331607Prof. Keith Alldritt, University of British ColumbiaDr. Larry Arnn, President, Claremont InstituteProf. Raymond Callahan, University of DelawareProf. Eliot A. Cohen, Johns Hopkins UniversityProf. Kirk Emmert, Kenyon CollegeProf. Barry Gough, Wilfred Laurier UniversityProf. Warren F. Kimball, Rutgers UniversityProf. Patrick Powers, Assumption CollegeProf. Paul A. Rahe, University of TulsaProf. Maxwell Schoenfeld, Univ. of Wis. Eau ClaireDr. Jeffrey Wallin, President, National AcademyProf. Manfred Weidhorn, Yeshiva UniversityEXECUTIVE COMMUTTEEWilliam C. Ives, Parker H. Lee III,George A. Lewis, Dr. Cyril Mazansky,Richard M. Langworth, Chmn.181 Burrage Road, Hopkinton NH 03229Tel. (603) 746-4433, Fax. (603) 746-4260DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEEParker H. Lee in, James C. Humes,Michael W. Michelson, Richard M. Langworth,David L. Simpson, Jr., Secretary:530 Rowland Rd., Fairfield CT 06430Tel. (203) 259-1939 Fax. (203) 371-5257ONLINE COMMITTEERaymond Lavine, Russell Tillman, Dan Myers,David Eisenlohr, Jonah Triebwasser, Secretary:85 Manor Rd., Red Hook NY 12571Tel. (914) 256-3030Moderator: Jonah.Triebwasser@marist.eduWWW Homepage: http://www.onramp.net/icsHomepage Editor: DEisenlohr@aol.comOnline Bulletin Editor: Malakand@aol.comYOUTH COMMITTEEDorothy Hartland, Aida Schoenfeld,Jacqueline Dean Witter,Michael Altenburger, Secretary:9521 Liberty Tree La., Vienna VA 22181Tel. (703) 821-8770FINEST HOUR 88/2

CONTENTSrAutumn 1995FINEST HOURJournal of the International Churchill Societies Number 8812 Friends of ICS: James W. MullerThe bright academic cast of ICS events is owedlargely to our chairman of academic advisors, whosees Churchill first and foremost as a writerby Shelly Sanderford15 Durban, 1899: The Desperado SpeaksChurchill's obscure speeches after he popped up inDurban, following his epic escape from the Pretoriaprison, are unpublished in the usual sourcesby Winston S. Churchill16 Chartwell RevisitedReturning to her grandfather's beloved homebrings back vivid memories for Celia Sandysby Madeleine Kingsley22 On the Map in the UKFourteen months of progress culminated in impressivefundraising for ICS as a United Kingdom charityby David Boler, Chairman, at the 1995 AGM23 Keepers of the FlameICS United States thanks Heritage Fund contributorsby Ian W. D. Langworth24 Churchill OnlineICS on the Internet and America Onlineby Richard M. Langworth26 Internet Exchange: Britain's VE-Day VideoChurchill received fourteen seconds out of thirty-fourminutes on the Ministry of Education's video; the surprisewould have been his getting any more.by James W. Muller, Frank Ferguson,Nathan Hughes and Jeffrey WallinBook Reviews28 John Charmley's "Churchill's Grand Alliance"by H. Ashley Redburn31 Saul David's "Churchill's Sacrifice of theHighland Division: France 1940"by Raymond A. Callahan32 David Jablonsky's "Churchill and Hitler"by Wm. John Shepherd38 Bric-a-BracBottle Opener Bonanza, Despatch Boxes, Mini-Winstons, Churchilliana That Grows, and Moreon Wedgwood Fakeryby Douglas J. Hall4512142734414244464748Amid These StormsInternational DatelinesFriends of ICSRiddles, Mysteries, EnigmasWoods CornerChurchill in StampsCrossword AnswersDespatch BoxAction This Day"C-R" CornerChurchilltriviaImmortal WordsCover: Winston Churchill inDublin, aged four, a painting byCyron Ward, 1878, reproducedby kind permission ofWylmaWayne, London. This painting,which also appears in the frontispieceto Celia Sandys's newbook (page 18), is the earliestportrait ofWSC, but heretoforelittle known. The original hangsin the home of PeregrineChurchill, Sir Winston's nephew.FINEST HOUR 88/3

AMID THESE STORMSFINEST HOURISSN 0882-3715Richard M Langworth, EditorPost Office Box 385Hopkinton, New Hampshire03229 USATel. (603) 746-4433Senior EditorsJohn G. Plumpton130 Collingsbrook Blvd.Agincourt, OntarioM1W 1M7 CanadaH. Ashley Redburn, OBERosemere, Hollands MeadOvermoigne, Dorchester,Dorset DT2 8HX EnglandNews EditorJohn Frost8 Monks Ave, New Barnet,Herts. EN5 1D8 EnglandFeatures EditorDouglas J. Hall183A Somerby Hill, GranthamLines. NG31 7HA EnglandContributorsSir Martin Gilbert, United KingdomGeorge Richard, AustraliaStanley E. Smith, United StatesRon Cynewulf Robbins, CanadaJames W. Muller, United StatesDavid Boler, United KingdomWm. John Shepherd, United StatesFINEST HOUR is published quarterlyfor Friends of the InternationalChurchill Societies, which offer severallevels of support in their respectivecurrencies. Membership applicationsand changes of address should be sentto the appropriate national offices onpage 2. Permission to mail at non-profitrates in the USA granted by the USPostal Service, Concord, NH, Permitno. 1524. Copyright 1995. All rightsreserved. Designed and produced forThe Churchill Societies by DragonwyckPublishing Inc. Printed byReprographics Inc. Made in U.S.A.FFINEST HOUR OFFICE EQUIPMENT NEEDEDinest Hour is growing! We need both another computer and a new copy machine.If you are able to donate either a Macintosh Powerbook or a copier capableof image reduction and collation, it would be a major help to us in improvingour services and the timeliness of our issues. For U. S. citizens the funds or value ofequipment are fully tax-deductible.For some time now ICS (USA) has paid for the services of an editorial andadministrative assistant. The relative dearth of typos in recent issues is owed to theeagle eye of Gail Greenly of Contoocook, New Hampshire, who now works forICS two days a week. Our only regret is that she is not here more often. Not only isshe a capable editor, but she speaks French, a discipline that has eluded me evenmore than it did Churchill.A Macintosh Powerbook, mating up with our present Macintosh systems,will speed Gail's work and travel with me when I am on the road, somethingwhich one of our directors was recommending four years ago and which is now seriouslyneeded. A new copy machine with collating abilities to replace the oldModel T version we've had since 1983 would be an equal step forward in processinggalleys, proofs, Finest Hour and ICS circular letters and messages. If you canprovide either, or the equivalent funds, or part of the funds, I would certainly beglad to hear from you.LAST WEEK HE WAS PARIAHTHIS WEEK THEY WANT TO MAKE HIM PHARAOHLondon, The Independent, September 20th — "A giant head of Churchill, the sizeof a house and perched on the banks of the Thames, could become Britain's answerto the Statue of Liberty. The project is the inspiration of Falcon Nemon Stuart,son of sculptor Oscar Nemon, who found plans for the statue among papers of hislate father, who created Churchill statues at Parliament, the Guildhall andChartwell... Mr. Nemon Stuart has already won some powerful supporters. His alliesinclude Lady Soames, Sir Winston's daughter, and his grandson, the MP WinstonChurchill. He also has backing from the Churchill Society ..."TO THE EDITOR, THE INDEPENDENT:I wish to state that neither I nor my nephew, Winston Churchill MP,have at any time been either informed or consulted about the project for a fortyfoot bust of my father, Sir Winston Churchill, to be installed on the South Bank orother locations. The project has neither my support nor that of Winston Churchill.-The Lady Soames, DBETO THE EDITOR, THE INDEPENDENT:Contrary to your article, the International Churchill Society (United States)knows nothing of plans for a forty-foot bust of Sir Winston on the Thames, and thisproject certainly does not have our support.Asked what he thought about monuments to him in London, Sir Winstononce remarked that if anything was created in his honour he would much prefer apark for children to play in. Alas we are still waiting for the park.We seem caught these days in a crossfire between "historians" who defineChurchill as a power-mad megalomaniac and "worshippers" wishing to build giganticstatues of him. To paraphrase Sir Winston, there is surely some middleground between these two scarecrow extremes. -Richard M. Langworth, President,ICS (United States)RICHARD M. LANGWORTHFINEST HOUR 88/4

QUOTE OF THE SEASON"Yugoslavia, since Hitler's invasion and conquest in April 1941, hadbeen the scene of fearful events ...In the mountains there began againthe fierce guerrilla with which the Serbs had resisted the Turks for centuries... This confronted the Germans with a problem which could notbe solved by the mass executions of notables or persons of substance.They found themselves confronted by desperate men who had to be hunteddown in their lairs. No reprisals, however bloody, upon hostages orvillages deterred them."WSC IN CLOSING THE RING, BOOK II, CHAPTER 9, 1951Lady Thatcher to Deliver the 50thAnniversary "Sinews or Peace" SpeechAn ICS ana Fulton Memorial "Combined Operation"Fulton, Missouri, March 8th and 9thFULTON, MO., USA — ICS HonoraryMember The BaronessThatcher will speak at WestminsterCollege on Saturday March9th: the culminating event in atwo day commemoration ofChurchill's great speech of March5th, 1946, when he imploredAmerica and Britain to work togetherin reaching an amicablesettlement of postwar problemswith the Soviet Union, and warnedof a possible Cold War.Friends of ICS worldwide willreceive special invitations to thissignal event, cosponsored by theWinston Churchill Memorial andLibrary and the InternationalChurchill Society, USA. Involvingsuch luminaries as David Brinkley(who was present on theChurchill-Truman train to Fultonin 1946), Walter Cronkite and numerousacademics, this will be aChurchillian highlight for 1996and a memorable event every admirerof Sir Winston will wish toattend. ICS is grateful to Memorialdirector Judith Pugh for invitingthe Society's participation andassistance in running many aspectsof the program.Thursday March 7th: If possible,plan to arrive at St. Louis airportby mid-day, to catch a specialafternoon train following the exactTruman-Churchill rail route toJefferson City, where you willcheck in to the headquarters hoteland enjoy an informal reception.Friday March 8th: An academicsymposium, "The FultonSpeech, its Aftermath and Implications,"moderated by ICS Academicchair Professor James W.Muller. Presenters will be ProfessorWarren Kimball, Rutgers; ProfessorPaul Rahe, University ofTulsa; Professor John Ramsden,Westminster College; and SpencerWarren, Washington-based writer,followed by a round-robin discussionand audience participation.The Governor of Missouri will hostan evening reception at the StateCapitol, followed by a banquet.Saturday March 9th: Specialcoaches will transport participantsto Fulton for a tour of theChurchill Memorial. After luncheon,we will have special reservedseats for Lady Thatcher'sspeech. After a finale banquet,coaches will transport us to JeffersonCity or St. Louis, with furtherSt. Louis coaches available onSunday morning.What a memorable celebration!Watch your mail for your specialregistration packet.INTERNATIONAL DATELINESWAKE-UP MANCANBERRA, AUS., FEB. 28TH —Getting shot down and losing a legmight have been the end of thewar for many, but for James Cowardit was barely the start. Afterthree weeks in hospital, the Battleof Britain hero was posted toChurchill, whence he was sent toChequers, the PM's country house.It was his duty to determine" whether to awaken the PM whenurgent news arrived. "I'm fed upwith being woken every nightwhen we go on red alert," WSCsaid. "I only need to be told if thereis imminent danger."Coward did not have to disturbthe PM, but did observe him atclose quarters. "A remarkableman, a leader; a constant spirit ofoptimism with a wit that neverflagged" is how he remembersChurchill fifty years on."It was, I think, a damned sillyappointment," he says, explaininghow difficult it was to negotiateChequers, especially with one leg.On his first night on duty, WSCasked him to sit next to him atdinner and inquired, "How did youlose the leg?""Shot down," said Flight Lt.Coward."In what?""Spitfire.""Mark I or II?"That there was a Mark II wasnews to the flier and he said so.Churchill then ran off productionstatistics, adding, "And was yourSpitfire equipped with cannon?""Yes, among the first to be soequipped, but the cannon didn'twork," Coward replied.Churchill made notes on hisshirt cuffs~ "His mastery of detailand his photographic memorywere quite amazing," recalls Coward,who later served in Britishmissions abroad, retiring with therank of Air Commodore. He settledin Canberra after serving with theBritish High Commission thirtyyears ago. continued>»FINEST HOUR 88/5

Of Churchill's optimism,James Coward recalls a grim gatheringof VIPs at Chequers after thefall of Singapore. Halifax muttered,"This is just terrible, terrible.Dreadful news." RepliedChurchill: "When you're fighting a15-round heavyweight contest forthe championship of the world, youhave to expect to take some heavyblows in the early rounds. But theman with the willpower and theresources will win in the end, andwe will win."An example of WSC's wit,Coward recalls, involves the nightat dinner when a staff membercame in to say Gen. de Gaulle wason the telephone. "Oh no," groanedWSC, "can't you put him off?We've only started the soup." Butde Gaulle was insistent. WhenChurchill returned, he remarked,"That bloody de Gaulle had the effronteryto tell me that the Frenchlooked on him as the second Joanof Arc. I had to remind him thatwe had to burn the first."*-THE CANBERRA TIMES*Very possibly the origin ofWSC's famous remark that deGaulle "thinks he is Joan of Arc,and the trouble is that my bishopswon't let me burn him." -Ed.PULLING "PLUM"OUT OF THE PUDDINGLONDON, FEBRUARY 13TH — P.G.Wodehouse, creator of Jeeves andWooster, was saved from imprisonmentin France for German collaborationfollowing a personal appealby Winston Churchill, the PublicRecord Office revealed today.Wodehouse had made five whimsicalbroadcasts from Berlin to thenneutralAmerica at the behest ofGoebbels in the summer of 1941;rebroadcast in Britain, the talkscaused an uproar. Put up in styleat Berlin's luxury Adlon Hotel,and later in Paris, Wodehouse continuedto produce his comic writings.German Intelligence was rumouredto use his work for clues tothe British character, andparachuted agents into Englandwearing spats!WSC's plea for "Plum," thensixty years old, was sent to Frenchauthorities via British AmbassadorAlfred Duff Cooper in late1944. If that didn't work, Churchillsaid, he would intervene with Generalde Gaulle.The PM was not motivated bypersonal admiration but by homeopinion: "Wodehouse can comeback to England, live in some secludedplace, then go to hell assoon as there is a vacant passage,"he wrote the Foreign Secretary,Anthony Eden in December 1944.His name stinks here — but heshould not be sent to prison." Theloathing was evidently returned:Wodehouse later called Churchill"one of the few unpleasant personalitiesI have come across."Anxious to please Churchill,the French agreed to releaseWodehouse providing he leftFrance. Malcolm Muggeridge, thenwith British Intelligence, had himmoved to hospital. George Orwellbought him lunch. Muggeridgelater wrote: "Wodehouse's true offencewas to have disinterestedhimself in the war." "Plum" did notgo to hell, at least not immediately:in 1947 he moved to Long Island,New York. He was knightedin January 1975, a month beforehis death at 94.BOAR BUT NOT BOREWASHINGTON, AUGUST 15TH —The KGB's codename for WinstonChurchill was "Boar," it was revealedtoday by the CIA, who releasedfour dozen messages betweenRussian agents in NewYork and their Moscow headquarters.Amusingly, the KGB dubbedWashington "Carthage," San Francisco"Babylon" and New York City"Tyre," names that cynics mightstill like to apply, all being ancientcities which came to ruin. PresidentRoosevelt was "Kapitan."The messages, said an official,were instrumental in leading authoritiesto atom spies JuliusRosenberg ("Antenna" or "Liberal")FINEST HOUR 88/6who, with his wife Ethel, was executedin 1953; and to Klaus Fuchs,who was arrested in 1950.LIES JAMESLOEWEN TOLD MEReaders might be interested inwhat I have noted about Churchillin the recently published book LiesMy Teacher Told Me (New Press,NY, 1994, $24.95) whose author,James W. Loewen, was interviewedon C-Span. His book is supposedto "correct" the lies and halftruthsof the typical history textbook,but in his three-page "chapter"on Churchill, he is repeatedlyguilty of the same thing.Loewen states: (1) Churchillwas wholly to blame for the Dardanellesfiasco in 1915; (2) WSC onlybecame Prime Minister in 1940 becausenobody else wanted the job;(3) Churchill's speeches during1940 were ill received or even ignoredin Parliament and ALL ofthem were delivered over the radioby the actor Norman Shelley (who,it came out long ago, never evendelivered one); (4) WSC was an ardentappeaser like Chamberlain,but smart enough to be so only inprivate while stating his oppositionin public; and (5) Churchill's memoirsof the Second World War libeledChamberlain and all of hissplendid colleagues.-WM. JOHN SHEPHERDITALIAN CONNECTIONDuring August 1944 (I thinkthe 19th), Winston Churchill wasvisiting the Headquarters of Gen.Mark Clark's Fifth Army nearBologna, Italy. While he wasinspecting the U.S. troops onboard a Jeep, he received impressiveovations from the people. Heremarked in a joking tone to thoseaccompanying him that if hisfather had been born in the USAinstead of his mother, he could beelected President by acclamation(the Presidential campaign was onat that time).These words were picked upby a member of Churchill's party,

the Marquess Don Achille diLorenzo, a Neapolitan noblemanand lieutenant of the Italian Armyseconded to Gen. E. E. Hume,chief of the Military AlliedGovernment, who was also liaisonofficer to Gen. Mark Clark.Don Achille hosted in his villa,situated on a panoramic road ofNaples, the commanding officersof the Fifth Army during itsSouthern Italy campaign. For hiswar record, he was one of the veryfew Italian officers decorated withthe United States Legion of Meritand two Bronze Stars. After thewar, Don Achille served, until1989, as chief of the ProtocolOffice of the U.S. Navy Commandin the Southern Mediterranean.ING. PATRIZIO R. GIANGRECO,NAPLES, ITALYSECRET WORLDEDINBURGH, AUGUST 10TH —Professor David Stafford's book,Churchill and the Secret World, isnow well under way. He writes:"While I have not yet reached theend, I have reached the end of thebeginning. So it was appropriatethat on April 27th, I helped celebratethe launch of the 1986 PolRoger Churchill cuvee (last issue,plO) in the Playfair Library hereat the University of Edinburgh,where Churchill accepted his honorarydegree."ERRATA, FH #87Page 3's caption has WendyReves and the Churchills "eating"Chateau de la Madrid; they were atthe Chateau but not eating it! In thecenter column an incomplete sentenceshould read: "The books alsocontain a dedication page to her latehusband Emery, who publishedWSC's works in a score of languagesover the years."Page 37 "Barrage of Covers": ICShas issued 46 commemorative coversto date, not 49.Page 38: Mr. Shepherd is AssistantArchivist, not Professor of Historyat Catholic University. We havetwice miscredited him — our fault.There's Safety in Humbers:Some Notes about the Churchills 7 MotorcarsABOVE: The alleged ex-Churchill Vanden Plas Princess 4 Litre R before thebanger car race (left), and a factory photo of what it looked like when new(right). BELOW: Rootes of London marks Sir Winston's passing with the newHumber Imperial, 1965 (left); a Humber Hawk Estate similar to Churchill's(right). BOTTOM: Joe Bullock with WSC's Humber Pullman at Hyde Park Gate.HEDNESFORD,STAFFS., UK, JULY4TH, 1994 — A VandenPlas Princess 4 LitreR alleged to have belongedto Sir Winstonwas destroyed in a"banger car race" ("demolitionderby" inNorth America), drawing a protestfrom Nick Larkin of Popular Classics:"There were only about ten ofthese cars made. It is terribly sad."ICS hon. member Anthony MontagueBrowne said, "Churchill tooklittle interest in cars," but waschallenged by John Bullock, a formerRootes Group employee, whosuggests that Humber was WSC'sfavourite make in later life. WhenRootes killed off the Humber Pullman,Bullock says, Churchill waslivid, asking the Chairman, LordRootes, "What did you do that for?It is the only car I can stretch outin." (Rootes found a secondhandPullman and sent it to WSC.)Bullock added that on anotheroccasion Lord Rootes, driving aprototype Humber estate car (stationwagon), visited Chartwell tobuy some pigs. WSC's eyes lit up:"Just what I need for my paintingholiday — I'll have one!" Rootes explainedthat the car was not yet inproduction. "In that case, no pigs,"replied Churchill. After negotiation,according to Bullock, LordRootes + pigs left in another vehicleand WSC kept the Humber.Some of this does not ringtrue. The 4 Litre R (a deluxeAustin with a Rolls- continued>»FINEST HOUR 88/7

