1951-04-28 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 1951.

11

"I Was Churchill's Shadow, Chapter 2, By Ex-Inspector Walter Henry Thompson-

FROM ADMIRALTY TO DOWNING ST.

M

un.

R Churchill, hislocal Commander-in-Chief: I checked with the valet, the. One of the first things Mr yachting cap at "Not much entertainment messenger from London, Mr Churchill did on his appoint- jaunty angle. here for the men, is there?" thought the boxes had been put to establish his War Room. Ha. Churchill's secretary. They all ment as First Lord in 1939 was was pacing the quarterdeck of IIMS Rod- Immediately he got down

put Captain R. P. Pin, RNVIL. in charge, and this offlver con→ verted the lovely library over tooling the Horse Guards Parade at Admiralty House into the Bist of Mr Churchill's famous map and war rooms.

ney.

to details and before he Mleft plans had been drawn I was standing by as up for off-duty amusements bodyguard-also wearing a and entertainments for the yachting cap. I had bought officers and ratings. it, not in imitation, but to disguise my civilian status when

the accompanying First Lord on his visits to the Fleet.

The battleship

chored in

was an-

Scapa Flow,

where the defences Jud been thoroughly overhauli after the tragedy of Royal Oak,

the

On the return journey from this visit I made a mistake which called down Mr Churchill's wrath up me-and he does not mince words.

We had driven It the station in a car, and I was and in charge of two official As he walked up Churchill down, Ar

kept boxes of papers. When we looking across at a dummy reached the platform the dumped at battleship and a dummy luggage

moored one end, and Mr Churchill aircraft carrier

to near, the vast bulk of the immediately strode off

the other. Hood.

Suddenly he stopped and said: "I know what's wrong with those ships. There are no seagulls round them. That would immediately be noticed by enemy planes. I must arrange to have food thrown from the neigh houring ships, so that sea- gulls will hover round the dummies."

Was

There were a number of strangers on the platform. and my place was near Mr Churchill. So I put the ofli cial boxes down with luggage, where I thought the renminder of our party would watch over thein.

We were already moving out of the platform, and 1 went back

to tell him the Fist Lard what had happened.

"un going to try and stop the rain, Alr." I told him.

We had

just

All the walls were hung with huge, coloured maps and charts, on which Captain Pim and his staff plotted the movements of ships

troops of every

main line and What

But the travelling railway inspector saitl

the points on to The r

stop before the next stalo 19

we could

Leangail for that and went sack Mr Churchill.

He looked grim. bil said nothing. 1 think be konw what I was feeding and

that I was doing any best to make up for

the blunder.

the

I phoned from

next ation and heard to my relief that the stationmaster had fout the buses and had them in ente Poping. When I reported to ale Churchill this time, I did a the king off.

"You know what dansgr there might have been if those boxe: had got into the wrong bands," he Hnished grimly.

But

I apologised humbly and said wax all my fasil. that t Mr Churchill promptly sent for is secretary, Miss Mary Shears the burn, and gave her a dverging

down in the same terms. She alro took the entire blame for

un

When the train came in, the baggage was put board, and I accompanied Mr Churchill to his com- partment. I asked if the boxes were on board, and That incident was typical was told they were. So 1 eye for went to collect a third offi of the Old Man's

which had just detail. Nothing

too cinl box small to escape his notice, been brought by messenger nothing too unimportant from London.

1329

The disaster.

By this time he realised that we were trying to shield each other, and a winkle came into

his eyes.

"You had both

more careful in future," he said. Later he spoke to me kindly care I had always seat the talten in guarding his boxes, and said: "I am sure the lapse was not entirely, your fault."

und

Special lighting was histaßed, and secret telephone lines com- the municating directly with nerve centres of the war dira» connected. In he on were centre of the room was a long conference table, and there, with his colleagues, the First Lon planned the war at sea..

Mr Churchill and his family ved above the War Room in a fat on the top floor of Admiralty Admiral Sir Dudley

House.

Adiniral

Pound, First Sea Lord, and Rear

vice-

Mr Churchill 'returns to Louđen from one of his wa time conferences with Pres. Rossevelt. On right is Mrs Churchill.

more important for you to gird neeiled as a bodyguard-in tying | that fun to look after nie,” te vave him from the enthusiasm

of his friender!

