RIP - Winston Churchill

YoungScud · Jul 17, 2015

Adam W said:
Miners seem a hard bunch to please.

Either way, it's customary to remember the dead for what they accomplished, not for their shortcomings.
Not many people can say they won a world war.

You are, of course, right. Mussolini got the trains running on time, and Hitler was responsible for the birth of Volkswagen and the autobahns. Great guys.

Midwest · Dec 17, 2015

Bored with the other forums, thought I'd resurrect this thread, if anyone's interested, not too old anyway. I ask my old man about Churchill for a school project, my Dad was a teenager during WWII. He said 'He was great PM during the war, we wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for him. Got us through a lot, galvanised us when we low, and thought we never see ourselves survive', précis of what I can remember. Then in the same breath me dad said 'He was a complete ******* though, that's why We booted him out soon after the war'. Horses for courses I suppose. I suppose if Hitler hadn't won power neither would of Churchill. But Churchill wasn't a fascist. Made some great speeches, lifted the spirits of the British people,my favourite; When accused by Bessie Braddock, a plump Labour MP of being 'disgustingly drunk' the Conservative Prime Minister responded: 'My dear, you are ugly, and what’s more, you are disgustingly ugly. But tomorrow I shall be sober and you will still be disgustingly ugly.' :wink_smile:

Barrie Patrick · Dec 18, 2015

Someone famous once said that newspapers " Never let the truth get in the way of a good story" and this is exactly the same as I have been reading in the many posts here, lots of people repeating some truths, some half truths and/or myths and some down right lies, good or bad. The real truth is probably somewhere in between.

Personally Winston Churchill is a man I truely admire, my Dad was always moaning about him and we had many heated discussions about what Churchill did or didn't do or say. Winston Churchill was just a man and like all men he had good points and bad points, made great decisions and some really bad ones, and before anyone else says it I Don't mean the Dardenelles. As a Minister in Government he had to think of what was best for all the people and would have had to take many hard decisions in his career, just look how he didn't change how we defended Coventry because we had to protect Enigma and the fact we'd broken the German code, it was what had to be done but I couldn't have done it :-(

I have read many many books about Winston Churchill and depending on whether the author is pro Winston or Anti Winston will depend on how they interpret his actions.

The thing is he was a Victorian, he was an aristocrat, he did have a big ego and he was a self publicist and sometimes he jumped in where fools would fear to tread. Although an aristocrat and a decendant of the 1st Duke of Marlborough, strangly he was pretty poor by the standards of his peers at the time and always had to earn his own money mainly by his writing.

People say that he sent troops in against his own people, When, Where? Was it Ireland, to destroy freedom fighters? Was it Wales to beat up and physically hurt miners and their families? Or maybe it was to restore law and order? After all there is always 2 sides to an argument? His record when studied shows he wasn't actually against workers and by the standards of the day was pretty Liberal, when Chancellor in about 1912??? (Not Sure the exact year) he fought for and brought in the first Old Age Pension.

Churchill was definately talented, one of only a few people to hold the Order of Merit and a Companion of Honour. he wrote many books including the History of the Roman Empire, The History of the British Empire, he was a reasonable painter. It was Churchill who when 1st Sea Lord saw the potential of the Tank and agreed to pay for its developement. After the Campaign at Gallipoli went wrong Churchill took the full blame and resigned from the government because initially it had been his idea but others like Lord Fisher and Kitchener altered the details of the plan but Churchill took the blame. He went to France where he served in the trenches as battalion commander of 10th Royal Scots where his men much admired his bravery and ability but was brought back by LLyod George to be Minister of Supply where his work helped ensure the allies won the Great War. When he was appointed as Minister for Air in the 20's? he learned to fly.

It is rumoured, that after the 2nd World War the King said he wanted to make him a Lord but wondered what title would be enough to reflect all Churchill had done for this country, the King thought Lord of Great Britain was the only suitable title, Churchill turned it down because he wanted to do more work for his people and felt he could do it better as an MP. He was the only leader during the war who didn't accept an honour for his services. In about 1953 the Queen knighted him, he was going to refuse but didn't want to upset the new young Queen.

Now, even if you dont like what you know about him, I think most have to agree he was a very Talented man who generally served his country and the Majority of its people well?