Churchill Cars cont'd...Churchill $ England Q6: The 8th ChurchillRoyce engine) was first placed on nri 1.1 i Oil T i #• 7 fy flour and tnesale in 1964 - so Sir Winston'sUth international Conference,ownership could only have been England, September 26th-October 7th, 1006fleeting, although his wife couldhave had one for awhile. Austinbuilt 7,087 4 Litre Rs, not ten —so the car is hardly scarce."The 'pig story' also soundsunlikely," comments formerChurchill secretary and firstChartwell administrator, ICS hon.member Grace Hamblin: "It istrue, however, that Sir WilliamRootes supplied Sir Winston witha Humber Estate." Miss Hamblinthinks the gift was made "aroundthe time of Sir Winston's eightiethbirthday, in 1954." Since the firstproduction Humber estate car, theHawk Mark VIA, was built in1956, it's possible that a prototypewas in existence in time for the1954 birthday present.)Coincidentally, one of Sir Winston'schauffeurs was named JoeBullock. Miss Hamblin remembers:"Once on being asked whichcar he would like to travel in, hisreply was, 'I'll have the Bullockcart.'"elm Sandys s Research lnp toTHE TOUR:26th: Londonarrival, receptionand dinner.27-8th: ToDorchester,Churchill homesites,Pool Pottery,Malborough'sbirthplace,Lawrence's Cottage,etc.29th-30th:To Exeter, with further explorationsof the ancient Churchill sites and aWest Country ICS banquet.lst-3rd: Headquartered at the delightfulOld Bell at Hurley on theThames, we visit Ditchley and Bletchley,enjoy a luncheon at the home ofCelia Sandys and her husband KenPerkins; visit Cotswold byways, thegravesite at Bladon, capping all witha gala black tie Blenheim Award banquetat Blenheim Palace Thursday.4th-6th: On to the conference! Thetour price, comparable to previoustours, includes conference expenses.Full details next issue. To preregisternow, contact the editor at(603) 746-4433 or fax 746-4260.Ashdown Park, East Grinstead, Sussex: tentative conference site.THE CONFERENCE:Fri 4th: at Chartwell, hosted byLady Soames and Celia Sandys; luncheonand speaker. A visit to Lullenden(the Churchills' first countryhome). Exhibits and fellowship at aninformal dinner evening at the headquartershotel nearby.Sat 5th: Academic panels;Jonathan Aitken MP on Churchill andBeaverbrook; Wendy Reves will presentthe Reves Award; banquet withour most distinguished chief speaker,to be divulged in due course.Sun 6th: optional walking tour ofChurchill's London with Sir MartinGilbert. (Return flights Monday).The Conference will be affordable,requiring a small registration fee withdinners optional and alternate B&Bsto the HQ hotel. Full details in ournextissu^ SAVE TH0SE DATES!Already working on her sequel to The Young Churchill (From Winston With Love and Kisses), Celia and herfamily travelled to South Africa in June, finding a host of key people. Left to right: with Judge LouisWeyers, President Smuts's grandson; Celia, Alexander and Sophie with Errol Dewsnap, grandson of themine engineer who hid Churchill at Witbank Colliery in 1899; with Charles Wagner and Mollie Buchanan,grandson and granddaughter of Charles Wagner, engineer of the armoured train; Alexander atop the ridgewhich his great-grandfather climbed, from the plain below, twice in one day during the battle of Spion Kop.FINEST HOUR 88/8

THE THINGS THEY SAY,PARTS 1,749 & 1,750PHILADELPHIA, OCT 1994 — OneAdrian Bell, writing to thePhiladelphia Inquirer, said that ifChurchill "had been a little wiserin 1911, or 1919, neither WorldWar II nor the Korean, Vietnamnor Persian Gulf wars would havehappened, nor the drug explosion,nor the vast [American] deficit."In 1911, Bell continues, SunYat-sen offered to teach the ChineseEnglish, and Bernard Shawfavored this but Churchill quashedit. "If not for Churchill, the Chinesemasses would have been ourfriends for the last 83 years, andJapan would never have dared toinvade China in 1931, to get naturalresources to become powerfulenough to attack Pearl Harbor.[Then] in 1919, Churchill "approvedsevere punishment of Germany.This caused starvation, inflationand unemployment, leadingto the rise of Hitler."As to Sun Yat-sen, we knewthe devil Churchill was involved inthat dastardly plot! As to starvingGermany, we knew that the Englishpolitician who urged thedespatch of food to starving Germansin 1918 and protested theirharsh treatment by the peacetreaty was an imposter, and notWinston Churchill as the newspaperssaid. Glad to get the facts out!(Thanks for this piece of "intelligence"to Stephen Holstad.)DENVER, JANUARY 5TH — OneMichael Parenti, in a speechbroadcast by American NationalPublic Radio, lamented the wayhistory is routinely bent and liedabout. In a lengthy denunciation ofthe sins of Western Civilization,Parenti said that Churchill toldthe Tories they'd be well handledby history because he would writethat history himself.In fact, what WSC actuallysaid ("I prefer to leave the past tohistory, especially since I shallwrite that history myself) hadnothing to do with the Tories, norwas he threatening to lie about thepast. His remark, in the Commons,was a humorous one, andeveryone laughed including theLabour MPs. Parenti should practicewhat he preaches.CIGAR AFICIONADONEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 15 —The Autumnissue of this elegantmagazinecontains a goodpiece on WSC byICS Friend PeterWelsh, photoscontributed byICS, and a "tasting"of sure ninety Churchill-sizecigars. Also of interest is a profileof 1995 Conference speaker ArthurM. Schlesinger, Jr. The magazineis widely available on newsstandsand tobacco shops at $4.95/£4.DRESDEN & ROTTERDAM"In Holland particularly, actsof long prepared treachery andbrutality culminated in the massacreof Rotterdam, where manythousands of Dutchmen wereslaughtered, and an importantpart of the city destroyed." -WSC,Their Finest Hour (1949 p262).FEBRUARY— The 50th anniversaryof the bombing of Dresden (acommunications center and vitaltarget) caused a media frenzy,though the 50th anniversary of theattack on Rotterdam (no strategicimportance whatsoever) went unremarkedfive years ago. We needto consider why this is so, andwhether, in deploring the fact thatwar is hell, we give in too easily tothose who equate Britain andAmerica with Nazi Germany.During the bombing of theRuhr, Churchill asked his colleagues,"Are we beasts? Are wetaking this too far?" No such moralqualms were uttered by Hitlerwho, while Dresden was beingbombed, was sending V-2 rocketsto wreak havoc on London withevery delight. End of debate.Cyril Noel DaviesAformer New Scotland Yard detectiveinspector who served WinstonChurchill as bodyguard during the SecondWorld War, Cyril Davies passed awaypeacefully on July 26th. He leaves awidow, daughter and a granddaughter.Mr. Davies was present at numeroushistoric occasions and met PresidentRoosevelt and Marshal Stalin at Yalta in1945; he also met Haile Selassie ofEthiopia, King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia, Mackenzie King of Canadaand Presidents Truman and Eisenhower.Along with many other Friends of ICS at the NinthInternational Churchill Conference in 1992, I had the pleasure ofmeeting the smiling, upbeat Cyril Davies, who was always willing toreminisce about his historic experiences. Led by our Patron, LadySoames, several friends of the International Churchill Societies inboth Britain and the United States have written to say what pleasurethey had in knowing him and how much they enjoyed hisacquaintance. Writes Jean Davies: "My husband joined theMetropolitan Police in 1929 and retired in 1954. So glad he met somany in ICS, it makes everything a little more personal." -RMLFINEST HOUR 88/9

READER ADVERTS• FOR SALE: The Arthur Panportrait of Sir Winston in a handsomeframe. Best offer. Cdr. Harold Feeney,USN(ret), 3442 Aransas St., CorpusChristi TX 78411, tel (512) 854-6115.• PHILATELISTS who aremembers of the American PhilatelicSociety (APS) please let us hear fromyou; ICS is taking a survey for theAPS. -EditorSmall adverts are free; send to the editor.WSC'S MARRAKESHLONDON — Piers Brendon, newArchivist of the Churchill Archivesin Churchill College Cambridge,will lead a four-day tour of Marrakesh,Morocco on December 8-12th being run by Classic Tours,148 Curtain Road, London EC2A3AR (tel. 0171-613-4441). The costbased on double occupancy is £695per person with a single supplementof £85. This includes fournights' accommodation at the ImperialBorj in Marrakesh, returnflights with Royal Air Maroc, twoexcursions to the Atlas mountains,Moroccan dinner and tour ofChurchill's favored MamouniaHotel, a walking tour of the OldCity, and Dr. Brendon's services.Churchill described Marrakeshto Franklin Roosevelt as"the most lovely spot in the wholeworld" and took the Presidentthere after the Casablanca Conferenceto watch the sunset over theAtlas Mountains. Classic Tours describesthe trip as "a marvellouslyenjoyable short holiday." Anyoneinterested should contact ClassicTours. This tour is not affiliatedwith the Churchill Societies.CARD GALLERYKANSAS CITY, MO., USA — TheHallmark Visitor's Center celebratesthe card company's 85thAnniversary this year with a specialexhibit of cards from Hallmarkhistory including the famous lineof cards bearing Churchill's paintings.Admission is free. ContactCrown Center Complex, tel. (816)274-3613.BENELUX POSTCARDS:Friend of ICS Doeke J. Oostrasends us the cards at right (Dutch,early postwar) and below (Belgian,by Delacre Produits, Brussels).ICS Local & NationalSociety Reactivated in OhioFriends in Ohio now have the opportunity of Churchill activities in twoplaces, thanks to Don Jakeway, Ohio State Director of Development inColumbus, and Michael McMenamin, a Cleveland attorney whowrites eruditely on Churchill subjects in these and other pages.The Cleveland group had a successful inaugural meeting June 28th,and a follow-up on October 3rd, when Friends were asked to take theposition of any Churchill contemporary (from Chamberlain to LloydGeorge to Beaverbrook to Halifax to Attlee) on the current fad-theorythat "appeasement in the 1930s was the only road open to a statesmanwishing to preserve the Empire." (We can't wait for the proceedings.)For further information on Cleveland activities contact MichaelMcMenamin, 1300 Terminal Tower, Cleveland OH 44113 tel. (216)781-1212. In Columbus, Don Jakeway has formed a committee and ismaking plans for similar activity. Contact him at 3667 Scioto RunBlvd., Hilliard OH, tel. (614) 777-4851.ANCHORAGE, JULY 26thICS Alaska gathered tonightat the Hotel Captain Cook to markthe fiftieth anniversary of thePM's resignation. (Clementine: "Itmay well be a blessing in disguise."WSC: "At the moment, itseems quite effectively disguised.")The sponsors were Walter J.Featherly III, James W. Muller,Paul S. Ubl and Edward A.Wicher. A bit early for ICS Alaska,but Prof. Muller left in mid-September for a three-month sabbatical,returning only for theBoston Conference in October. Histemporary address: Flat 10, SheppardFlats, Churchill College CambridgeCB3 ODS, England.WASHINGTON, JULY 20thAt the second annual ICS picnic,hosted by Jon and SharonHotzman, we discussed VE-Daycelebrations in London. DanBorinsky, John Mather and AidaSchoenfeld noted the enthusiasticcelebrations in the UK and thegreat ICS Imperial War Museumdinner (FH 87). On October 19th,ICS Washington sponsored a dinnerfor Celia Sandys, the first stopon her tour of introduction of TheYoung Churchill, the AmericanEdition of her book From WinstonWith Love and Kisses. For detailson upcoming Washington area activitiestelephone Ron Helgemo at(703)476-4693. $FINEST HOUR 88/10

"Democracy is the worst system of government,except for all the other systems..."From Captain Stephen Reinertsen,USN, Carmel Valley,Calif.: "I am writing a book andwish to quote Churchill's commentthat democracy was the worst system,except for the other systems.Can you provide attribution?"This remark came inChurchill's speech on the ParliamentBill of 1947, House of Commons,11 November 1947, bywhich the Labour Government furtherlimited the power of theHouse of Lords by amending the1911 Parliament Act:"Many forms of Governmenthave been tried, andwill be tried in this world ofsin and woe. No one pretendsthat democracy is perfect orall-wise. Indeed it has beensaid that democracy is theworst form of Government exceptfor all those other formsthat have been tried fromtime to time; but there is thebroad feeling in our countrythat the people should rule,continuously rule, and thatpublic opinion, expressed byall constitutional means,should shape, guide and controlthe actions of Ministerswho are their servants andnot their masters."The words "it has been said"are interesting. WSC had a photographicmemory — so this mightmean he'd said it earlier and wasquoting himself (not uncommon)or that he had read a comment bysomeone else. Yet all references tothis line credit the speech ofHNov47. It may be found chronologicallyin Europe Unite (London:Cassell and Boston: Houghton Mifflin,1950) and in the CompleteSpeeches (London: Chelsea Houseand New York: Bowker, 1974).WSC leaving 28 Hyde Park Gate forAscot, c. mid-1950s (can any readersupply the date?). Keystone PressAgency photo courtesy Capt. WinstonG. Churchill, USCG(ret), California.Strong Drink RagethSalt Lake City, July 26th — As aMormon missionary in Englandforty-one years ago, RodneyH. Brady was faced with adilemma as he stood face-to-facewith one of his heroes: Sir WinstonChurchill. The 20-minute meeting,at Chartwell, was arranged by amutual friend who knew of theyoung Utahn's admiration for theWorld War II leader.Within the first few minutes,Churchill handed the young missionarya trademark cigar and offeredhim a whisky and soda.Brady's religion eschews tobaccoand alcohol, so he declined theWIT AND WISDOMdrink. Churchill found him somelemonade instead. But the starstruckBrady stuck the Cubancigar into the pocket of his crisp,starched white shirt. Today, thecrumbling stogie rests in a sealedtube, displayed prominently in adisplay case in Brady's top-floor officeat Bonneville International,the broadcasting arm of TheChurch of Jesus Christ of LatterdaySaints.-John KeaheyThe Salt Lake TribuneThis article, sent us by JonahTriebwasser, coincides with thesame memory by hon. member AnthonyMontague Browne, WSC'slast private secretary, in his memoirs,Long Sunset (available fromthe New Book Service for $29, tobe reviewed next issue).Brady and another Mormonhad been brought to Chartwell bya German brewer from Tubingen,who had come to thank him forsupplying penicillin for his city in1945. Montague Browne reportsthe following conversation:Brady: "May I have water,Sir Winston? Lions drink it."WSC (sotto voce): "Assesdrink it too."Brady (austerely): "Strongdrink rageth and stingethlike a serpent."WSC: "I have long beenlooking for a drink likethat."After they had left, writes MontagueBrowne, "I congratulatedWSC on his side of this cross-talk.'None of it was original. They justfed me a music-hall chance,' he.replied with a grin."• "Wit and Wisdom" distills quips,comments and asides of the greatman. Contributions welcome. $3FINEST HOUR 88/11

JLJames Muller at Chartwell (photo by Ragnwald Muller)FRIENDS OF 1CSthan just the subjects he wroteabout. Churchill's writings showhis development as a statesman;they provide insights into his character;and they give the reader abetter understanding of politics."I find Churchill a better guideto understanding political historyand political questions than mostpolitical scientists who don't havethe kind of experience he has andwho are more likely to have theirwork polluted by bad theories,which Churchill was very innocentof," Muller says. "Churchill basedhis political understanding verymuch on his understanding of menand events, which he studied witha discerning eye.The bright academic cast of Churchill Society events past,present and future is owed in large degree to NorthAmerican academic advisory panel chairman, ProfessorJames W. Muller of the University of Alaska Anchorage,who sees Churchill first and foremost as a writer.BY SHELLY SANDERFORD, UAA SCIARTSPHOTO COURTESY RANGNALD MULLERAS a young graduate studentat Harvard, JamesMuller would sometimesplay hooky from writing his dissertationon Montesquieu. Needing abreak from the 18th century politicalphilosopher, he began readingthe 20th century works of WinstonChurchill. Churchill's essay "FiftyYear Hence," written in 1932, fascinatedMuller because it was composedalmost exactly fifty years before,and the author describes testtube babies and nuclear weaponsand contemplates their effects onthe future of politics. (Available for$10 from ICS Stores, address p. 2.)That was ten years ago, butMuller, a political science professorat UAA, is still fascinated byChurchill's books. Muller wasdrawn to Churchill's writings becausethey grappled with politicalphilosophy in a practical andunique way. Now he is writing abook that gazes back at Churchill'scareer and settles on his writingsas its locus. Muller calls his book acomprehensive introduction toChurchill's writing. "Churchill'sbooks are not studied enough,'Muller says, "not even by peoplewho study Churchill."After delving into Churchill'shistories, biographies, autobiographies,philosophical treatises andhis one novel (Savrola), Mullerconcluded there was more to learnfrom the British leader's books"Churchill really begins withthe common sense understandingof a citizen and deepens it byadding the political understandingof a statesman, then rises abovethat by adding the curiosity andcontemplation of somebody with aphilosophical bent of mind. Iwouldn't say he was a philosopher,but he did philosophize at least insome ways and up to a point.That's quite unusual for a politician.Indeed it is quite unusual foranyone."Shortly after getting his Ph.D.in political science from Harvardin 1982, Muller came to UAA toteach political science. He servedas the chair of the Department ofPolitical Science from 1986 to1988.FINEST HOUR 88/12

"There are secrets too mysterious for manin his present state to know; secrets which oncepenetrated may be fatal to human happinessand glory. But the busy hands of the scientistsare already fumbling with the keys of all thechambers hitherto forbidden to mankind."Without an equal growth of Mercy, Pity,Peace and Love, Science herself may destroyall that makes life majestic and tolerable."Winston Churchill, "Fifty Years Hence" (1932)Sitting in his office, Muller explainswhat readers will learnfrom his book that they won'tlearn from historian MartinGilbert's eight-volume official biography,which Muller both read andadmired. "Gilbert doesn't treatChurchill primarily as a writer,"Muller says, pointing to a shelf ofChurchill's works. "If you read mybook, you'll find out what his favoriteChampagne was and a fewother odd sorts of things, but thefocus is on what he wrote."Muller has titled his book TheEducation of Winston Churchill, areference not only to the educationChurchill gives his readersthrough his books, but also to theunconventional way he learnedabout politics. "Every timeChurchill wanted to get right tothe bottom of a political questionhe thought was very important, hewould sit down and write a bookabout it," Muller says.Churchill wrote over forty books(comprising sixty-four volumes),more than 500 articles and hundredsof uncollected speeches andstate papers. In all, he wrote morethan eight million words.But it is the quality of his writings,not the quantity, that luresMuller. "I don't think you have todrag yourself to your chair to beginreading them," Muller says."They're always exciting and colorful.He uses the English languagebeautifully." Churchill won theNobel Prize for literature in 1953,five years after the release of hissix-volume The Second World War— not for that work alone but forhis literary totality.Churchill may have writtenbooks better to understand politics,but, conversely, his vast politicalexperience helped him understandhistory, adding depth anduniqueness to his books. At varioustimes in his life he was a soldier,journalist, President of theBoard of Trade, Member of Parliament,First Lord of the Admiralty,Minister of Munitions, Secretaryof State for War and Air, Chancellorof the Exchequer, and, ofcourse, twice Prime Minister.One of his most significant andambitious works is a mammoth biographyof John Churchill, Dukeof Marlborough, his ancestor. "Hewas the Churchill for whom agrateful country built this amazingpalace called Blenheim,"Muller says. The estate wasnamed after the village in Germanywhere the Duke won hisgreat victory against the Frenchand Bavarians in 1704.The eminent 19th century historianThomas Macaulay had condemnedMarlborough for beingscheming and avaricious. "Churchillwas put off from writing thebiography of Marlborough becausehe was afraid his ancestor wasn'treally a very admirable character,"says Muller. But Churchill discoveredMacaulay's view of historywas often one sided. Marlborough:His Life and Times is Churchill'sdefense of his great ancestor andillustrates Churchill's approach towriting."He began to visit the battlefields,"Muller says. "He also hireda number of bright young Oxfordgraduate students as research assistants.What these trained historiansfound was that they could goand read lots of books on the periodand on the characters involvedand so on, but when theytalked about it to Churchill, itturned out he understood the politicalsituation much better thanthey did. The reason was that hehad so much experience in politics."And so Churchill could graspthe situation in a way that wasn'timmediately obvious to people whodid not have as much experiencein history. And often his interpretationof what had happened wasquite original."Churchill reinvestigated all thepolitical disputes that Marlboroughwas involved in and reanalyzedhis motives, and althoughMarlborough was concerned aboutsupporting his family, he wasn'tcorrupt and moneygrubbing, asMacaulay had thought, and hewas genuinely concerned withBritain and defeating France."During the 1988-89 academicyear, Muller took a sabbatical tobe an academic visitor in the Departmentof Government at theLondon School of Economics andPolitical Science. Naturally, hetoured as many Churchill landmarksas he could and took alonghis bride. "Judith says she had awedding trip with two men. Meand Winston Churchill."FINEST HOUR 88/13

