Churchill

[DCLI]

Dear anyone.

Winston Churchill resigned from the government after the Gallipoli farce and went to command an army battalion in France. A number of queries, how was he able to join directly, go to France and then when he got bored come back again?

What regiment/Corps was he with? Did he see any frontline action? How was he able to up sticks and come back to the UK?

regards

Anthony

[paul guthrie]

He was with Royal Scots near Plugstreet, there's a plaque to him in the village wearing a bowler!

As to going & coming, he was a MP, they were free to stay home + of course he had enormous influence, he was nearly given a brigade, got a battalion.

He was quite close to the line so there was danger.

[Peter B]

Hello Anthony

6th Battalion Royal Scots

This link shows him with his officers

http://www.churchill.nls.ac.uk/main.html

Peter

[Malcolm]

Royal Scots Fusiliers NOT Royal Scots.

Aye

Malcolm

[kevin ley]

Incidentally, I understand that a certain Adolf Hitler was serving not too far away from Plugstreet Wood. Not sure if it was at the same time.

An irony in the extreme!

Rgds,

Kevin.

[Mark Hone]

There are very good sections on the war service of both Churchill and Hitler in the original, large format ' Battleground Europe' book by Nigel Cave. (sadly out of print, I think). Their service in the area did indeed overlap as Adolf's unit was stationed in the Croonart/Messines area from late 1914 to mid-1916 and Churchill was there in the first months of 1916. His sojourn at the front is quite well covered in the excellent recent biography by Roy Jenkins and also 'Speaking For Themselves', the collection of letters between Churchll and his wife, edited by their daughter Mary Soames.

Churchill was popular with his men, although not apparently with neighbouring battalion commanders, as he was far too keen on initiating rifle and artillery barrages in what was regarded as a 'Live and Let Live' sector of the front. He disliked the Fusiliers' Glengarry cap, and took to wearing a French steel helmet which he had been presented with when visiting the French lines. He can memorably be seen sporting this non-regulation headgear in a portrait taken in Armentieres in January/February 1916 with his battalion 2 i/c Archibald Sinclair, later leader of the Liberal Party. Jenkins memorably describes the texture of this photo making them look like two of Rodin's 'Burghers of Calais'.

Churchill had originally hoped to get a Brigade, and his command of 6th RSF was supposedly to give him practical experience of command on a relatively quiet section of front before this promotion (the battalion was recuperating after heavy losses at Loos). This never happened of course and he soon returned to political life. As Minister of Munitions from 1917 onwards he was a very frequent visitor to the front, far more than any other minister and more than his duties strictly entailed.

The Brigade he hoped to take over was 56th Brigade of 19th Division. A very interesting historical 'What If' if you look at that Brigade's subsequent career.

[DCLI]

Thank you everyone - I am now a wiser man - I think

Anthony