ICS People...But Muller was no casualtourist. When he went to Churchill'shaunts, he was trying to understandthe forces that shapedthe man, and he uses the phrase,"getting a sense of what it waslike," frequently when he reminisces.He journeyed to BlenheimPalace, where Churchill was born.He walked the grounds ofChartwell, Churchill's belovedhome where he did much of hiswriting. He visited all four ofChurchill's schools, including theRoyal Military Academy at Sandhurst,and Harrow, the legendaryEnglish preparatory school.Harrow, Churchill's thirdschool, is where he finally cameinto his own, says Muller. Churchillrefused to learn Greek atHarrow, but he did learn theschool songs, which he liked tosing long after he graduated. InDecember 1940, while Englandstruggled to stop Hitler, Churchill,then prime minister, returned toHarrow to be with the boys as theysang the songs that celebrated tradition,patriotism and valor. As helistened to the stirring verses,Churchill wept.Much of the landscape surroundingHarrow has changedsince World War II, and even moresince Churchill went there, but theboys still sing. "My wife and I wentto Harrow and met the Headmaster,"Muller says. "We were invitedto a program of the school songs.We wanted to hear the songs thatwere so important to Churchill."When the Headmaster of Harrowand his wife came to Anchorage,Jim Muller arranged for achorus to sing for his guests thesame verses that had made WinstonChurchill weep more thanfifty years ago. $3Professor Muller is on a brief sabbaticalat Churchill College Cambridge,and at this moment immersedin the archives. This article isreprinted by kind permission ofSciArts, a student publication of theUniversity of Alaska, Anchorage, Departmentof Journalism and PublicCommunications.Riddles, Mysteries, EnigmasQ» / am trying to locate video• footage of Winston Churchilldelivering his speeches. Do you know ofany? — MICHAEL SCHWARTZ, PO BOX 1942,PACIFIC PALISADES CA 90272 USAA. The best single source is "The• Speeches of Winston Churchill,"an MPI Home Video release,ISBN 1-55607-036-5. This capturesquite a few speeches (not in entirety:no video we know does) including theone before a joint session of Congressin 1952. Incidentally, anent the 1952speech, David Freeman of Placentia,California, reports that the line wequestioned in an earlier edition of thiscolumn goes as follows: "I have notcome here to ask you for money,[laughter and applause] ... to ask youfor money to make life more comfortableor easier for us in Britain. Ourstandards of life are our own businessand we can only keep our self-respectand independence by looking afterthem ourselves." David says there isno indication that Churchill followedthe word money with the sotto voce remark"for myself," which we had heardbrought the house down. However, itcould have easily been edited out ofthe film.Q. Could you tell me Churchill's• height and weight at maturity?What color were his eyes? I've seenhundreds of photos of him, but few ofhim smiling. Were his teeth bad or discoloredfrom all the cigars? Did hewear dentures? — DAVID BILLINGSLEY,LEXINGTON KY USAA. Height figures we've seen range• between 5'6 1/2" and 5'9"; thelatter is from his passport, but he mayhave "shrunk" a bit in very old age.Weights we've seen range between 180(12 stone 12 lb) and 220 (15 stone 10lb) but we believe this varied; he wasrelatively trim during the 1940s. Eyes,watery light blue. There are manyphotos of WSC smiling and he did nothave bad teeth, but we don't know ifhe wore dentures; we rather expect hedid. Comment on this would be appreciated.Q» / have a short note by Winston• Churchill on his birthday in1948. It has the House of Commonsseal in the upper lefthand corner andseems to match Churchill's handwriting,but it is unaddressed either in typeor in holograph.A • Your letter is one of thousands•£*•* of very well-produced facsimileholographs which were sent out byChurchill's secretariat to the thousandswho sent him annual birthdaygreetings; similar letters were alsoproduced on other occasions. Thewording is purposely vague unless itrefers to his birthday. A few of the letterscarry the addressee's name andaddress typed at lower right, but theyare all of a type. A nice one, framed, isworth perhaps $50/£30.Q« / purchased the fine ICS print* of Mortimer Menpes's paintingof the young Churchill (also seen on thecover of Finest Hour 79). According tothe FH description, it was taken fromMenpes's book, War Impressions. / amanxious to know the history of thepainting and of Mortimer Menpes.How scarce is the book?A • Fairly scarce, to answer the•*•*•• last question first. We wouldbe glad to have some words aboutMenpes and his relationship withChurchill from any reader who canhelp.MORE RIDDLES TO BE SOLVED:HELP REQUESTEDQ* Can you help me determine if• it was Winston Churchill whocalled the Scots "bloody picts"? If so,what were the circumstances.— ELAINE A. LEAK, GARFIELD, NJ USAQ* During World War II, I under-• stand that Australia's PrimeMinister, John Curtin, signed hisname on an Australian Red Ensign (itsdesign is the same as Australia's nationalflag except that the field is rednot blue), and this flag was also signedby President Roosevelt and WSC andgiven to the latter. Can anyone tell uswhere it is — at Chartwell perhaps?[Haven't seen it there. -Ed.]— DAVID J. BULL, DEAKIN, ACT, AUSTRALIAcontinued on page 43FINEST HOUR 88/14

Durban, 1899: The Desperado SpeaksChurchill's obscure speeches after he popped up in Durban,following his epic escape from the Pretoria prison, are littleknown, and unpublished in the usual sources.FROM THE NATAL MERCURY, MONDAY, 23 DECEMBER 1899COPYRIGHT ©WINSTON S. CHURCHILL, MPEditor's note: In past issues readers have asked fortranscripts of Churchill's words on arriving in Durban,hero of the hour, following his adventurous escapefrom the Staats Model Schools in Pretoria,where he had been imprisoned in December 1899after being taken captive in the armoured train skirmish.(He had taken part in the rescue of the trainwith rather more than the standard war correspondents'non-partisanship.) Whilst several readers havedirected us to these words, the following transcriptcomes from the files of the late Dalton Newfield, pastpresident oflCS and editor of Finest Hour 1970-75.1. Speech from a Riksha, 23 Dec. 1899INEED not say what a surprise it has been to meon arriving at this port to find such a hearty andpleasant welcome awaiting me. [Cheers, and avoice: "It's a British Colony.] I need not say it is asource of great satisfaction and pleasure to me.["Hear, Hear."] We are in the midst of a fierce strugglewith vast military power, which has grown up inthe heart of this country, which is resolved at allcosts to gratify its reckless ambition by beating theBritish out of South Africa. [Cries of "Never" and avoice, "Never, while we have such fine fellows asyou."] It is for the people of South Africa, for those ofthe Cape Colony, and those in Natal to say whetheror not the British flag is going to be hauled down inthis country. ["Never."] When I see around me such acrowd as this, such determination and such enthusiasm,I am satisfied that, no matter what the difficulties,no matter what the dangers and what the forcethey may bring against us, we shall be successful inthe end. [Cheers and a voice, "God bless you, myboy."] Because our cause is a just and right one, becausewe strike for equal rights for every man inSouth Africa, and because we are representing theforces of civilisation and progress, in the end we mustbear down these reactionary Republics that menaceour peace [Cheers.] — and when this war is over, andthe British arms shall be victorious, you will see inthis country the beginning of a new era, when peaceand prosperity shall reign, so that the Cape may bein fact as well as in name a Cape of Good Hope.[Tremendous cheers.]2. Speech at Durban Town Hall, 23 Dec. 1899INEED not say how deeply grateful I am for thegreat kindness you have shown in your welcometo me. When I see this great demonstration, I regardit not only as a personal kindness to me, and asa demonstration of hospitality to a stranger [Voices,"You're not a stranger."] but as a token of the unflinchingand unswerving determination of thisColony to throw itself into the prosecution of the war.[Cheers.] I am delighted and glad to think I have hadthe honour of seeing so many gallant Colonists hereto-day, some of whom have been at the front fighting,and others of whom have relations or friends at thefront, but all of whom, of whatever sex and of whateverage, have thrown their hearts into the strugglewhich we mean to wage to the bitter end. [Cheers.]This is not the time for a long speech. We have gotoutside the region of words; we have got to the regionof action. We are now in the region of war, andin this war we have not yet arrived at the half-wayhouse. ["Hear, hear."] But with the determination ofa great Empire surrounded by Colonies of unprecedentedloyalty we shall carry our policy to a successfulconclusion, and under the old Union Flag therewill be an era of peace, purity, liberty, equality andgood Government in South Africa. [Cheers.] I thankyou once again for your great kindness. I am sure Ifeel within myself a personal measure of that gratitudewhich every Englishman who loves his countrymust feel towards the loyal and devoted Colonists ofNatal. [Tremendous Cheers.] $JFINEST HOUR 88/15

Chartwell RevisitedReturning to her grandfather's beloved home bringsback vivid memories for Celia SandysBY MADELEINE KINGSLEY • PHOTOS BY CHARLES HOPKINSONREPRINTED BY PERMISSION OF HELLO MAGAZINE, 1994Sitting at Sir Winston's desk. The large framed photos from left to right are: Mary, Jan Smuts, Diana, Minnie Churchill,Randolph, WSC's brother Jack, Lady Churchill and Sarah. "Klops," for hole-punching manuscripts, are in foreground.LAST November marked the 120th anniversaryof Winston Churchill's birth, and family,friends, admirers and scholars of WSC gatheredin London to honour his memory.The child, destined to give Britain her finestwartime hour, had an unpromising start in life."Winston was born some seven weeks prematurely,after his twenty-year-old mother Lady Randolphhad a fall while out shooting," says Churchill'sgranddaughter Celia Sandys, daughter of Diana(Winston's eldest daughter) and Lord Duncan-Celia Sandys is a Trustee of ICS (UK and USA) and celebratesthe launch of the US edition of her book, "TheYoung Churchill," with an American tour this autumn.Sandys. She was one of forty-five descendants at theSavoy last November who toasted the great manwith his favourite Champagne. "So although he wasborn in a palace (Blenheim being his father's ancestralhome), there was no fine physician on hand, asplanned, no whiff of pain-killing chloroform. Nothing,not even a cradle or a tiny vest, had been prepared."The future, most famous Prime Minister of the century,was dressed in baby clothes hastily borrowedfrom a local solicitor's wife.As a boy, Winston was frail in health and seeminglyaccident-prone. "He could also be," says Celia,"naughty and bumptious, inclined to put people'sbacks up. Pronounced 'difficult to manage,' he oncerang for the maid and instructed her to 'take awayFINEST HOUR 88/16

this governess' because she was Very cross'."He barely scraped into his public school, Harrow,and he was only accepted into officer training atSandhurst on his third exam attempt.Charming, energetic and determined like her famousforbear, Celia, at 52 is still as strikingly redheadedas Winston in boyhood. And if she's feeling aparticularly keen bond with her much-loved grandalsobeen busy planning a new home in the SavernakeForest, where the family recently moved."We built an oak-framed house," she explains,"round an existing two-up-two-down cottage. So ideallyI might rather have waited to write the bookuntil we were settled and the children a little older.Intrigued by my research, they tended to run off withpictures from my desk for their scrapbooks! But onceVisiting Chartwell was a magical part ofCelia's childhood, and revisiting it has revived many happy memories. In the libraryCelia shows Alexander (eight) and Sophie (six) their great-grandfather's trademark cigar, with "belly-bando."papa just now it's because, like him, she's turned historicalauthor. Celia's first book, an entrancing accountof Churchill's childhood, has just been published.From Winston With Love and Kisses (The YoungChurchill as published this autumn in the USA) tellsthe story of Winston's early years through his lettershome, many of them reproduced in his own youthfuland (to his parents' disapproval) sometimes spideryscript.Celia took two years to write her book, which isscarcely surprising since she had two late babies byher third husband Major General Ken Perkins, andis still very much involved in raising Alexander,nine, and seven-year-old Sophie. She and Ken haveFINEST HOUR 88/17it occurred to me that nobody had really looked atChurchill's childhood and the influence it exerted onhis later life, I thought I had better — as my grandfatherwould have put it — get on with the job, beforesomeone else saw the same unique opportunity."But Celia's affection for her illustrious grandpapaisn't born of family history alone. She has her ownlive memories of Churchill in the twilight of hisninety years. "My grandparents' country home atChartwell in Kent was a major and magical part ofmy childhood. With my sister and brother I spentmany holidays there, just as Winston had spentmany holidays with his Marlborough grandparentsat Blenheim. And to us Grandpapa wasn't an awesomenational figurehead. He was the practical

"He had to battle for affection,for health, and later forrecognition."Sitting.RandoA!offr Lered in ]Thewartime"Win;turely, idolph higrandd*(WinstoCelia Sa:brates tlYoung Cgrandfather who'd devised all the waterworks for hisgoldfish pond and built the outdoor swimming poolwhich, far ahead of its time in the Fifties, he actuallykept heated. He laid bricks for the walled garden; hereally adored the place. 'A day away from Chartwell,'he said, 'is a day wasted'."Every morning, Celia remembers, the threeSandys grandchildren would visit their grandparentsto say good morning as they breakfasted in separatebedrooms. "Our grandmother Clementine would bereading the newspapers in white cotton gloves so theprint didn't come off on her hands. We never saw herlooking anything but utterly beautiful. Grandpapawould have read the papers already, having hadthem sent down from London the night before. Hewould be well into work, reading in the company ofhis brown poodle Rufus and his budgerigar Toby."Revisiting Chartwell on a bright autumn morningis for Celia a true trip down memory lane. After fortyyears in the family, Chartwell passed to the NationalTrust, so this is a rare chance to show Sophie andAlexander round the place that meant so much toher.How did Chartwell come to the Churchills? Thestory goes, says Celia, that one day in 1922 shortlyafter Clementine had produced her youngest childMary, Churchill piled the eldest three into his wellwornWolseley. They were going out for the day, hesaid, to look at a house he was thinking of buying.The more the children saw of the mysterious, overgrownestate, the more they begged their father tobuy it. "It was typical of my grandfather." says Celia,"that only when back in London did he tell the childrenthat Chartwell was already theirs."Entranced by the panoramic views across Kent'sGarden of England, he'd snapped it up, with eightyacres, for £5,000.The house still stands almost exactly as he andClementine restored it.Outside, the children gaze up at the summerhousefrieze depicting the Battle of Marlborough. Alexanderdribbles his ball along the lawn where, fortyyears back, the Churchill grandchildren took tea alfresco."Here we'd have cucumber sandwiches, and adelicious chocolate cake with lemon icing," Celia recalls."My grandmother poured tea from a huge silverkettle."Celia remembers her grandfather as "very warmand affectionate, so pleased to see his children andhis grandchildren. I think he really loved the idea ofsitting at his dining room table and seeing all thefamily around him. He loved the idea of family in anFINEST HOUR 88/18Celia's son Alexander resembles WSC at same"The YoungChurchill"by Celia Sandy"This delightful volummust for the bookshelf ocollector of Churchill-:works. It comprehensiv(that remarkable g£Churchill's mother's Reminiscences, in whigave Winston only two very brief mentions,book benefits from the grand-filial touch aivides us with a valuable insight into the foryears of Sir Winston Churchill." -DouglasJust published by Dutton, 224 pages, pnillustrated in black and white and color. Avby mail from the New Book Service (c/o theaddress on page 2). Bookshop price $28, IC!$22 (mail orders add $4 shipping).WSC relaxing with Clemmie at Chartwell (Carneri

WSC dictated from his stand-up desk (above). Randolph,Diana and WSC. 1930s (below, ILN Picture Library).almost dynastic sense. Having just written about thefirst twenty years of his life I can quite see why; as achild he really had no family life to speak of. His lettersto his socially and politically preoccupied parentsare full of longing to see more of them. If hehadn't been a lonely and rather unhappy boy, then Idoubt that even as a Victorian child he'd have leftsuch a vast childish correspondence. Writing homeso much was a plea for love, attention — and moremoney!"Dressing for dinner in the old-fashioned way andvast Edwardian meals were, even in the Fifties, verymuch the Chartwellian order of the day. Celia'smother Diana once told her daughter she'd made herfirst (disastrous) marriage expressly to escape the digestivedemands at home. In her teens, Celia broughtseveral young men down to dine with her grandparentsbut suspects, rather cynically, that they weremore in love with the prospect of brandy and cigarsalone with the statesman, once the ladies had risenfrom the table, than ever they were with her.Although her grandparents were never critical ofCelia's suitors, they could be protective. "It wasagreed that it was Not Suitable for me to drive backto London after dinner with one particular chap, becausemy mother wasn't at home to receive me." Theclear suspicion was that this young man might nothave entirely honourable intentions. On another occasion,15-year-old Celia fell foul of her grandfather'spleasure in Champagne. "An elderly cousin complimentedme to my mother adding that it as 'such ashame the child drinks so much. She always has afull glass of Champagne.' 'If you look,' said mymother, 'you will see that her glass is always full butnever filled.' I took Champagne to please my grandfather.But I never drank until I was 21."Celia did, however, see more than might then bethought frightfully good for a young "gel" in hergrandfather's company. Together they holidayed onAri Onassis's yacht; it was to be Ari's last voyagewith his wife Tina. Singer Maria Callas, with whomAri was soon to be publicly enamoured, was also onboard ... "It was an explosive situation," recalls Celia."And there I was, a fly on the wall!"She was often Churchill's travelling companion,and grand hotels since have never met the pamperingexpectations set by travels with Grandpapa,when "my clothes were unpacked, my bath run andthere always seemed to be someone longing to dosomething for me." On one such trip to Monte Carlo,Churchill thrust a wad of notes — very probablycasino winnings — into Celia's hand, asking as hedid so, "Are you all right for money?" Even as an octogenarian,Churchill remembered what it was liketo be short of cash. As he wrote home: "My funds arein rather a low condition. The exchequer would bearreplenishing."But ultimately it wasn't the presents, but theFINEST HOUR 88/19

presence, says Celia Sandys, that drew her to hergrandfather. "Ours was a very companionable relationshiptowards the end of his life. It was thrillingthat he came to my coming-out party at Quagliano's,though he didn't dance. It was a very peaceful time ofhis life: we'd go for a drive together. I'd watch himpaint, or we'd just sit together and watch the sun godown over the Mediterranean. I adored him."Being red-headed and fair-skinned means you canspend little time in the sun, "which was one reason Iwas so thankful," says Celia, "that none of my fourchildren have it. (She has two grown-up sons by twoformer marriages, Justin, 27, a banker in HongKong, and Dominic, 25, who works at The TravellersClub.) That hair, Celia recalls, was the one unfortunateinheritance from her grandfather — at least inwartime."Our nanny, Miriam Buckles, knew that if theGermans invaded, which was of course unthinkableand unmentionable, my brother, sister and I would,as redheads, be immediately identifiable asChurchill's grandchildren and, therefore, death targets.So Nanny planned, as she later told us, to dyeour hair black and take us to her parents' pub in Liverpool,safe from Hitler's vengeance."Watching her own children explore Chartwell,Celia is struck by the comparisons and contrasts betweentheir light-hearted modern childhood andChurchill's Victorian youth. Although his hair isbrown, Alexander certainly has a look of the youngWinston and was also lucky to survive his prematurebirth. "All my children were three weeks early," saysCelia.Alexander is bound, like Winston, for Harrow, butunlike Winston, can follow comfortably in his two bigbrothers' footsteps. "And he can also rest assured,"says Celia, "that he can change his mind, if he suddenlyprefers not to board." Winston sold his parents'autographs for profit, but Alexander is reluctanteven to divulge his famous connections. "We took himto the Imperial War Museum and while watching afilm he said, "Oh, look! There's my great-grandfather.'The audience clapped and he was rather embarrassed."Alexander and Sophie's biggest worry is whetheror not they have behaved well enough during theday's photo shoot to warrant roller boots as a reward.Their informal upbringing is secure and equallyshared by their mother and Ken who, now retired,paints and writes, too.For Winston, however, the whole of his early lifewas a battle of some sort. "For affection, for health,and later for recognition," says Celia. "He was alwayshaving to push himself to be heard or noticed. Hisgreatest regret was that he didn't have the close relationshipwith his father for which he always longed."What young Winston did have was an unfashionablyuninhibited love for his mother and for hisFINEST HOUR 88/20

nanny, Mrs. Everest. He adored his mother, theAmerican-born Jennie Jerome, of Native Americanextraction, who was glamorous, beautiful and highlysociable. But she could never he maternal. SaysCelia: "He wrote to her more fondly and openly thanmost children would feel comfortable with, eventoday. He called her his 'little bird.' He described howshe shone for him like the Evening Star — brightly,but at a distance. Reliably close at hand, representingcosy security and everyday comfort, was Mrs.Everest, his own particular rock."Even for a formal Victorian childhood," saysCelia, "my grandfather's has to have been unusual.On the one hand he was born into a family of enormousprivilege, grandson to the Duke of Marlborough.On the other, his parents found themselves incomparatively straitened circumstances for their station.There was very little money and they were permanentlypreoccupied with its lack."It was also a childhood that provided Winstonwith far wider insights than was usual. "One minutehe might be staying on the royal yacht at Cowes withthe Prince of Wales, the next with Mrs. Everest'sbrother-in-law, a prison warder who told him allabout the Zulu wars. A spell at Blenheim might befollowed by a seaside boardinghouse holiday."If he'd been my child and not my grandfather,"says Celia, "I would have adored him, because hecould be most beguiling. I'd have felt endlessly protectivebecause he put people's backs up. I think hewould probably have been pronounced a gifted childwho was therefore difficult. He had a flawless memoryand won a Harrow prize for reciting 1,200 lines ofMacaulay without mistake. But I'm afraid he wasn'tthe sort of child you'd want to stay for the holidays."If Winston had been one of Celia's children, hewould certainly not have spent his eighth birthdayat a boarding school with a headmaster who beathim. But if, as Celia likes to say, the child born atBlenheim had not survived such challenging earlyyears, the world today would be a totally differentplace. And the Champagne glass might be empty thisweek. M.Johnny Churchill's Battle of Blenheim frieze in thesummerhouse (opposite). Celia and family on thewall that WSC built (below and left).FINEST HOUR 88/21

On the Map in the UKFourteen months of progress culminated in impressivesuccess for ICS as a United Kingdom registered charity.BY DAVID BOLER, CHAIRMAN, ICS UNITED KINGDOMSPEECH AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, CHARTWELLTHE fourteen months sincewe last met at Chartwell forthe last AGM have seen aperiod of exciting development forour Society, and I would like togive you a brief report on theyear's activities.We have expended a considerableamount of work and energy indeveloping our administration procedures.Our first task was to addressthe issue of Friends. For thiswe produced a new brochure forboth prospective U.K. and Internationalmembers. These are nowstrategically placed at Chartwell,the Cabinet War Rooms, Blenheimand Bletchley Park.We have established an ICS Office,and Joan Harris has set upour own computer and printer system.We have a dedicated telephoneline with fax and answerphone. We have also acquired ourown franking machine. We areparticularly grateful to Friend ofICS James Lancaster for verykindly donating a photocopier tocomplete our office machineryneeds. Along with desks, filingcabinets and the usual office paraphernalia,this represents a substantialinvestment to provide furtherimproved service to all.We have succeeded in the Committee'saim of holding four eventsper annum. Many of you attendedsome or all of these: the first was adinner to commemorate the 130thAnniversary of the birth of SirWinston Churchill in Novemberlast year, held at the In and OutClub in Piccadilly, attended by 150people. We were delighted that theEarl Jellicoe and Lady Soameswere our guest speakers. Theprofit generated from this dinnerenabled us to make our first evercharitable donation, to EdinburghUniversity.Our second event, also in November,was a talk by CeliaSandys at Chartwell on her timethere as a child. Celia also spokeabout her successful book "FromWinston with Love and Kisses"and signed copies for those present.On 29th January this year weheld a Service at St. Mary'sChurch, Bladon, to commemoratethe Thirtieth Anniversary of thedeath of Sir Winston. One hundredthirty ICS Friends, and seeminglyall the members of the Churchilland Marlborough families, werepresent for a most moving service,organised by our Patron, LadySoames.Our grand finale, for that iswhat it was, was of course our VE-Day Fiftieth Anniversary Dinnerheld May 8th at the Imperial WarMuseum, splendidly organised byour indefatigable Vice-Chairman,Wylma Wayne. We had 300 people,a Pol Roger Champagne reception,a Pru Leith dinner, a guest list thatincluded Sir Edward Heath, GeneralSir Peter de la Billiere, GeneralSir Michael Rose, six ambassadors,many members of theChurchill family and guests fromaround the world, including ICS,USA President Richard Langworth,and of course, Sir Martin Gilbert. Icannot praise Wylma enough forher efforts; this dinner significantlyraised our profile and the benefitsare already being felt in increasedmembership enquiries. Not leastwere the funds generated by thisevent. We are, after all, a charity.And, thanks to substantial sponsorshipfrom, amongst others, ExpressGroup Newspapers, the funds generatedabove expenses approachedFINEST HOUR 88/22five figures. Your Committee willbe investigating ways in which wewill use this money to pursue ourstated aims of teaching the nextgeneration about Sir WinstonChurchill.A few words about future functions:after tonight's talk and booksigning by Martin Gilbert, ournext event is being organised byGlynne Jenkins, details of whichwill be advised to you in duecourse. It is appropriate at thismoment to tell you a little bitabout our plans for the future.Objectives: Our overriding priorityobjective is to increase ourrolls, and to supply Friends with avariety of functions, whilst alwaysstriving to "keep the memorygreen and the record accurate,"and, of course, "teach the next generation."Execution: We plan to continueto hold a minimum of four events ayear. Our next event will be in theautumn. We plan to hold an annualdinner. There are a numberof books now published which wemay associate ourselves with, includingAnthony MontagueBrowne's Long Sunset and CeliaSandys's sequel on Young Winstonand the Boer War. More on all thisas the year progresses.It is appropriate, I feel, at thispoint to congratulate Sir MartinGilbert on his knighthood.We soon hope to organise anICS speechmaking competition,initially on a local level around thevenue of Harrow School. ICSTrustee Richard Haslam-Hopwoodis coordinating this event, and Iunderstand he is getting good supportfrom potential sponsors, sothere is much to look forward to.continued on page 46

Keepers of the FlameICS United States sincerely thanks these many contributorsto the 1994-95 Heritage Fund, which "keeps the memorygreen and the record accurate" by bolstering the Society'sgeneral operations fund and in particular its publicationsBY IAN W. D. LANGWORTH, DIRECTOR OF COMPUTER SERVICES$500 and aboveFred Farrow, Farmington MIMichael W. Michelson, Menlo Park CARichard A Leahy, Norwell MAParker H. Lee III, Fair Haven NJJack Moseley, Sapphire NCReese Taylor, Copley OH$100 to $499Gary J. Bonine, Detroit MIRuth Lavine, Los Angeles CAJohn R. Caplinger, Wilkesboro NCFrederick Himes, Baltimore MDBenjamin F. Rummerfield, Tulsa OKKeith Adams, Kennett PAJohn R. Block, Toledo OHJohn P. Cox, Weare NHRobert H. Dunn, Seattle WAFred C. Hardman, Spencer WVGeorge Kaufmann, Middle NYJohn H. Mather, Bowie MDCyril Mazansky, Newton MAArthur Mejia, San Francisco CALinda L. Platt, Greenwood COMichael Rivkin, Pomona NYHillel Samisch, Fairfax VAWilliam D. Schaub, Portland ORMr. & Mrs. Smith, Jr., Raleigh NCRobert M. Stephenson, Glenview ILRobert I. Toll, Solebury PAAllen P. Webb, Flintridge CAAlex M. Worth, Jr., Greensboro NCMichael L. Youngman, Milwakee, WICharles K. Bobrinskoy, Chicago ILMatthew Fox, Chicago ILJames H. Gressette, Orangeburg SCDavid A. Handley, Atlanta GADavid A. Jodice, Vienna VAJ.R. Johnson, Newport CALeo Kahn, Waban MACharles E. McKittrick, Washington DCMichael T. McMenamin, Cleveland OHEdward J. Oberst, Pittsburgh PACharles W. Parry, Naples FLMr. & Mrs. Schwartz, Lake Forest ILWilliam G. Underhill, Saginaw MIHon. Caspar Weinberger, Washington DCUp to $100Herbert P. Benn, West Palm FLMartin S. Cousineau, Beverly CAJames D. Henry, Gainesville FLJoseph L. Just, Burr Ridge ILJonah I. Triebwasser, Red Hook NYJames A. Adams, Jr., Toccoa GAPaul Alkon, Rolling Hills Est. CAMary Stuart Barnhart, Baltimore, MDBruce L. Bogstad, Simi Valley CABruce F. Bond, Sedona AZJ. Mayo Brown, Upperville VARobert A. Castrodale, Grand WANeil J. Chamberlain, College MDYong-Min Chi, Athol MAGeorge E. Christian, Jr., Austin TXCharles W. Dement, Laguna CAWilliam Eubank, Glendale AZThomas A. Goldner, Clarkston MIPhil Hawkins, San Anselmo CAPeter C. Hayes, Stow OHDonald S. Horsburgh, Hollywood FLRobert R. Hunt, Seattle WAGilbert H. lies, Nutley NJWilliam C. Kidd, Pass Christian MSPaul S. Leavenworth, Grand MITerrence W. Leveck, Bethesda MDRichard S. Lowry, San Francisco CAPhilip J. Lyons, CLU, Chicago ILThomas C. MacDonald, Jr, Tampa FLFrank C. Marshall, Birmingham ALDaniel N. Myers, Downers ILJames A. Nietmann, St. Louis MORobert P. Odell, Jr., Lempster NHWilliam Partin, Winston-Salem NCDavid Robinson, Metuchen NJDavid R. Salter, Richmond VADaniel Sperber, Troy NYNicholas Steward, Beverly MAZelig Strauss, Secaucus NJMary Stuart, Barnhart MDBernard J. Vriezen, Milford PAEleanor J. Weber, Carmel CAUp to $50James R. Agar, Norman OKRichard D. Batchelder, Boston MAEllis Baxter, Atlanta GAMr. & Mrs. Beatty, Henrietta NYCharles R. Bergh, Brewster NYDavid R. Billingsley, Lexington KYJames W. Bohlander, Bloomfield MIHerman L. Breitkopf, Highland NJJohn S. Bunton, West METhomas M. Campbell, New York NYMr. & Mrs. Castrey, Huntington CAR.G. Chamberlain, Bellevue WAF.W. Channer, Inverness, ILJulie T. Chittenden, Placerville CAGeorge S. Christian, Austin TXBrendan J. Conkling, Davis CAJames Guy Cooper, Brick NJRobert B. Cummings, Delray FLRaymond E. Dana, Minneapolis MNThomas C. Deas, Jr., Haverford PAR.L. Eppelsheimer, Ft. Myers FLJim Fitzgerald, Conyers GAAnn L. Fouke, Arlington VADana A. Fuller, Arlington TXRobert O. Garner, Van Nuys CAGeorge A. Gerber, Evanston ILAnthony E. Gilles, Knoxville TNRoger M. Gold, Mayfield OHH. Robert Hamilton, Salem ORRobert E. Hartland, Chevy Chase MDFINEST HOUR 88/23James L. Hill, Louisville KYJoseph O. Homey, West End NCVan G. Hunt, Cedartown GAR.R. Johnson, Jr., Lafayette LAThomas R. Kain, Houston TXNorwood H. Keeney III, Concord NHW. Quinn Kelly, Kalamazoo MIDr. & Mrs. Klug, Loomis CAJohn Kops, New Orleans LAGeorge G. Kundahl, Alexandria VAEugene S. Larson, Woodland CARaymond A. Lavine, Yorba Linda CAJohn L. Lawler, Arlington TXWalter P. Linne, Indianapolis INJohn J. Marek, New Berlin WIJohn David Marshall, Murfreesbor TNJames J. McGarvey, Acworth GADennis J. McLaughlin, Fremont CAGeorge Colin Mello, Miami FLJohn R. Mercy, Texarkana, TXGeorge Mitchell, Deerfield ILDebra Moncada, San Diego CAJ.R. Montgomery, Monson MARobert B. Morton, Wichita KSThomas F. Mulrooney, Sunfish MNConstance Navratil, Baton Rouge LAMarvin S. Nicely, Seaside CAMichael C. Padden, Anchorage AKAllan J. Pantuck, Somerset NJW. Greg Peete, Durman NCPolytechnic Preparatory, Brooklyn NYWilliam B. Rainey, CH, Nashville , TNSteven A. Ris, Newport VAHarry E. Roberts, New York NYWinston O. Roulier, Pittsfield MAMark D. Schultz, Bellevue WAHarvey H. Shapiro, Chambersbur PAAlan Shaw, Basking NJDorothy Shearn, Hawthorne NJWilliam Shepherd, Crofton MDMr. & Mrs. Shurin, Kansas City MORonald E. Smith, Minnetonka MNGene R. Smitherman, Sewanee TNShanin Specter, Haverford PAJoseph K. Starkey, Walnut CAMr. & Mrs. Don Stephens, Portland ORFord W. Stevens, Jr., Glenolden PAJames D. Stewart, Yardley PAPeter T. Suzuki, Elkhom NEStephen Joel Trachtenberg, DCMatthew Trifilo, Barre MAMichael J. Turrisi, Tampa FLRobert Vallina, Commerce MIJonathan R. Wallace, Tulsa OKJeffrey Wallin, Washington DCWalter T. Webster, Jr., South MADavid J. Willette, Dallas TXRichard C. Wilson, Phoenix AZFrederick Witherby, Boston MALinda Woodbury-Deal, Riverside CARobert R. Ziemer, Leawood KS

Homepage ("newsgroups") inwhich individuals may post theirown comments on any matters ofdebate and discussion, subject tothe approval of a responsible editorappointed by ICS to presideover each newsgroup.Another WWW service we desperatelyneed is a reliableChurchill quote search system. Iam building a "poor man's CD-Rom": a database on FilemakerPro (Macintosh program, but remember,both Macs and PCs interrelatein cyberspace) in which themajor field is the quote. Otherfields will provide attribution,date, location, to whom said, personlogging the quote, referenceverification. Filemaker searchespretty fast and can find word combinations.For instance, if yousearch for: "the only traditions ofthe Royal Navy are rum, sodomyand the lash," it will find thatquote under "Apocryphal Quotes!"It will tell you that Churchill wasalleged to have said this by ViceAdmiral Sir Peter Gretton in hisFormer Naval Person: WinstonChurchill and the Royal Navy(London & Boston 1968, Redburn254). Churchill never said it, buthe told his private secretary, AnthonyMontague Browne, that hewished he had! — see the latter'snew autobiography, Long Sunset(Cassell 1995).The Online Committee is unanimousin agreeing that the new ICSHomepage is the ultimate place foronline Churchill communications.Now that America Online (AOL),Delphi, eWorld, Microsoft,Prodigy, CompuServe and othercommercial services are offeringfull World Wide Web access,Churchillophiles and -phobes havea central place to communicate.Churchill Online:Britain's VE-Day VideoComments on the British GovernmentWorld War II and VEDay video prepared for schoolchildren(see FH 87, "InternationalDatelines", p7.)Date: 28Aprl995 14:56 ESTFrom: AFJWM@acad2.alaska.edu(James W. Muller)To: Malakand@aol.com(Richard M. Langworth)The neglect of Churchill in theofficial British end-of-war curriculumis typical of current trendsin history on both sides of the Atlantic.If the curriculum had had amajor emphasis on WSC, it wouldhave been startlingly differentfrom the norm. Nor is this a noveldevelopment. As long ago as MartinGilbert's university training inhistory, his tutors neglected WSC'spart almost altogether, as he ruefullyrecalls in his latest book.Trends in American university educationare exactly the same. Thisought to be for us a reminder ofwhy a Churchill Center is such anecessary corrective to certain academicfashions, or unfashions.Date: 30Aprl995 12:30 ESTFrom: Malakand@aol.comTo: AFJWM@acad2.alaska.eduThank you. Arthur Schlesinger,Jr. had a piece in Finest Hour 86called "Divisive Diversity" inwhich he dwells on the destructivenature of the anti-Western curriculumplanners in a way that issuddenly very timely to Churchillians.Little ICS is not going tochange any of this soon, but wehave a lot of alumni-donors whoseinfluence may be felt, includingmine.Date: 28 Apr 1995 15:35 ESTFrom: 76212.3250@compuserve. com(Frank P. Ferguson)To: Malakand@aol.comcc: IBAC0N@uniwa.uwa.edu.au(Ian Bacon, Australia)To minimize the role of Churchillis both a tragedy and a distortion.He was, of course, the dominantfigure in Great Britain duringthe war, and without him it isdoubtful if Great Britain wouldhave even stayed in the war afterthe fall of France in 1940. I thinkthat there should be some responseto this video.Date: 30Aprl995 15:40 ESTFrom: Malakand@aol.comTo: 76212.3250@compuserve.comMany thanks. The question ishow best to respond. It is a touchymatter for outsiders to respond officiallyon matters in the hands ofthe citizens of Great Britain. Avideo prepared by HM Govt. forFINEST HOUR 88/26the use of British schoolchildrenmight be regarded as off limits tocomment by an international organization.Date: 29Aprl995 05:20 ESTFrom: Nathan_Hughes@acd.org(Nathan Hughes)To: Jonah.Triebwasser@marist.eduIt looks as if history is beingwritten by people who know nothingabout the war and the importantcontribution that Churchillmade not only in making theBritish people rally when thingswere really bad, but also havingthe perseverance to push thingsuntil victory was achieved. Wehave the same problem with notfacing up to the fact that in Augustwe will be celebrating VJ Day, not"Victory in the Pacific Day." I wishI could bring home some truths tothe attention of these people whoknow better than those of us whowere involved in it. I spent fiveyears in the British armed forcesfrom 1942 to 1947. In those daysone remained in the service "forthe duration of the emergency"!Date: lMayl995 16:47 EST From:72124.3656@compuserve.com(Jeffrey Wallin,President, The National Academy)To: Malakand@aol.comI think it would be altogetherappropriate for Finest Hour toprint something like Jim Muller'sremarks on the historically inaccuratetreatment of WSC in thevideo intended for school children.And I think the defense of WSCshould be broader than a merepersonal defense or even a defenseofWSC'sroleinWW2.What is under attack is the notionthat there was in fact a pastfull of some facts and not others.Hence the rewriting of history inthis particular case is of a piecewith the broader attack throughoutthe West against the notion ofhistorical objectivity. In this regard,I think we can without exaggerationsay that everything WSCstood for is at stake.Editor's note: We agreed, andFinest Hour #87 ran the commentsof a British author, AndrewRoberts, "Why Children ShouldLearn About Churchill," p32. $

A bibliophile's column named in memory of Churchillbibliographer Frederick Woods, 1932-1995.Bibliographic Help WantedBY RONALD I. COHENIt has been nearly ten years since I first stated inthese pages that I was preparing a new Bibliographyof the Works of Sir Winston Churchill (Finest Hour51, Spring 1986). The good news is that work is nownearing completion. The publishers, Cassell, and Ihave agreed on a manuscript deadline of 31 January1996; Cassell expects that physical production of thevolume will consume a further twelve months.To ensure that the work is as complete as possible,I herein solicit certain descriptions of works I haven'texamined. As users of the Woods Bibliography know,he did not describe (in bibliographic terms) the 147pamphlets and leaflets which he included within hisSection A. I have attempted to locate and physicallyexamine every different published pamphlet andleaflet. Excerpts from my entry for the commonspeech pamphlet of 20 August 1940 Woods A60(a),Cohen A112.1, illustrate the point:A 112.1 H.M.S.O. edition, only printing (1940)Title page: [Cover title:] [very deep red (14)] [royal coat-ofarms28x31 mm] |'A Speech by | The Prime MinisterI THE RIGHT HONOURABLE | WINSTON |CHURCHILL | in the House of Commons | AUGUST20th, 1940 | [ranged bottom left] Number One'Typography and paper: 35 lines, 173.8 (180.2) x 106 mm,10 lines = 48.72 mm, modern style, 2.92 (1.83) mm. No runningheads. Copies have been noted printed on various papers.These include unwatermarked and watermarkedstocks, laid and wove, (a) White wove unwatermarkedpaper, all edges trimmed; thickness: 0.15 mm. The sheetsbulk 1.24 mm. (b) White wove unwatermarked paper, alledges trimmed; thickness: 0.11 mm. The sheets bulk 0.82mm. (c) White wove unwatermarked paper, all edgestrimmed; thickness: 0.09 mm. The sheets bulk 0.70 mm.(d) White wove watermarked ('Basingwerk Parchment')paper, all edges trimmed; thickness: 0.14 mm, bulking0.149 mm. The sheets bulk 1.19 mm. (e) White laid watermarkedpaper, vertical chain marks 26.3 mm apart, alledges trimmed; thickness: 0.20 mm. Sheets bulk 1.56 mm.Binding: Pamphlet in very deep red (14) on light bluishgray (190) vertically laid watermarked (crown, 36.5 x 48.8mm | 'Abbey Mills | Greenfield') paper wrappers (thickness:0.18 mm); chain lines 25.6 mm apart. Wire stitched.Front wrapper: cover title. Rear wrapper: blank.Note: All indications are that there was no more than a singleprinting of this address; however, copies are knownprinted on different weights and kinds of paper, as notedabove, and wrappers in either light bluish gray (190) oryellowish gray (93) paper wrappers. Those printed onlighter paper and wrapped in the yellowish gray paperWOODS CORNERwrappers may have been shipped from England for overseasdistribution although it is likely that the printer, in aperiod of wartime paper rationing, used whatever stockswere at hand, feeding them into the press as needed.In the course of my research I have identified 262Section A pamphlet/leaflet works but have not physicallyexamined them. This is where I need the help ofreaders. The following are works I have not locatedor for which some detail has eluded me. If you haveone or more of these and would be kind enough tocontact me by mail, fax, phone or e-mail with its description(verbal, photocopy or both) I would be verygrateful.The Menace of Land Monopoly, Woods A14(b), but onlythe edition published by the Free Trade and Land ValuesLeague in 1909.Prison and Prisoners, Woods A17 (one of only two of the147 pamphlets which Woods actually does describe bibliographically).Mr. Churchill's Message to Ulster, Woods A20(b).Speech on Navy Estimates, Churchill's address of 17March 1914, extracted from the Official Reports of the ParliamentaryDebates, not in Woods, 24 pp. in self-wrappers.The Tories and the Army, Woods A23, but only a copywhich has not been disbound from the Liberal Party'sPamphlets and Leaflets for 1914 since all disbound copieshave been trimmed.Invitation to a Political Meeting, Woods A30/1.Co-ops, and Income Tax, Woods A34.Ringing the Alarm, Woods A34/1.The Navy League, Woods A35.The Atlantic Meeting, Woods A76(a).Liberals' Part in Rebuilding Britain, Woods A96(a).Mr. Churchill Pays Tribute to the Liberal Party, WoodsA96(b), undoubtedly not 1943 as Woods states but rather1945. I have seen two copies, one of which was damaged,and both differ from each other in significant respects,hence the desire to locate another.Ulster's Loyalty to Britain Saved Eire, excerpts fromChurchill's broadcast of 19 May 1943, not in Woods, 4 pp.,as published by the Ulster Unionist Council in May 1945.Broadcast Appeal on Behalf of the Royal Air ForceBenevolent Fund, Woods A129/3.Thanks to the Bunglers, Woods A131.Although I have listed about 115 more Section Apamphlets than Woods, I'm sure I have not foundthem all. It is a maxim of bibliographers that theirwork is "outdated the day it is published." If you believethat you may have an unusual Section A pamphletor leaflet (or other volume or periodical contribution)which is not in Woods and should be in thenew Bibliography, I would be grateful to hear fromyou via the mails (1351 Potter Drive, Manotick, OntarioK4M 1C3, Canada), fax (613-692-2588), phone(613-692-6324) or e-mail (roncohen@magi. com). I amalso available to answer your inquiries if I can possiblybe of help. $FINEST HOUR 88/27

BOOK REVIEWSOne More Tweak ofthe Dead Lion's TailH. ASHLEY REDBURNChurchill's Grand Alliance: The Anglo-American SpecialRelationship 1940-1957 by John Charmley. London,Hodder & Stoughton, a division of Hodder HeadlinePLC, 1995. 427pp, £20. Readers desiring a copyplease contact New Book Service c/o the editor. Send nomoney, you will be billed.APAPERBACK edition of Dr. Charmley'sChurchill: The End of Glory (1993) was pub-, lished to coincide with the appearance ofChurchill's Grand Alliance. It contains a Preface whichshould be read in conjunction with the Foreword of thebook under review. The author claims his aim was notto write "revisionist" history in his triptych (Chamberlainand the Lost Peace, pub. 1989, being the first of thethree). Alan Clark, himself an admirer of Charmleyand historian and former MP, is certain he is a revisionist,and others may agree.In the Preface referred to, Dr. Charmley inveighsagainst the critics of the first edition, averring that itwas silly of them to argue in effect that if Charmley hadlived through the Second World War he would haveseen things differently, and that the same critics wouldnot have claimed "you can't write about the Civil Warunless you experienced it." This reasoning is not onlysilly itself: it betrays muddled thinking. If experiencecounts for nothing, chroniclers may ignore importantsource material. It is not certain that Dr. Charmley hasthat "feel for history" the best historians reveal in theirappreciation of the past which they have not experienced.In mediaeval times Oxford — and Cambridge —prepared men for service in State and Church — "holyliving and holy dying," and it is certain that Dr. Charmley'slate birth deprived him of the experience of some ofhis critics of enduring the two world wars and thuswholly living and wholly dying. Many biographers ofChurchill, historians and writers of the 20th Centurywere, or are, witness to or creators of the history ofChurchill's times. The Preface goes on: "Even now, outragedChurchill worshippers write to their house journalprotesting at my existence." This is hyperbole, theunbridled language of the demagogue.When Sir Oracleopens his lips, dogs will continue to bark, and not allMr. Redburn is a Finest Hour senior editor.•at Winnie, I lout you.Just as much as lean do!I'll hold you tight until you pray.Keep 'emguessing tAat's mt/uay.All lisle is — uou.be mine.For this Dollar Valentin*!mmLimwmJSmim.um.KiiThe Daily Worker, 13 February 1953, presents theSpecial Relationship, a Gospel similar to thatpreached by J.C...the dogs are mongrels. What the author fails to realiseis that the critics of Churchill: The End of Glory wondered,not unreasonably, how an academic, howeverdistinguished or otherwise, could map the proper courseof the 20th Century as it should have happened,whereas Churchill and his colleagues and associates,political and military, apparently got it all wrong.American readers will have a telling phrase for this attitude— "Monday morning quarterback."The aim in writing Churchill's Grand Alliance, saysCharmley, was "to clear away the lush undergrowthlaid down by Churchill and his admirers," a meaninglessphrase unless the works of the admirers are enumeratedspecifically. Is, then, our Johnnie the only onein step, the Little Jack Horner who has pulled out theplum of historical truth? Truth, including historical research,has more skins than an onion, and even thearchives do not contain everything one would wish toknow.Having read all the books written by the author, Iam persuaded that Churchill's Grand Alliance has anotheraim: to knock Churchill "off his perch," in Montgomery'sphrase, in another context.The relentless devaluation of Churchill, with the patronisingcomment... "Whilst not blaming Churchill foreverything which went wrong," merits Winston's laconicremark on the Sutherland portrait: "It makes me lookstupid, which I ain't." Nor was he. He was and will continueto be one of the outstanding figures in world history.A long catalogue of Churchill's sins and mistakesis here; and no opportunity is missed to deride the manand list his failures, particularly at the Big Three Conferences,his "empty rhetoric" — although Charmleyhimself has a way with words. Even the illustrations inthe book often have sneering captions. Not only isFINEST HOUR 88/28

Churchill's mind read and the thoughts translated intowords, but advice is given as to how he should haveacted. Psychiatrists normally prefer the living subjectfor interview. "Churchill did not win the war; the Russiansdid so — with some help, mainly from the Americans."Who claimed Churchill won the war?If Hitler studied Napoleon he might have echoed thelatter's feelings about the Peninsular War, for Britainunder Churchill's leadership was the equivalent of the"Spanish ulcer, the running sore." The Battle of Britain,the North African and Mediterranean campaigns, theBomber offensive, the victory against the u-boats, theBurma campaign and the invasion of Europe were contributionsby the British which helped to prevent anAxis victory. As for "with some help, mainly from theAmericans," this ranks with disparaging comment onAnglo-American supplies to Russia. Space prevents thepresentation of the long list of military and other supplies,with the loss of ships and men, received ungraciouslyand ungratefully by Stalin, but Charmley mightrefresh himself as to the details and consider the impliedinsult to the providers in his reckless remark.The unlikely Grand Alliance did win the war againstthe three Axis powers. Certainly Churchill could neverachieve for Britain equal status with the other two powers,but he did create the Anglo-Russian alliance immediatelyGermany invaded the Soviet Union, and whileHitler completed the triangle by declaring war onAmerica, it is true that by then Churchill had forged anon-military alliance with Roosevelt which had benefitsfor Russia too. To many this is a creditable achievement,and it is right to ask the question: SupposeChurchill had ignored both countries? For Charmley toreprove Churchill for seeking to create somethingdeeper than a wartime military alliance and failing todo so is debateable, but it is not an unworthy objectivein a very imperfect world.At times Dr. Charmley is a good historian, at timesan excellent one. He is also a polemicist and this book isa mixture of history and polemics. He has acquired avast store of knowledge, and wants to communicate itall to us, so the book is overlong. Get wisdom, saith thePreacher, but knowledge is not the same as wisdom.Part I "Churchill's American Alliance" is almost a continuationof his vendetta against the critics, and couldusefully be pruned drastically. It tells us little that isnew, relies too heavily on secondary sources, and almostmerits the cruel stricture which greeted Peter deMendelssohn's Age of Churchill, Vol. I — and only —(pub. 1961) that "it is a scissors and paste job."The "damned dots" which plagued a certain politicianbecame for me the damned inverted commas. The Bibli-ography is impressive, as always with this author'swork, but there are many authors who ought to be included,particularly splendid American ones, and it issurely a defect of such a critical work that very few non-English-speaking authors are mentioned: Russian, German,Italian, French, Chinese, Japanese et al. Worldmilitary strategy is not one of Dr. Charmley's strongestpoints: here General Sir William Jackson's excellent'Overlord': Normandy 1944 (published in 1978) is invaluablefor the lay mind. This section is useful indrawing attention to the problems of the Grand Allianceand the nature of the principal characters, althoughnot all the inferences the author draws fromevents will be supported by everyone.Quite properly much is made of the apparent similarityof Chamberlain's Munich and Churchill's handlingof the Polish question. Are the two "appeasements"identical? The author seems to think so. Chamberlain,however, was dealing not with an enemy in wartimebut a ruthlessly hostile dictator in peacetime. Churchillwas dealing with a similar opponent in war, but alsowith a "friend" and an ally, Stalin, accompanied by anequally powerful ally in Roosevelt. When does compromiseor an aspect of foreign policy become appeasement?Charmley quotes Halifax's wise saying, "Perhapsthe greatest difficulty in the conduct of foreign affairs,and the one least appreciated by those not engaged init, is the fact that ideal policy is scarcely ever practical."But the irony escapes him in his treatment ofChurchill. Certainly the latter had alternatives: hecould have withdrawn from the Yalta Conference oreven threatened war against the Soviet leader in pursuitof a principle, but was either practical? SimilarlyChurchill is arraigned for not criticising Rooseveltharshly in his The Second World War. To what end?"There is a time to speak and a time to keep silence."Charmley has few inhibitions. His is a harsh delineationof Roosevelt for his deviousness. Certainly hewas a difficult man to deal with, as his friendsChurchill and Eden found, and the more one readsabout him one sees not simply his deviousness but alsohis cunning and patriotic ruthlessness and even hiscleverness at not letting his own mind know what hewas thinking.Part II "A Special Relationship" and Part III "TheEnd of British Power" are the best parts of the book,with the writer getting down to the business of being ahistorian. He understands that rulers are motivated byself-interest for the advantage of their countries. Theassertion that Churchill regarded himself as a "wise oldmentor" to a backward America is questionable, and the"ample evidence to suggest that the Roosevelt administrationhad goals of its own which were inimical toChurchill's" was there and recognised long before "earlyFINEST HOUR 88/29

1944." He is right to highlight the animosity towardsBritain of men like Admiral King, Foster Dulles, Hull,Morgenthau and others, and who consciously strove todestroy Britain's financial and economic well-being andher commercial power in the world, partly through theabolition of the sterling area and imperial preference.The analysis of the Yalta Conference is good, with thedilemmas facing the Anglo-American partners clearlyset out, although the strictures on Churchill are moresevere than those on Roosevelt. Stalin has the whiphand and Churchill appears as the weakest partner.Stalin nicely escapes harsh condemnation.The treatment of the subject of Federal Europe isequally sound, and despite a sneering reference to"Churchill's hope for the largest measure of integratedlife of Europe ... without destroying individual characteristicsand traditions of its ancient and historic races"as "sonorous but vague rhetoric," he has to admit thathe himself is allied with many others in opposition to afederal Europe and that Edward Heath has misled peopleinto believing Churchill was in favour.The book excites sadness as well as exhilaration andadmiration. The sadness is generated by the unremitting,even remorseless attack on so many individuals,particularly on the Anglo-American side: the book is"the sepulchre of famous men." Few escape the arrows(there is a savage comment on Keynes). Efforts areridiculed and characters assailed. Charmley is critical,even scornful, of fellow historians: the jealousies andbitchiness of dons are long established — academia isnot Arcadia — and some of his fellow historians havebeen his critics. There are few heroes, but what sympathetictreatment there is is reserved for Stalin andEden, deservedly for the latter despite the claim that hewas usually wiser than his chief. (We should never forgetEden's stand on Poland, his support for de Gaulleand for a French zone in occupied Germany). Thevirtues ascribed to Eden in Chapter 24, pp.294-296could surely also be accorded to Churchill. Occasionallyone detects an air of triumphalism at the discomfitureof the Americans being outwitted by the Russians, andthe disparagement of Churchill at the hands of Stalinand Roosevelt.Churchill's Grand Alliance is stimulating and exhilaratingas well as provocative. It is good that the challengesand debate about recent modern history be discussedbefore the survivors of the period are all silencedin death. While the author's opinions are expressedforcibly and sometimes cogently, his conclusions are notnecessarily right, and when these are disputed he mustnot over-react to the post-mortem as he did with TheEnd of Glory, and infer that everyone except he iswrong. The writing of history is not an exact science,and George Meredith's lines:"O what a dusty answer gets the soulWhen hot-foot for certainty in this own life"are always apposite. Dr. Charmley is, as Yorkshirefolk say "ower young yit" (still a youngster), but timeand experience (preferably away from the academiccloisters) will cure that.Parts II and III of the book form a good contributionto the understanding of Anglo-American relationships,and while Part III: "The End of British Power" is particularlyprovocative, this is not the place to dispute thetiming or the causes of the decline and fall of theBritish Empire or of British power. If, as I suspect, theauthor considers Churchill to have played a major rolein that development, my view would be contrary.In his Chamberlain and the Lost Peace, Charmley arguesthat Churchill was a desperate gambler whosepolicies would have plunged Britain earlier into war.The fact remains that it was Prime Minister NevilleChamberlain who declared war on Germany on the 3rdof September 1939. Some eight months later WinstonChurchill inherited the Premiership and the war. TheDiaries of Evelyn Shuckburgh, PPS to Eden from 1951to 1955, selected and edited by John Charmley underthe title Descent to Suez: Diaries 1951-1956 (pub. 1986)contain the entry on Churchill's resignation in 1955: "Ibegan to feel .. that my diary contains a good deal ofunworthy and even scurrilous criticism [of Churchill]and ought perhaps to be suppressed." We should begrateful it was not. Neither in those Diaries nor inChamberlain and the Lost Peace is there much good tosay of Churchill. In Churchill's Grand Alliance there iseven less. John Charmley is not, in his own phrase, a"historian on his knees worshipping the past and beingblinded by the haloes of the Churchills of this world."Yet there are times when J.C. shows himself to be not adispassionate scholar but a youthful writer intoxicatedby his own verbosity, which prevents him from seeingstraight.FINEST HOUR 88 / 30

Will Ye Tak' the High Road?RAYMOND A. CALLAHANChurchill's Sacrifice of the Highland Division: France1940, by Saul David, London: Brassey's, 280pp, £19.95.To reserve a copy write the editor.THE TREND in books about Churchill recentlyhas been to highlight his faults of character anderrors of judgement as well as to attack his representationof events in his writings, especially his SecondWorld War memoirs. Clive Ponting discovered, tohis own surprise if not that of most historians, thatthere was shadow as well as highlight in 1940; JohnCostello has found sinister doings in connection withthe flight of Rudolph Hess, and the late James Rusbridgeralleges Churchillian complicity in the Americandisaster at Pearl Harbor. David Day finds Churchill betrayingAustralia, while John Charmley reveals the"Finest Hour" as a disastrous misjudgement. David Irving,of course, gives the impression of feeling thatChurchill helped the wrong side win. When therefore Ipicked up Saul David's Churchill's Sacrifice of the HighlandDivision: France 1940 it was with a sinking feeling.In fact there is very little about Churchill in most ofDavid's book. It is a straightforward, rather traditionalhistory of a Territorial Army division at war, soundlyresearched (with one crucial exception) and clearly written.As a history of the 51st (Highland) Division inFrance in 1939-40 it can be recommended. Its only realweakness is that small unit actions (section, platoonand company) can only be intelligibly followed with theaid of far more detailed maps than any publisher cansupply without pushing the price of the book to astronomicallevels. If David had simply written a good divisionalhistory and stopped, he would have added a usefulaccount to the literature on the British Army in the1940 campaign. But, apparently, the temptation to involveChurchill was overwhelming.The 51st Division was detached from the main bodyof the BEF, serving with the French Army on an "active"front in the Saar when the German blow fell inMay 1940. Cut off by Guderian's drive to the sea fromthe rest of the BEF, it became part of the French TenthArmy holding the lower Somme. When the second stageof the German offensive breached the French line, the51st, fighting well but withdrawing too slowly (underProfessor Callahan's next book, Churchill's Generals, will be publishedshortly by the University of Kansas.An earlier time (WSC, Haldane and Asquith in Punch, 1910) butirresistible in this context is CravenhilPs craven Scot...French command), was cut off and pinned against thecoast at St. Valery by Rommel's 7th Panzer Division.There was no mini-Dunkirk for the Scots and most ofthe division became POWs. Was Churchill responsiblefor this? Of course he was working desperately to keepthe French in the war (and, as Andrew Roberts has recentlyshown, simultaneously fighting hard against establishmentdefeatism at home). Pulling out the onecomplete British division left with the French armyafter Dunkirk would not have forwarded either objective.In this sense, Churchill was responsible, and right.In war, units are sometimes lost because it is judgedthat their sacrifice will serve larger ends. Sometimessuch judgements prove wrong in retrospect — but theyare not made in retrospect. If David had simply madethese points and stopped there he could have includedChurchill's role and all would still have been well. Buthe goes further:Does this [leaving the 51st under French command]mean that Churchill and the British Government werenot just prepared to sacrifice the 51st Division, but actuallyneeded to, to provide a concrete example of its determinationto stand by the French to the end? It seemspossible (pp. 187-88).To some it seems possible that the earth is flat. Allthat is lacking is evidence. David does not footnote thisastonishing statement for the good reason that there isFINEST HOUR 88/31

no evidence to support it. His own account in fact providesabundant evidence of what did happen: a chaoticand demoralized French command structure, an overwhelmedBritish liaison apparatus in France, a War Officedistracted by post-Dunkirk reorganization, and,drifting over everything, the "fog of war." It is not responsiblebehavior for a historian (as opposed to a novelistor scriptwriter) to make such statements absentevidence.Churchill made errors. He had faults. He wrote hismemoirs to tell his story (whose should he have told?).But, on present evidence, he did not cynically write offthe 51st Division to prove to the French that the Britishtoo could die. Historians must constantly revisit thepast, asking new questions. Only thus does knowledgeadvance. But asking new questions and divising an eyecatchingtitle are two distinct enterprises.Whig Vision versusOffensive SpiritWILLIAM JOHN SHEPHERDChurchill and Hitler: Essays on thePolitical-Military Direction of TotalWar, by David Jablonsky, London:Cass, 256pp, $45 hardbound, $22.50softbound, ICS price $36 and $18 +$4 to ship. Order from R. Langworth,Box 385, Hopkinton NH03229 USA (ICS New Book Service).THIS compilation of essays, originally publishedbetween 1988 and 1993, is part of the Cass Serieson Politics and Military Affairs edited by MichaelHandel and is Jablonsky's third overall contribution toa series currently containing eight studies. His mildlyrevisionist and somewhat technocratic presentation analyzesvarious aspects of the style, thought, and actionsof Churchill and Hitler as they apply to the direction oftotal war. On the balance, Churchill emerges as theclearly superior "warlord," which is sure to enrageHitler apologist David Irving and Chamberlain apologistJohn Charmley.In his masterful introduction, written specifically forthis volume and the only comparative analysis therein,Jablonsky elaborates upon the "Clausewitzian Trinity"of government, military, and people, and how the twoMr. Shepherd is Assistant Archivist at Catholic University.rivals fit into these interlocking rubrics of grand strategy.Both men were highly egocentric personalitiesforged in the crucibles of unhappy childhoods, battlefieldheroics, and political infighting. Both viewedthemselves as men of action who exemplified courageand rewarded loyalty. However, Churchill's experienceswere on the officer level in combat and the cabinet levelin politics, while Hitler was merely an infantry corporaland upstart party leader before his sudden rise to nearabsolute power in 1933.Both men had unusual work habits, keeping strangehours and making impossible demands upon their ministersand staff. However, Churchill believed in an efficientlyrun machinery of government and he devouredreports and wrote magisterial directives, while Hitlergenerally preferred to bypass his ministers and to pontificateat length, relying upon his unique intuitionrather than evidence. Churchill relished a good argumentand did not suffer 'yes men' as he expected to winhis points in stimulating debates with worthy opponents.Hitler, on the other hand, could not suffer to becontradicted and so required an increasing number ofsycophants expected to confirm his version of reality, nomatter how bizarre.Both men were highly combative, but Churchill wasinevitably magnanimous in victory while Hitler remainedhateful and vindictive no matter what situationprevailed. Their philosophical viewpoints had little incommon. Hitler was essentially a revolutionary with aprimitive and nihilistic outlook focusing on German expansionand Jewish extermination, while Churchill wasa romantic and conservative intellectual with a Whigvision of England's steady progress through the centuries.On the other hand, Churchill was not blind tothose destructive forces lurking beneath the veneer ofhuman civilization, those forces eventually personifiedby Hitler: "that evil man."Chapters 2, 4, and 6 are essays of widely varyinglength (60, 20, and 8 pages respectively) which focus, inturn, on Churchill as grand strategist, Victorian 'man ofaction,' and author of landmarks of defense literaturesuch as The World Crisis and Marlborough. Jablonskyargues that historians often focus on Churchill's"Wilderness Years" rather than his many years of gainfulemployment and long apprenticeship as both a soldierand politician which, in the final result, enabledhim to become a master of grand strategy. In addition,Churchill personified the Victorian "man of action" inwhich his public image of resistance and defianceagainst all odds came to symbolize the spirit of theBritish nation. This image of the modern "warlord,"both archaic and heroic, was the result of Churchill'ssense of historical continuity and tribute to his greatFINEST HOUR 88/32

"WAR OF NERVES," NEW CHRONICLE, LONDON, 4 FEB 1943ancestor, the Duke of Marlborough, who had led agrand coalition to resist the French hegemony of LouisXIV in the early Eighteenth Century. Churchill's romanticvision did not reflect the world of 1940, yet heimposed his imaginary world on the external world withsuch irresistible force that, for a while, it became realityand enabled embattled Britain to fight on against seeminglyhopeless odds. He demonstrated that individualsdo make a difference and that imagination can fuse belief,insights, and mental habits into a strongly unifiedsystem. Finally, Churchill's numerous historical writingsreflected his mastery of detail, descriptive linkageof distant conflicts, and skillful interlocking of complexthemes which served not only to defend his past political-militaryactions but also to develop his future endeavors.This, in effect, enabled him to recreate himselfas a second Marlborough heroically leading a powerfuland diverse coalition of nations to resist a colossal anddemonic tyranny.Chapters 3, 5, and 7 are also essays of varying length(55, 57, and 14 pages respectively) which analyze Hitlerin regard to such complex concepts as duality and militarysurprise, strategic rationale and "crazy states," andpolitical-military discord with "brownshirt" leaderErnst Roehm. Jablonsky argues that Hitler's traumaticWorld War I experiences shaped his leadership style ina decisive fashion. These experiences firsthand withstalemate in the trenches as a Meldegange, a communicationsrunner, inspired him to develop an offensivespirit and doctrine which combined the indirect approachof Frederick the Great, Clausewitz's Vernichtungsschlactor decisive battle of annihilation, and hisown utilization of military surprise. This innovative approachcreated the terror of "blitzkrieg" which was veryeffective against weak and demoralized opponents.However, his lack of moderation, of a sense of limitation,and of systematic economic planning for war werecatastrophic when facing powerful and determined opponentssuch as the Soviet Union and the UnitedStates. His fundamental failure was as a strategist, ashis early successes blinded him to the fact that Germany'smeans could not meet his ultimate ends.Jablonsky develops a concept of "crazy states" suchas Nazi Germany or contemporary Iraq where the goalsand actions are not predictable nor even rational by thestandards and norms of status quo powers. There was adisastrous failure of perception to recognize the revolutionarycharacter of the Hitler regime, which wishes tooverthrow, not merely modify, the existing order. Thisfailure and resulting conflagration have remained acause-and-effect idee fixe for western policy makers eversince. One need only note the Suez Crisis of 1956 or theGulf Crisis of 1990-1991, for example, to demonstratethis proposition convincingly.Jablonsky concludes his examination of Hitler with abrief study of the Roehm Purge of 1934, the so-called"Night of the Long Knives," which eliminated the paramilitarySturm Abteilung (SA) or "brownshirts," thuswinning the allegiance of the regular army. Unfortunately,the army was to prove no more successful thanRoehm in dealing with Hitler and preserving their prerogatives.An essential lesson of Churchill and Hitler is that solong as there are those who share Churchill's vision ofhuman progress, however unfashionable, the Hitlers ofthe world and their apologists, no matter what guisethey assume, need not achieve political ascendancy norhave the last word on any issue. To believe any differentlyis tantamount to surrender to those dark, oftensubtle, forces of destruction which Churchill believedwere arrayed to imperil the advance of civilization ifvigilance and fortitude were lacking. One must sincerelyhope that the current Bosnian morass is an aberrationbecause if not, then the world Churchill laboredso mightily to defend may ultimately sink into an abysscreated by Hitler's proxies.A collection of essays is habitually awkward, yetChurchill and Hitler is a valuable effort of historicalscholarship. Overall, Jablonsky presents a thoughtful,persuasive, and well-written examination of the leadershipabilities which made Churchill a hero and Hitler avillain for all time, or until reckless revisionists convinceposterity that up is down, black is white, and goodis bad. Jablonsky is correct to discuss the power ofimagination, even the degree of apparent self-delusionboth Churchill and Hitler possessed, but perhaps tooquick to dismiss Churchill's Whig vision of humanprogress. It is a truism, yet no less profound, that positivethoughts and deeds generally produce positive resultsjust as negativity engenders more negativity. Thecareers of Churchill and Hitler epitomize this contention.In conclusion Churchill and Hitler, despite itsdeplorable lack of an index and bibliography, wouldmake an excellent textbook for a military school or collegemilitary science course, although its often technicalcomplexities and philosophical depths may deter themore general and light-hearted reader.gFINEST HOUR 88/33

Mediterranean Victories:Churchill in StampsBY RICHARD M. LANGWORTHPages 199-204: MALTA TO ROMFCatalogue numlws arc Scott (•#) timl Shirley Gibbons isg/. Aslaih mark (/) indicates a xct with a common ifc&ixii Jium whichany value is usable. Cams and Minkui luraluquc numbers ansometimesused, and identified h\ mime.199. Question: is this pa^e accurate as stated, with Churchill inthe uniform of the Hlder Brother ot Tiinit> House, or is it theRoyal Yacht Squadron, as i>ne observer has stated? (It is not theLord Warden of The Cinque Ports uniform, as staled b\ StanleyGibbons.) The Trinity J loose material comes ln«m jn early issueof Final Hour. The stamps are all Churchill commi'moiathcs.From top to bottom: R;is al Khaima Minkus 15 (Cams 211 jnd itsrevalued replacement. Minkiis I5A iC&rus 27i; Manama Roose\elt.Minkus ?33 (Caru.s 3 U 7;; Urejt Britain 372S ^yfihl) inboth phosphor ;uid non-phosphor: and ("iibrahar*»^J7199.TRINITY HOUSEMany stamps depict Churchill wearing the undress uniform of anElder Brother of Trinity House, which governs lighthouses andother aids to navigation in England, Wales and the ChannelIslands, and is advisory to Scotland and Northern Ireland inthose matters. Its origins go back at least to King AlfredHenry VIII gave Trinity House its first charter.Membership isdivided into"Youngers" andElders." Theformer aremaster mariners"Elders" aredivided into"actives"(masters oflong experienceusually salarieiemployees ofTrinity House)and honoraries—Invariablymembers ofroyalty or verydistinguishedpoliticians.200. There- is only one place for Malta** Tine Churchill coinmemonitives in a biographical collection, and ihat is on the page rn.uk.-ing the successful defense of Malta in 1941-42 h\ General Dobtrie, and his successor, lord Gun. Malta #3-14-47 fsg3b2-o5) isaccompanied b> one of Nicaragua's superb mini-sheets. Minkus2362 (sg 1914a).201.1 didn't know what to do about the Cook Islands Churchilloverprints. #164-69 isg!79-S4;, though E suppose they could alsouscfuHy document the war in the Pacific. J finally chose WSCsfamous statement about not presiding over the liquidation of theEmpire, while explaining that WSC did favor self-govermnenr.• 202. Many stamps depict the- fateful Casablanca Conferencewhere Roosevelt demanded "Unconditional Surrender" and deGaulle and Girard were persuaded to pose together. These are.Nicaragua #698 and #C272 isgli)75 and 1082); an Ajmaii deGauTle mini sheet (sg804a). and iy y 0 dc Cmulle stamps ol \'auu-. 203. Casablanca continues, discussing the appointment ot liiscnhoweras supreme commander of Allied l ; orccs in Europe, illustratcd by gold foil stamps trom Mananu. one oi the infamous"sand dune" Arab tmcial states, which liki-h never served .ispostajre" Produced in J»J70, these are Minkus M5 iC'arus 415) andthe same in souvenir sheet overprinted for the l'ni\ersal PostalUnion Centenar> (Cams 417).•204. One of the more recent layouts, done with a Miicintosh and alaser printer, covers the Italian campaigns, starting with the (JrcatBritain admirals issue ifor Cunningham) and the following "C^K"Stamps: France #B94 (sg659); Italy #579 for Munleca-tinci;Frani:e#124g lsgI834) for Anzio: Italy 903/S mjrking the Resistance, and any of numerous stamps of the Vatican C'itv depictincVfoifiXnfTo be continued}200.APOGEEVICTORY AT MALTA"Today we welcome back to our shores General Dobbie—fornearly two years the heroic defender of Malta. For the momentthe terrific air attack on Malta has slackened. It looks asif a lot of enemy aircraft have moved eastward. I wonder why?"Gen. Dobbiewas wornout by thistime. ButWSC wrote,"up to thismoment hehad beenmagnificent,and from allparts of theEmpire eyeswere turned onhim—a Cromwellianfigureat the keypoint."Churchill nowappointedLord Gort,Governor ofGibraltar, totake Gen.Dobbie'splace. ButMalta hadindeed beensaved.—speech, May 19,42

ON COLONIES"We mean to hold our own. I have not become the King's FirstMinister in order to preside over the liquidation of the BritishEmpire...without which the good cause might well have perishedfrom the face of the earth. Here we are, and here we stand, averitable rock of salvation in this drifting world."Churchill wasoften quoted outof context fromthis speech, inwhich he coupledBritain 1 s need"to hold its own"with its simultaneousdeclarationto seek noadditional landor colonies.Though an ardentmonarchist and aconservative,WSC was vastlymisrepresentedwith respect toself-government,which he stronglysupported.—Lord Mayor's Day Speech, 10 November 19^22(U.CASABLANCA CONFERENCE (II)At Casablanca, the American and British leaders mutually agreedto appoint General Dwight D. Eisenhower supreme commander forthe European Theater, and made extensive plans for the cominginvasion of Europe.Churchill, in hismemoirs, marveledat de Gaulle'sability to maintaina strident attitude.He was a man withouta country, WSC wrote,yet he acted as ifhe was head of state.(And he would do soagain, when he washead of state. .'.)IWVEHSAL POSTAL VNtOlSCENTENARYCook Islandsself-governmentissues overprintedinhonor of SirWinston, 1965.CASABLANCA CONFERENCE (I)From 14 through 24 January 19^3, Churchill and Roosevelt met toconfer at Casablanca—for the first time on captured enemyterritory. Churchill spent a lot of time coaxing General Charlesde Gaulle to attend. There was an antipathy between Rooseveltand de Gaulle, not to mention another French leader present atthe meeting, General Giraud.TOE CONQUEST OF ITALY: SICILY, ANZIO, ROMEOn July 9th, 1943, a huge armada converged south of Malta and made all steam for thebeaches of Sicily. Scarcely five weeks later the last German forces were flung out of Sicilyand the whole island was in Allied hands. Mussolini was overthrown July , interned buttemporarily rescued by Hitler, but by September Italy had signed an armistice.The Germansset up a rival Fascist government In the North of Italy and continued to offer stiffresistance, especially when the Allies attempted to break a stalemate by a surpriseamphibious landing at Anzlo. Rome did not fall until June 4th, 1944.Giraud,Roosevelt,de Gaulleand Churchillat Casablanca,an unselfishphoto sessioncomposed ofmutual dislikes.The onlyincidents whichoccurred to marthe precision of[the Sicilyarmada] werethe loss by U-boat attack ofthree ships Inconvoy." -Adm.Cunningham204.By the end of1943 Alliedtroops hadreached theabbey atMontecasslno,where fiercebattles raged;Anzlo was notlinked to themain Invasionforce until May1944.•.'• . .\> I •.- • v,tGeneral de Gaulle at first refused to go to Casablanca at all,but Churchill persuaded him. Convincing de Gaulle to sit out onthe lawn with Giraud was something else again, but miraculouslythe Prime Minister managed it.Despite avigorous Ilallanresistancemovement theGermans did notabandon centralItaly until thefall of Rome,where.ln theVatican. PopePius XI! hadcontinued toproclaimneutrality.

M : i . • : • • • • "."..i. k - n - . . : i . : . . . r. . 1 1 1 . • : • 1 I • ; . I . - - • — . - I . : : . .• • : . . . ! • - • I.- - • - - . - • - - - :l l ' • i - i : • ! • • • . : . . l l . < - u (•;•.•: i n • : • • 1 1 - l l : . . 1 . I M •. ! • . : • ; ! • . . I - . - - . : • .•.i- . 1 . . I • • . - . * . - i - . - . . ! . - •! ! I •: I.- | - - | - . ; i : : . . • • • 1: • • ik • • : ! . • • •: . = • -- -• -I 1 I1;;^^eb;;to ; ' ! i ' . ' • i- I •:••--: 1 •. 1 i.-'T.'-ni-.! : -i ::i-. • :•:. . .i-. iii- :n--i- .• n -v 1 • • • • .• •: 1 •-•. 1 i- .I.:- !• •-.ii.' i-.::-.il :•• 1 .• .\'.I.I : • ::i 1. in I •••• n . I • : ! ' • ' •: 1: ! -a" 1. : 1 .11 "i.!•.•'•> *•. •-. •••:• !.••!r I---; •!:..• . • !: .:i i. •. i , . I!•

TEHERAN CONFERENCEAfter meeting with Chiang Kai-Shek in Cairo, Churchill andRoosevelt made their way separately to Teheran, where theyconferred with Marshal Stalin from 26 November to 2 December1943. Roosevelt approved Stalin's idea for reestablishingPoland, without her former eastern territories-~which would beceded to the USSR. Stalin suggested compensating Poland with aportion of Eastern Germany.PLANNING RECONQUESTChurchill repeatedly urged the Allies to work up toward Germanythrough "the soft underbelly" of the Axis via Italy, but Eisenhower,backed by Roosevelt, felt a frontal assault on Prancewas the only way to decide the war. It was WSC's Dardanellesstrategy all over again and—judging by what happened postwar--who is to say he wasn't right?2(17.At Teheran, WSCpressed his planto invade "thesoft underbellyof Europe," viathe Balkans. ButPDR and Stalinagreed the firstInvasion shouldcome in France.Adoption of thispolicy left theBalkans open toSoviet occupationand influence.209.Meetingswith Ike:a cordialif waryrelationship.Josef StalinFranklin RooseveltWinston ChurchillThe Russians,who were pleasedwith the outcomeof Teheran, werewont to celebratethe occasion.All of theabove "JointChiefs" areWSC, ofcourseiCartoonby Low.Apogee2iw.TEHERAN: GERMAN REUNIFICATION PREDICTED"The supreme question of the treatment to be accorded toGermany by the victors could at this milestone only be thesubject of 'a preliminary survey'...It must be remembered that wewere in the midst of a fearful struggle with the mighty NaziPower. All the hazards of war lay around us, and all its passionsof comradeship among Allies, of retribution upon the commonfoe, dominated our minds...But vast and disastrous changeshave fallen upon us in the realm of fact. Germany has Indeedbeen partitioned, but only by a hideous division into zones ofmilitary occupation. About this tragedy, it can only be said: 'ITCANNOT LAST.'"-WSC. Closing the Ring. 1951210.OVERLORD EVE"Here, then, we reach what the Western Powers may Justly regard as the supreme climax ofthe war. Nor. though the road might be long and hard, could we doubt that decisive victorywould be gained. Africa was cleared. India had been defended from Invasion. Japan,overstrained and disillusioned, was recoiling on her home land. All danger to Australiaand New Zealand had passed away. Italy was fighting on our side. The Russian armies haddriven the German invaders from their country...The Hitler tyranny was doomed."Here, then, wemight pause inthankfulnessand take hope.not only forvictory on allfronts and Inthree elements,but also for asafe and happyfuture fortormentedmankind."-Closingthe Ring\ Vi VUil'l I'l 1 " « IN'-n'.S I »1" El,Mil I.American.British andCanadian forces,abetted bycontributions oftroops. shipsand planes of allthe Europeannations underHitler's bootwere about tolaunchthemselvesagainst"FortressEurope" In whatChurchill rightlydescribed as the"supremeclimax" of theSecond WorldWar.

Bric-a-Brac:Bottle Opener Bonanza, Despatch Boxes, Mini-Winstons,Churchilliana That Grows, and More on Wedgwood FakeryBY DOUGLAS J. HALLANNOUNCEMENT:CHURCHILL BOTTLE OPENERSAFEW years ago I saw a perfectly ordinaryChurchill crown cork bottle opener listed ina catalogue. The blurb read, "Scarce. Theonly one we've ever seen — $120." Well, whilst theselittle appliances, variously available in brass, bronzeor chrome and adorned with a relief portrait bust ofChurchill smoking a cigar, are not now abundantlyavailable around the British antiques fairs, they areby no means scarce. The usual price range here is £4-£8!I have decided to form a new brotherhood forChurchilliana collectors. It will be called OSPREY(the Official Society for the Prevention of Rip-offs toExpatriates and Yanks). Any citizen unfortunateenough to live in a high-cost bottle opener economyand who would like to be able to afford a Churchillbottle opener should write to me (address on page 4).I have a small stock immediately available and,when this is exhausted, whenever I visit the antiquesfairs I will keep a look out for sensibly priced bottleopeners and purchase such additional quantities asmay be required. I will supply genuine collectorsonly, and no more than one bottle opener per person,at a fixed price of £20 each (subject to payment bysterling cheque — bank charges rule out small denominationforeign currency cheques). This will enableme to cover postage and packing costs and stillcontribute a very useful profit (estimated at between£6 and £10 per bottle opener) to the funds of ICS,UK. Is this not a far more worthy cause than allowinggrasping bric-a-brac owners to make exorbitantprofits? Send no money. Just write to me if you wishto register with OSPREY and I will reply requestingpayment only when I have your bottle opener availablefor shipment. First come first served. If this initiativeworks we can turn our attention to some ofthose items for which the premium runs into thousandsof dollars.Definition (freely adapted from The Book of BritishBirds:) OSPREY — A large diurnal bird of preywhich catches rats, reptiles, vermin and slippery fishof all kinds including small sharks.HELP NEEDEDCAN anyone help with the provenance of thisvery fine bust? It is 9 1/2 inches tall, stands ona 4 1/2 x 3 1/2-inch block of solid marble, andweighs 10 1/2 pounds. It looks like a first-classbronze but is warm to the touch, whereas true bronzeand even cold-cast bronze feels cool, and is probablymoulded from some very hard non-metallic substance,possibly around a lead core to give it its impressiveweight. Churchill wears the collar badge ofthe Order of Merit; therefore it must post-date 8 January1946. But who modelled it, and when? It ap-FINESTHOUR88/38

pears to be fairly rare. I have only seen one otheraround the antiques fairs, and that was priced wayabove what I had paid several years ago. This is anexcellent likeness, highly detailed, and much admiredby visitors. I'd like to find out more about it.8"MINI CHURCHILLIANANONE of the items illustrated is over 3 1/2inches tall but this selection provides a goodindication of the range of affordable miniaturememorabilia available.Top row (left to right): (1) Unmarked plaster jugwith removable wooden cigar. Naval cap has gold "V"badge. Probably 1939-45, less than £10. (2) Chinajug, unmarked other than embossed "No. 78" underneath.Possibly intended as a match holder — thecigar is a match. Postwar? £10. (3) China salt pot,marked only "TLH" or "TLW." Nicely painted. Probablymodern, £15-£20. (4) Excellently moulded bust.Unmarked. Embossed "Sir Winston" across back ofshoulders. Post-1953, probably 1970s, About £10. (5)Plaster standing toby but of much better than averagequality and well painted. Unmarked. That cigarwould be over two feet long in scale! 1951-55. Fairlyrare but under £10 when last seen.Front row: (1) Nicely moulded and painted chinajug by Lancasters of Hanley. Embossed "Churchill"at back. 1939-45, £20-£30. (2) One of a series of plastercaricature figures from 1951-55. This size in goodcondition, £5. (3) and (4) 1 1/2- and 3-inch tall characterjugs by Cooper Clayton from 1941. Embossed"Churchill" across the shoulders. Small £5-£10, large£15-£20. (5) A pose and paintwork variant from the1951-55 range of plaster caricatures — about £5. (6)Hand-painted cast pewter figure from a range depictingChurchill in various costumes and postures. Modern.As sold by Ronald Smith from his stand at CamdenPassage antiques market. Around £25 — morefor the elaborate costumes. (7) Superbly moulded andpainted jug from Staffordshire Fine Ceramics "WarHeroes" series. 1980s. £10 when new, more now onthe secondary market.HOUSE OF COMMONS DESPATCH BOXESVIEWERS of television broadcasts from theHouse of Commons will have noticed that thePrime Minister and the Leader of the Oppositionmake their speeches from behind one of a matchingpair of elaborate bronze-mounted chests on eitherside of the central table. They use them as lecternson which to rest their notes or, at some loss of a dignifiedposture, their elbows! It would not happen inany other legislature, which would have an ergonomicallydesigned podium and, as likely as not, an autocue!But this is Great Britain and the Great Britishpublic would not wish to see its politicians revellingin too much comfort.The Despatch Boxes, as they are called, containcopies of the Old and New Testaments and the textsof the Oath of Affirmation used by Members on firsttaking their seats. The original boxes, having survivedthe fire of 1834, were destroyed in the 1941bombing. The present boxes were a gift from NewZealand when the rebuilt and restored Chamber reopenedin 1950. We can get some impression of theoriginal boxes from this 1920s cocoa tin from Cadburysof Bournville. On the bottom is the inscription,"This box is a representation of the two Oath Boxeswhich stand upon the table of the House of Commons... the boxes are exactly alike, their measurementsbeing 22 inches long x 9 inches deep x 13 inches wide... the Prime Minister sits facing one box and theLeader of the Opposition the other and hence to enforceargument they repeatedly thump upon theboxes ... in fact the marks of the signet ring worn byMr. Gladstone are still plainly visible." Nothingchanges! Churchill will have thumped on one of theold ones and both the new ones — a unique and unbeatablerecord.CHURCHILL PLANTSJTTPIHE article in Finest Hour #81 described six• "Churchill Plants" and illustrated NARCISSUSand CHAMAECYPARis. Subsequently, further re-1FINEST HOUR 88/39

ports and illustrations have covered ASTER NOVI-BEL-Gn (Michaelmas Daisy), FUCHIA, REGAL PELARGONIUMand RHODODENDRON AZALEA MOLLIS. Attempts to growSAXIFRAGA in the normal way, as individual featureplants on a rockery, failed due to "Winston Churchill"being swamped by stronger-growing adjacent plants(a most unexpected circumstance!). But a clump oftwelve plants in its own individual bed is now growingstrongly, spreading, and promises to flower profuselynext spring. More and more older gardenerscontinue to mention a large-flowered pink rose, ROSA"Winston Churchill," which was introduced duringthe late 1940s or early 1950s. Thus far I have beenunsuccessful in tracking it down.Further research, with the splendid assistance ofthe Royal Horticultural Society, has uncovered a richlist of additional "Churchill Plants" and I am currentlyin the process of obtaining examples to grow,photograph and report upon in 1996:DAHLIA "Winston Churchill" — described as of theminiature decorative type with iridescent royal purpleflowers.PAEONIA LACTIFLORA "Winston Churchill" — imperialtype, grows to 2 1/2-3 feet, rose pink with yellowpetaloids.DIANTHUS "Winston Churchill" — Not just one buttwo named varieties have been traced, (a) A perpetualflowering carnation with orange/brown petalsflaked pink and flame coloured rays. Highly scented.Bred in 1946. (b) A rosy red border carnation, growingto two to three feet tall, bred in 1905 (the earliest"Churchill Plant" discovered thus far.)GLADIOLUS "Winston Churchill" — a velvety red variety,bred in 1952.PELARGONIUM "Lady Churchill" — a specialistnursery near Stratford-upon-Avon will supply rootedcuttings next spring. Will be very appropriate in thenext bed to Winston.KALMIA LATIFOLIA "Clementine Churchill" — thesame family as the wild Mountain Laurel of NorthAmerica, similar to a rhododendron but with a verydistinct flower. Will grow to eight feet tall in the gardenbut must have acid soil so mine will have to beconfined to a large pot on the patio.FUCHSIA "Clementine Churchill" — not as widelyavailable as "Winston Churchill," "Rose Churchill"and "Rose Winston" but there are lots of specialistFuchsia nurseries and, if necessary, I will try all ofthem in order to track it down.CHRYSANTHEMUM "Winston Churchill" — the NationalPlant Register for the vast DENDRANTHEMA generais maintained for the Royal Horticultural Societyby the National Chrysanthemum Society. There area number of "Churchill Plants" amongst the thirtydifferent types into which Chrysanthemums are classifiedand NCS are aiming to supply me with a completelist.WEDGWOOD FAKESTHE short report, "Check out your Wedgwood,"in Finest Hour #84 has brought a responsefrom several areas of the UK. There has beenno direct feedback as yet from the USA although thatis where the fakes are thought to be circulating ingreater quantity, and from where it is suspectedmany of them may be originating. Most UK sightingshave been of the 1974 centenary portrait medallionbut I have had one report of a suspicious small blackbasalt bust. The latter, designed by Arnold Machin,was officially released by Wedgwood in 1965, 1974and again in 1982, with a different inscription on theplinth on each occasion. Issue prices ranged from£8.40 in 1965 to £82 in 1982. The editions were notlimited and current secondary market prices in theUK range up to £150 (although one notorious London,Wl, tourist trap had an example marked at£265 in the summer of 1994).Most reports have been of a bronze/malachitegreen copy of the 1974 centenary portrait medallion.Ronald Smith informs me that these are passingaround dealers in the London area for as little as £5each! They are clearly cast in some kind of plasticresin material from moulds made from an impressionFINEST HOUR 88/40

of the original. They have a smooth polished back, donot have the usual Wedgwood impressed mark anddate code, and do not have the recessed aperture enablingthem to be hung flush to a wall. Neverthelessthey are quite attractive and, providing you have notbeen fooled into parting with a serious sum of money,worthy of a place in any collection.More serious is the report of a possible fake paleblue and white jasper medallion. This has gone backto the Wedgwood Museum for evaluation — althoughit is not unknown for unfinished/reject Wedgwoodlimited edition pieces to get onto the market via theback door at Barlaston! The genuine article was issuedonly in 1974, in a limited edition of 1000. Eachpiece was in a blue leather-covered, white stain andblue velvet lined, case. On the back, in gold, was theinscription, "To commemorate the centenary of thebirth of Sir Winston Churchill, 30th November 1874.Number XXX in a limited edition of 1000", with theimpressed marks, "Wedgwood, Made in England, FR74". Examples are occasionally seen around the secondarymarket which have lost their original caseand/or numbered certificate and should you comeacross one of these I would urge great caution. UKsecondary market prices, complete with case and certificate,£50-100 (London, Wl, £165!) %Crossword Answers: The Great WarSolutions to Professor Muller's Class Crossword (Finest Hour #87, page 34)2&9IS!taanmmB El iBamm•H ni 0 Q IE3QI1 B 13IHD1Bin •°r!R[j IPIOID!a araHciHanca Dn13 13 ii aansaranII H SSISDlQilin ESES inn nacaBf13a a 13 |3 E3 £3Q01 HnnnnHHaunaciara n ra _n [^ PIiPlMl.l jRlAlLlTlYlB3iHI imaminnn n H B 13 SI£313BEIDG3Saa n010UlclKiD El EL]•B HPIo 'TEEl CHEl • i iiIBINHQ DBi B' IJ|C1HJA|N|T1R|E|S|SB•B SiIEIC13 annaan Hin B nEl nIBII3DEEi El 13 ra gaQgiga £1IBO o ana n m S d E9 mn 0 urn Elraraia H G11us S313 Id B anramn11 D H 0IN2J QE2! unrannnaaH D SI3Ha ElQ B(EH ElHE3K3I3I3I3EInEl H E3 01 n naEin QE i ra El EIB 9 n tiansii nB aaan0 E3HI1E \mm\n aaranaBEii n a 3an•jjlDliODIQCIFINEST 1HOUR 88/41

WE STILL HAVE ALONG WAY TO GO ...I am a teacher at McKinley Schoolhere in Racine. I enclose a copy of the"daily update" we receive, this one for30 November last year. In it you willfind the following "Multi-CulturalNote": "Winston Churchill, Britishstatesman ... was born on this date in1874" (four lines). Abbie Hoffman, "politicalactivist, was born on this datein 1936" (and goes for twenty lines, allabout the Yippie movement, theChicago Seven, the antinuclear crusade,etc., etc., at the end of which"Abbie" (too good a fellow to botherwith the last name) dies in 1989.I was so outraged I wrote a letter tothe principal complaining, though I'dspoken with him about such nonsensebefore. I said that if it was intended asa joke it wasn't funny and if it was serioushe had a problem. He said I wasinsubordinate. (Hadn't been calledthat in many moons.) We still have along way to go.ROBERT E. BAGGOT, RACINE, WI, USA... BUT WE'RE GAININGOn Friday May 5th Mrs. CeliaSandys came to our school [which includesher son Alexander among itspupils -Ed.] to talk about her grandfather,Sir Winston Churchill. As I listenedI thought how lucky I was to beliving in modern times. I was fascinated.Schoolboys of Sir Winston's daymust have been strong to survive. Iwouldn't have lasted one minute in aworld where corporal punishment wasas frequent as hot dinners and thecommon cold could be mortal. Whenyou see him in his little sailor's suityou think, "How did this boy rule Britannia?"I enjoyed the pictures ofyoung Winston; it must have felt greatto get out of those girls' clothes!Mrs. Sandys made me realise justhow much times have changed. Theonly real friend he had was the caring,thoughtful, loving Mrs. Everest. Hisexperiences prepared him for when hebecame Prime Minister in 1940. Heseems to be similar to Moses in theway he was prepared. In a way, thewarm-bitterness of his childhood madehim. Britain should be forever gratefulfor his wisdom that saved us. If it werenot for him, I might not be alive ormight be speaking German. Leavingschool was for Winston Churchill notmerely the beginning of the end, butthe end of the beginning.TIM FRANCIS, MARLBOROUGH, WILTS., UKPRESENT AT THE CREATIONLast weekend I had occasion toskim through the entire run of FinestHour from number 1 to 85 in search ofbook reviews and articles relevant tomy book project, Lieutenant Churchill,Fourth Hussars. I did find a good numberof useful items, but I must say Iwas struck by the scale of the achievementof this journal. It is emblematicof all your fine work all these years forthe Society and for the heroic memory.So, while you may not get so manycompliments as you deserve, here isone to which I add my thanks.DOUGLAS S. RUSSELL, IOWA CITY, IA, USAEditor's Response: Many thanks indeedfor the kind words. Kind wordsare always hard to come by.MORE ON ROSE'SUNRULY CHURCHILLI enjoyed reading Churchill, An UnrulyLife by Norman Rose. My generalimpression of it, though, is somewhatmixed. I always find the story onChurchill's early life an interestingone and I liked the account of WW2.But Mr. Rose left me totally confusedwith his narrative on the push to resolvethe Irish problem before the firstwar. So, I set the book aside.Still on my back and after zippingthrough the current bestseller, I returnedto An Unruly Life. While Ithink Churchill can hold up undermuch attack, Rose's critical tone onthe interwar years was, I thought, abit overdone. Mr. Rose adopted theseemingly popular and to me puzzlingconclusion that Churchill was weak inhis objection to the German move intothe Rhineland. On that, Mr. Rosewrote on page 238, "Shorn of itsrhetoric, Churchill's proposals mergedsmoothly into the policy the governmentwas actually pursuing." Shorn ofits rhetoric! How could he so easilyshed Churchill of his rhetoric? As heput so well on pages 214-215, "The idiomsof Churchill's language ... its hyperboleand full-blown rhetoric ... reflectthe essence of the man himself."About then I re-read your review inFinest Hour #84. Although I do notprofess to be an expert, I, too, noticedseveral inaccuracies in this book. (Onpage 298 Mr. Rose wrote, "At Teheran... 'Overlord' was finally settled, itsclosing date fixed for 1 June.") But,you are right. While not perfect, it is agood read. I know that because I wasoften stimulated to read further — inthe companion volumes and in otherbiographies — for more answers.One more thought on An UnrulyLife. On page 307 Mr. Rose says, "Preoccupiedwith the military dimensionDESPATCH BOXof the war, Churchill barely appliedhimself to its political aftermath — atleast not until the late autumn of1944, by which time it was perilouslylate to make amends for previous neglect."Since reading Herbert Feis'sChurchill, Roosevelt, Stalin severalyears ago, I have thought it was justthe opposite: that from early on,Churchill was indeed thinking of thepostwar layout of Europe. And as Mr.Feis wrote, it was the Americans whowished the political issues to "... staybehind the armies." Am I wrong?FRED HARDMAN, SPENCER, WV, USAEditor's Response: I don't think youare, but I am not an expert either.There's a great deal of food for thoughtin Rose, which is why I liked it. HenryKissinger (see FH 87, page 10) did not;neither did an eminent Churchillian,Caspar Weinberger, who panned ithard in Forbes. / think it is one of thebetter interpretive (i.e., non-Gilbertian)biographies; the problem is that weare, variously, uncomfortable withsome of the interpretations. But there'sno harm in that.CHURCHILL ANDMACKENZIE KINGPressure of work has forced me toreview some activities, and I have —reluctantly — decided to keep the MSccourse on Mackenzie King andChurchill in abeyance. This does notmean an end to our interest here inChurchill. The Department of Historyoffers two versions of the MSc degree,the MSc by course work and the MScby research. (In practice, these two arebeing brought closer together.)Mackenzie King and Churchill is inthe course work category. The MSc byresearch emphasises historical training,and allows students to prepare adissertation on any topic for whichqualified supervision is available.Thus there will still be opportunitiesfor students interested in Churchill totake the MSc, in the research option,or to work for a PhD on Churchill.My own Centre, dedicated to CanadianStudies, is a two-person unit. Inthe past year, I have gained as a colleaguea young Canadian scholar whois a historian (my previous colleagueshave been in geography). This hasgiven us the opportunity to consolidateour own teaching into senior Historycourses for Honours undergraduates.The MSc by course work functionsmost efficiently if there is a real classof students taking it — four or five, todivide up seminar topics and sparkFINEST HOUR 88/42

each other's interest. The sad truth isthat we are unlikely to enrol such aclass — nor is any other British university— simply because the fees aretoo high (as we discussed last year). Infact, we never know whether studentsadmitted to the degree are going toturn up — those from overseas tend tocollect half a dozen or more acceptances,pick the one they like (if theycan raise the cash) and simply notshow up at the others. We were standingby last October to welcome one singlestudent from Canada — and thatperson never arrived. By late October,we simply unscrambled!My interest in Churchill remainsstrong, and I have very much enjoyedwriting the enclosed. I hope you willlike it too.We learn today that Bermuda (FH87, page 8) has voted to stay British.Churchill would have approved.GED MARTIN, DIRECTOR,CENTRE FOR CANADIAN STUDIESEDINBURGH, SCOTLANDEditor's response: Some day in thenot too distant future, the ChurchillCenter will be able to do somethingabout making such worthy courses affordableto students.MAX PHELANMAX PHELAN FELLOWSHIPIn 1970 I was awarded a WinstonChurchill Memorial Trust Fellowshipfor the overseas study of disasters.Now twenty-five years later I am in afinancial position to show my appreciationfor this honour. Next year (1996)I am sponsoring a new ChurchillMemorial Fellowship for Australia tobe known as THE MAX PHELAN FELLOW-SHIP — for the study of an aspect of amajor disaster.I am hoping the successful applicantwill study the Oklahoma Citybombing incident and also the Tokyounderground railway poison gassing ofcommuters. I have enclosed somebackground material on myself andthought you may wish to publish thecontents of my letter in the FinestHour.MAX PHELAN,MT. WAVERLEY,VIC., AUSTRALIATwenty-four years ago, Max Phelanpredicted the potential for a disastrousloss of life in the 1983 Ash Wednesdayfires when he returned from studyingin the UK on a Churchill Fellowship.Mr. Phelan, from Mount Waverley,studied disasters and he is still angrythat the information detailed in his reporton the handling of disasters continuesto be ignored.But his expertise has been recognisedby his appointment to theChurchill Fellowship public servicesection selection panel which will interviewapplicants from the police, fireand ambulance services wanting tostudy overseas.Describing himself as an "old trafficcop from Waverly," Max was a trafficpoliceman when he moved to MountWaverly in 1957. His listing in Who'sWho of Australia includes his role asDistrict Superintendent of the St. JohnAmbulance management committeefrom 1968 to 1974. He joined the St.John ambulance when he was 16 anddelivered his first baby at 17.Our thanks and congratulations toMr. Phelan.Riddles, Mysteries, Enigmas continued inm page 15I'm researching an incidentsupposed to have taken placein South Florida during World War II:an alleged meeting between PresidentRoosevelt, Winston Churchill, the Dukeof Windsor and General George C.Marshall. Local articles have attributedthis story to employees of a restaurantbut said that only FDR andChurchill met in Pompano Beach. Biographiesof Churchill suggest thatFDR saw him off at Union Station inWashington and did not join him inFlorida. — ELIOT KLEINBERG, THE PALMBEACH POST, DELRAY BEACH, FL USAA« Apocryphal all. Churchill• holidayed in South Floridaduring his 1943 visit to the USA butwas secreted at a seaside estate, heavilyguarded and not joined by any ofthe mentioned celebrities. All theirmeetings occurred in Washington.Q» I'm planning a trip to England• with my family and would liketo do Chartwell, Parliament,Blenheim, Bladon, War Rooms, etc. Doyou have any other suggestions?— JAMES GILLESPIE, CHICAGOA* It would take a book, and in• fact has: Sir Martin Gilbert'sLondon: Spinning Top of ChurchillMemories, published by ICS but nowout of print, is the place to start. It isavailable from the editor in photocopyfor a $10 or £5 donation to ICS USA orCanada or ICS UK, and lists scores ofobscure places in London withChurchill associations. Chartwell isopen daily except Mondays and Fridays;Blenheim and the War Roomsare open around the clock and St. Martin'sChurch, Bladon, is easily accessiblefrom the village. Parliament hastours but the sponsorship of an MP is,we believe, necessary. ICS Tours haveoften included Parliament, and rellllUi!Churchill's London: above, the magazine(Hyde Park Serpentine) whichWSC had guarded during the 1911Agadir Crisis; below: WSC's first bachelordigs at 105 Mount St.; Mrs. Everest'sgrave, City of London Cemetery,which we're happy to say is now maintained100% by ICS, UK.member that we have one scheduledfor September 26th through October5th, 1996 in conjunction with the 13thInternational Churchill Conference.Please also see Finest Hour 85, for articleson Bletchley and Ditchley, whichcan now be visited, and Finest Hour76, which covers the Churchill Tour tothe Cinque Ports and southern England.Finest Hour 84 covered our mostrecent tour, which was confined toScotland from Glasgow and Edinburghto Scapa Flow.MFINEST HOUR 88/43

BY JOHN G. PLUMPTONAutumn 1895 • Age 21:Cuban EscapadesLATERin life Churchill reflectedon his years in theFourth Hussars. He recalledthat the young officers envied thedecorations and experiences oftheir senior colleagues and wonderedwhether their own chance towin glory would ever come.The ever pro-active young Winstoncreated his own opportunitiesby procuring permission to go toCuba during his five months' leavefrom the army. He also contractedwith the Daily Graphic for occasionalreports.He travelled to Cuba via NewYork. Although his mother warnedhe would find that city boring, hisexperience was quite the opposite.In America he first encountered apaper dollar, which he called "themost disreputable coin the worldhas ever seen." Nor was he impressedby American newspapers:("... the essence of American journalismis vulgarity divested oftruth") but he found "that vulgarityis a sign of strength. A great,crude, strong, young people are theAmericans — like a boisteroushealthy boy among enervated butwell-bred ladies and gentleman."When he finally saw Cuba hefelt as if he had "sailed with LongJohn Silver and first gazed onTreasure Island." On his twentyfirstbirthday he "heard shots firedin anger, and heard bullets strikeflesh or whistle through the air."Later he was in more immediatepersonal danger with bullets passingwithin a foot of his head.From Cuba Churchill plannedto bring back a quantity of Havanacigars to lay down in the cellar ofhis mother's house. In Cuba healso learned the merits of a middaysiesta, concluding that "therest and spell of sleep in the middleof the day refresh the humanframe far more than a long night.We were not made by Nature towork, or even to play, from eighto'clock in the morning till midnight."Back home there was some criticismof Churchill's escapades. Onenewspaper suggested that "sensiblepeople will wonder what motivecould possibly impel a Britishofficer to mix himself up in a disputewith the merits of which hehad absolutely nothing to do. Mr.Churchill was supposed to havegone to the West Indies for a holiday,having obtained leave of absencefrom his regimental dutiesat the beginning of October forthat purpose. Spending a holidayin fighting other peoples' battles israther an extraordinary proceedingeven for a Churchill."Autumn 1928 • Age 46:Ireland & RussiaUPONhis return from apainting vacation in Franceand Amalfi, Italy, Churchilltook up the challenge from twofoes: Bolsheviks in Russia andSinn Fein in Ireland. He combinedthe issues in a speech at the King'sTheatre, Dundee, in October. "Thecruel tyranny inflicted upon themiserable people of Russia is nowadmitted even by those mostfavourable to them. We can takeevidence from people like Mr.Philip Snowden and Mr. BertrandRussell, both most advanced andextreme politicians, both life-longSocialists. [He later cited furtherevidence from H.G. Wells.] Irelandis a country which, like Russia, isdeliberately tearing itself to piecesand obstinately destroying its ownprosperity ... The measure of autonomyand independence for Irelandought not to be what the victoryof a murder gang in Irelandcan extort."That summer a special force ofthe Royal Irish Constabularycalled the "Black and Tans" wascreated to fight Sinn Fein. AlthoughChurchill claimed in aspeech to the Union Debate, Oxford,that he was against reprisals,he also said that "I do think thatsomething more than perfunctorylip-service is required in condemningthe cold-blooded repeated murdersof policemen and soldiers bypeople in plain clothes coming upwith a smile on their faces andACTION THIS DAYthen shooting them through theirjacket." He refused to stop the policyof reprisals until Sinn Feinwould "quit murdering and startarguing."In a speech at the CannonStreet Hotel in London, Churchillsurveyed world events. He warnedthat the labour movement, "agreat and, on the whole, beneficientinfluence" would have toguard against the activities of aminority of "hotheads" who were"trying to wreck the whole systemof society." He noted that Leninhad said that "fifteen percentought to be enough to dominateGreat Britain, provided they wereall out-and-out Communists."His perceived foes were not onlyinternal. Churchill saw enemies inIndia and Egypt, as well as Turkeyand Mesopotamia: "When we seeall these movements from so manydifferent quarters springing up simultaneously,does it not look asthough there is a dead set beingmade against the British Empire?... It is becoming increasingly clearthat all these factions are in touchwith one another, and that theyare acting in concert. In fact, thereis developing a world-wide conspiracyagainst our country, designedto deprive us of our place in theworld and to rob us of the fruits ofvictory."But, he promised, these enemieswould "feel the weight of theBritish arm. It was strong enoughto break the Hindenburg Line, itwill be strong enough to defend themain interests of the British people,to carry us through thesestormy times into calmer andbrighter days."Autumn 1945 • Age 71:Into OppositionUPON his return from a holidayin Italy, Churchillbegan a series of speakingengagements which provided anopportunity to reflect on the warand comment on the post-war situation.One of the first was a particularlymoving event becauseWinston and Clementine receivedFINEST HOUR 88/44

together the Freedom of the Boroughof Wanstead and Woodford,which Churchill had representedsince 1924. To his constituentsChur-chill promised that "I shallnot waste your time or mine withvain repinings, but on the contraryyou may be sure that I shall devotemyself unswervingly to whateverduties may come my way ..."Mrs. Churchill recalled that "atthe first meeting of women I attendedI said that I hoped wewould be with you 'for keeps'. Ithas turned out to be so, and whenthe tale is told it will be seen thatour association with you is woveninto the pattern of our lives in richand happy colours."Their daughter, Mary Soames,wrote her mother that while bothparents were "... noble beasts" hermother's particular triumph wasthat "you really have been — andare — everything to Papa. Manygreat men have had wives who rantheir houses beautifully and lavishedcare and attention on them— but they looked for love andamusement and repose elsewhere.And vice versa. You have suppliedhim with all these things — withoutsurrendering your own soul ormind ..."Speaking at the Alamein ReunionDinner at Albert Hall hepredicted that the victory wouldbecome one of the most famous inBritish history and called it aturning point in the war. "Up tillAlamein we survived. AfterAlamein we conquered." Hepraised Field Marshal Montgomeryas "one of the greatest livingmasters of the art of war."In late October Canadian PrimeMinister Mackenzie King visitedthe Churchills at Hyde Park Gate,being greeted by Randolph andMary on the pavement (sidewalk).King and Churchill discussed theBritish political scene and relationswith the Soviet Union. Hopingthat he was not betraying thetrust of the British Governmentand basing the conversation on thefact that they were both PrivyCouncillors, King told Churchillabout the defection of IgorGouzenko from the Soviet Embassyin Ottawa and the extent ofSoviet spying in Canada and theUnited States. Churchill respondedthat "Communism is a religion"in that "they were usingany means to gain an end."Churchill approved of concertedUK, USA and Canada action andasked King to do all he could tokeep the United States and GreatBritain together.The Canadian Prime Ministerrecorded in his diary thatChurchill informed him of the invitationfrom President Truman tospeak in Missouri, "to give acourse of lectures on Europeanconditions ... Truman had scribbledin his own hand across theletter that he would like verymuch to see him come and deliverthe course. He mentioned a largehonorarium, etc. He said that hethought he might go and deliverone lecture on the condition of theworld. He would not wish any honorariumbut this might give him achance to talk with Truman andhe might be helpful to British andAmerican relations in that way."At the end of October Churchilltold the boys at Harrow Schoolthat "as a youth I wanted to playthe kettledrum, and when thatcould not be arranged I thought Iwould like to be a leader of theschool orchestra ... After a greatdeal of perseverance I rose to bethe conductor of quite a considerableband [which] played verystrange and formidable instruments.The roar and thunder of itsmusic resounded throughout theworld. We played all sorts of tunes,and we finished up the concertwith Rule Britannia and God Savethe King.In November, accompanied byhis daughter Mary, he visitedParis, where he was profoundlytouched by the welcome and recalledthe joy of liberation in hisvisit the previous year. After indicatingthat he supported France'sreturn to great power status, hevisited Brussels, where he spokeon the "Foundations of Freedom"and "The Future of Europe." Hetold Brussels University that "thechampions of freedom can neverafford to sleep" and a Joint Meetingof the Belgian Senate andChamber that the "supreme task"was "the building of a world instrumentof security, in which allpeoples, great and small, have avital interest, and assuredly nonemore than those who dwell in thefamous cockpit of Europe."He was also actively engaged indomestic politics in Britain, particularlyin the fight against socialism.He had hoped for Liberal alliesin that cause but noted that"animal hatred of the ConservativeParty is the sole remainingtheme of Liberalism." Speaking tothe Conservative Central CouncilMeeting at Friends House in London,he began with "you give agenerous welcome to one who hasled you through one of the greatestpolitical defeats in the history ofthe Tory Party. It may perhaps bethat you give me some indulgencefor leading you in some other matterswhich have not turned out sobadly."Autumn 1970:At SeaTRAVELhad often been atrial for Lady Churchill butshe found rest and relaxationon sea cruises. In September shehappily took a three-week cruisein the Mediterranean. Of particularpleasure was a Fancy DressCompetition, in which she appearedas "A Lady in Black." Shewas awarded First Prize andthereafter greatly enjoyed her trophy,an enameled powder case.Christopher Soames was Ambassadorto France and LadyChurchill visited her daughter'sfamily in November, staying, asshe always did, for one week.When she returned to London shewas informed of the death ofCharles de Gaulle, a man whomshe greatly admired and fromwhom she had continued to receivecorrespondence after her husband'sdeath. She wrote herdaughter that it was the end of anera. Mary attended the Requiemat Notre Dame with her husbandand an august British delegationincluding the Prince of Wales, thePrime Minister, and three formerPrime Ministers. She wrote hermother that "... I felt Papa's memoryhad been honoured as well asthe General's — As you say awhole epoch seems to have endedwith his death." $FINEST HOUR 88/45

"CRs" are Churchill-related stamps which are not Churchillcommemoratives; Finest Hour has been publishing articlesusing them as illustrations since issue #6.IN SEARCH OF AC-R TOPIC:We were surprised by a queryfrom a reader who asks that we suggesta topic for a C-R story: surprisedonly because in our readingwe find hundreds without trying.However, it is a sincere question,and we have a couple of suggestionsthat may be useful.For a major job, one that willkeep you up to your ears in the projectthrough many a long night, weshare a longstanding ambition ofour own: illustrating My AfricanJourney with stamps. Mounts. Kilamanjaroand Kenya, several lakes,hordes of animals (some of whichWSC shot), natives, villages, rivers,waterfalls, and crops were all mentionedin the book and can be foundon stamps. There are opportunitiesfor research as well: Was the bridgeat Khartoum in place when he gotthere? How about the statue of Gordon?There are map stamps to showChurchill's route and, altogether,Are Uganda Scott #79-82 (Stangib 95-98) and Kenya-Uganda-Tanganyka(K.U.T.) Scott #102 (Stangib 167) CRs? Certainly: not surprisingly, WSCmade prophetic observations in My African Journey. Of Ripon Falls he wrote,"It would be perfectly easy to harness the whole river and let the Nile beginits long and beneficent journey to the sea by leaping through a turbine."Owens Falls Dam cost £22 million and took six years to build, but when HMThe Queen attended its opening in 1954, she wired WSC her congratulations.this should make a colorful and interestingcollection.For a short job, here is one thatoccurred while reading RandolphChurchill's Twenty-One Years(Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1965).On page 47 Randolph begins a fewparagraphs about a holiday he tookwith WSC and Jack. Stamps showingGenoa, Naples, Pompeii, Malta,polo, Warspite, Piraeus, theParthenon, WSC painting, CorinthCanal, Brindisi; and in Rome, theColosseum, Forum, St. Peters, PopePius XI and Mussolini, would do thejob nicely.Are all these stamps extant? Iwould not be the one to spoil yourfun...-Dalton Newfield, Finest Hour #27Chairman Boler atUK1995AGM from page 22Dennis Jackson has produced asplendid ICS VE-Day commemorativetie, which is available for purchase.Again, we expect to generatesignificant revenue from thisventure, to add to our growingfunds for charitable work. Mythanks to Dennis for a job welldone.I cannot conclude my report toyou without thanking all thosewho have helped ICS in the pastyear, and particularly those whohave helped me in my first year asChairman. To Nicholas Soames,our Chairman of Trustees who hasgiven generously of his very valuabletime bearing in mind his arduousministerial responsibilities.To Lady Soames for her wisewords of advice and encouragement,to Celia Sandys for alwaysbeing there to help, and for her encouragementand support in allthat we do. Celia kindly hosted aluncheon prior to our VE-Day dinner,which was attended by guestsfrom around the world.To all the other Trustees whohave contributed in ways greatand small to the cause, my thanks:to past chairman David Porter forhis valuable words of advice; toWylma Wayne for sustaining mein my "black dog" days and for thephenomenal energy she devotes tothe Society; to Joan Harris, oursecretary, who puts up with meand who works above and beyondthe call of duty; to Mark Weber forall his help in many ways; to PilPilgrim for strong financial adviceand Angie for her work at committeemeetings; to Dennis Johnsonwhom I have already acknowledged;and to David Jones and JillKay for their expertise on theCommittee. I reserve a specialword of thanks for Jill who carriedthe burden of membership secretaryfor many years, and whoseknowledge of the membership isencyclopaedic. I know Jill stillgives valuable help and guidanceto Joan Harris. I also offer mygrateful thanks to my wife Diane,who unfortunately cannot be herethis evening but without her supportI could not do this job. I thankand salute you all. But most of allI thank you, the Friends of ICS foryour support. £FINEST HOUR 88 / 46

CHl'RCHILLTRIVIAEDITED BY BARBARA LANGWORTHTest your skill and knowledge. Virtuallyall questions can be answered inback issues of Finest Hour or otherICS publications (but it's not reallycricket to check). Twenty-four questionsappear in each issue, the answers inthe following issue. Questions fall intosix categories: Contemporaries (C), Literary(L), Miscellaneous (M), Personal(P), Statesmanship (S), and War (W).649. "They are not allowed to smoke orhave any money ... or are they givenany leave except two months ... I think... young men ... who would resigntheir personal liberty to such an extentcan never make good citizens orfine soldiers." Who were they? (C)650. What world record has the RandolphChurchill/Martin Gilbert biographyachieved? (L)651. What is buried under the statueof Winston Churchill at the BritishEmbassy in Washington DC? (M)652. To Clementine's annoyance andWinston's amusement, who liked tohint he was Churchill's illegitimateson? (P)653. Where did Churchill make hisfirst public speech (in 1894)? (S)654. In a 1945 broadcast WSC said, "...we are bound by the ties of honour andfraternal loyalty to the United Statesto fight... at their side." Where did hemean?(W)655. Who were the rulers of the "lowcountries" when Hitler invaded them?(C)656. What book was Churchill writingwhen he gave his speech at Fulton? (L)657. As a schoolboy Churchill memorizedMacaulay's Lays of AncientRome. What is meant by "lays"? (M)658. In what churchyard (church andvillage) is Sir Winston buried? (P)659. "I felt as if... all my past life hadbeen but a preparation for this hour."What was the hour? (S)660. Who were "Churchill's sharpshooters"?(W)661. Who was chiefly responsible forChurchill's honorary American citizenship?(C)662. What was the subject ofChurchill's book Step by Step? (L)663. In what year did the UnitedStates issue a 5# commemorativestamp with Churchill's picture on it?(M)664. Fiel Pero Desdichado is theChurchill family motto. What does itmean?(P)665. What was the significance ofChurchill being made the Chancellorof the Duchy of Lancaster in 1915? (S)666. What uniform is Churchill wearingin photographs from the YaltaConference? (W)667. In what year did Adolf Hitler becomeChancellor of Germany? (C)668. In the Spring of 1932 Churchillwas compiling a series of his essays forpublication: Amid These Storms,American Impressions and NotableContemporaries were the working titles.How many of these were publishedand what were their titles? (L)669. When did the first waxwork ofWSC appear at Madame Tussaud's? (M)670. "In a twinkling of an eye I foundmyself without an office, without aseat, without a party and without[what else?]." (P)671. How long did it take Churchill toget back into Parliament after losingDundee in 1922? (S)672. "[?] from weakness and fear isalike futile and fatal, [?] from strengthis magnanimous and noble, and mightbe the surest and perhaps the onlypath to world peace." What is themissing word in this WSC quote? (W)ANSWERS TO LAST TRIVIA625. Bracken, Birkenhead and Beaverbrookwere the three "B's" who supportedChurchill. 626. In 1921, "Paintingas a Pastime" was an essay in TheStrand Magazine; in 1932 it appearedin Thoughts and Adventures; in 1948it was published as a separate volume.627. Churchill painted "Tower of KatoubiaMosque, Marrakech for PresidentRoosevelt. 628. Churchill andDavid Lloyd George were Torydom's"Terrible Twins." 629. The Balfour Declarationpromised the Jewish peoplea homeland. 630. Churchill speculatedthat England and Russia might dobattle in 1941. 631. Field MarshalMontgomery said, "I neither drink norsmoke and am 100% fit" to which WSCreplied, "I drink and smoke and I am200% fit." 632. Churchill called thefirst edition of Malakand "slovenly"because of poor proofreading. 633.Winston and Clementine joined Lordand Lady Moyne aboard the yachtRosaura for a cruise in the easternMediterranean. 634. Winston's engagementto Clementine was newsworthybecause he was a Cabinet Minister.635. Churchill's "seven tests offreedom" were offered as encouragementto Italy in 1944. 636. The RoyalNavy carriers Formidable and Victoriouswere attacked by the Japanese inthe Philippines. 637. "I am not a bitafraid of Siegfried Sassoon. That mancan think. I am afraid only of peoplewho cannot think." 638. Answers was apulp weekly in which Churchill publisheda number of original articlesduring the 1930s. 639. "Churchill"refers to a particular shape of cigar.640. Several of Churchill's friends presentedhim with a Daimler in 1932.641. Churchill decided not to stand forreelection in 1964. 642. The BritishEmpire and its Commonwealth's"Finest Hour" wofiia be if they beatthe Germans in the Battle of Britain.643. Churchill said that he modeledhis famous speaking style on BourkeCockran, an American Congressmanhe met in 1895. 644. Both Winstonand his father Randolph had strongopposition to Army Reforms as proposedby the contemporary War Secretary.645. WSC said, "at Blenheim Itook two very important decisions: tobe born and to marry." 646. "To rat"was used by Churchill to symbolizethe desertion of one's party. 647."Truth is so precious that she mustoften be attended by a Bodyguard ofLies" was said to Stalin at Teheran.648. Churchill used the code-nameColonel Warden when he took theQueen Mary to Halifax in 1943. $FINEST HOUR 88/47

IMMORITVL WORDS"SOMEWHERE IN THE ATLANTICI thought you would like me to tell you something about the voyage which I madeacross the ocean to meet our great friend, the President of the United States.Exacty where we met is a secret,but I don't think I shall be indiscreet if I go so far as to saythat it was, ah, 'somewhere in the Atlantic'In a spacious, landlocked bay which reminded me of the West Coast of Scotland,powerful American warships protected by strong flotillas and far-ranging aircraftawaited our arrival and, as it were, stretched out a hand to help us in.Our party arrived in the newest, or almost the newest, British battleship,the Prince of Wales, with a modern escort of British and Canadian destroyers,and there for three days I spent my time in company,and I think I may say in comradeship, with Mr. Roosevelt;while all the time the chiefs of the staffand the naval and military commandersboth of the British Empire and of the United Statessat in continual council...Europe is not the only continent to be tormented and devastated by aggressions.For five long years the Japanese military factions,seeking to emulate the style of Hitler and Mussolini,taking their posturing as if it were a new European revelation,have been invading and harrying the 500,000,000 inhabitants ofChina...It is certain that this has got to stop.Every effort will be made to secure a peaceful settlement.The United States are labouring with infinite patience to arriveat a fair and amicable settlement.We earnestly hope these negotiations will succeed, but this I must say:that if these hopes should fail, we shall, of course,range ourselves unhesitatingly at the side of the United States.And thus we come back to the quiet bay somewhere in the Atlanticwhere misty sunshine plays on great shipswhich carry the White Ensign and the Stars and Stripes.We had the idea, when we met there, the President and I,that without attempting to draw up final and formal peace aims,or war aims,it was necessary to give all peoples,especially the oppressed and conquered peoples,a simple, rough and ready wartime statementof the goal towards which the British Commonwealthand the United States mean to make their way,and thus make a way for others to march with themon a road which will certainly be painful,and may be long...World Broadcast, London, 24 August 1941