W715

I tried to convince him that my duty was feet and foren ist When he left the Guildhall he to himself; but I did not get had to wait a few minutes for argue with Winston Churchill webbed by hundre building.

It is difficult to his war. any sympathy.

Suddenly he

but there have been occasions as they came out of the War when, for his own sake, I have Photogaphers crowded in and had to weak bluntly and force took pictures as the matefois, him to listen to mu

one and alt, insisted on shaking hands.

Tom Philip Chief of Naval Staff, slept in quarters adjoining the Room.

The War

elaboration

The model I was guarding was known as the "cultivator." | Farm 1 had a hard jab keeping the Rooms, which in months later Mr Churchill say a crush off him--and tried to anve

of the machine the First Lørd as the demonstration creased in

some of the at Bardney Farm, near Wadding- pressure by shaltig hands with sepe of operations grew, even-

When on aerodrome, in Lincolnshire, scores of sailors myself although tually became mobile. Mr Churchill Grossed the

they had not the faintest idea Atalatic

It was a wonderful autematiu who I was, to visit President Roosevell in December 1941, the trenching machine which cut War Room was kied un in HMS a deep. straight trench

But the boys who did get near threw up a parapet at the same Winston were pumping his arms Duke of York-and then, with

time. lad trench the President's permission, in the

with whale-hearted clumps. Mr warfare and hammering him on the wack White House at Washington.

Churchill is tough, but he was no longer a youngster, and some of those boys but real beef Into their pats!

3

and

developed on the lines of the first world way it would have been a winner.

President Roosevelt WDS SO impressed with it that he had The next prophery the Old one made for himself, modelled Man made to me did come true. better be on Me Churchill's. The staffs of that aise was in France, after b the two war rooms continually meeting of the Supreme Wor exchanged ideas, so that by the Cowell, hell by Me

decided to Chamberlain Le Mr. Churchill

and M. Daladier. establish a bigger and better then Premier of France. one a the Downing Street

After the meeting Annexe in 1913, there were a number of fimovutions.

Churchill's compart-

New kinds Bus 1 blamed myself for the

evolved, sweat whole. incident, though it was bien aid visit of inspection ment and found-

the first mistake I had made in to naval establishments at now when I think of it

travelling housands of inter Weymouth. When he had that the boxes were miss

said to the ing.

for his personal attention. And then I returned to

At the end of 1939 he Mr

linished he

with him in charge of salar

boxes.

THE ENGLISH ALSO LOVE A CONFERENCE

Soft drinks top

but not after

the agenda (hours)

SCARBOROUGH going now. I have to return to You may have noticed, if you are observant, that this the Press table."

After the morning session the

of lighting had

Perspex

used instead of glass to lessen the danger from bomb-blust, sikding

and revolving panels were used

lu save space.

Daladier said harmony was complete sid that it was the finest War council

All he had attended.

the statesmen and officials lined up for a photograph while i stood the group and at the side of watched.

When we returned to the British Embassy Mr Churchill made a few remarks about the

The War Cabinet met in the new room, and the King and Queen paid several visits. A meeting. then asked suddenly: mobile war room, in charge of -Captain - Pim,--still-accompanied Mr Churchill on his travels to ali the major conferences of the September 1944, war-and in when it was set up in the Citadel at Quebec for the conference: there, President Roosevelt brought his war room along and

also put it in the Citadel,

But Mr Churchill had no doub: about which was the better. Right to the end of the nghting the War Room was his special pride, and have heard him say more than once:

"My War Room the best

is the time of year when the British conference sea- delegates adjourned to the baring of its kind in existence." sun gets going. Have you ever been to one? No? Well, what about coming to Scarborough, where the season opens today with a conference of the National Associa- tion of Soft Drink Manufacturers?

Too laine? Ha bal that's all conferences,

You know about Just you walt t all we soft

get to-

drink manufacturers gether to talk about the syrups, the incidence of drinking through straws, and the wicked- ness of the Government's sugar policy,

BERNARD

WICKSTEED'S PRIVATE FESTIVAL

(No. 5 in the series) takes his son to a chick-tall party ...

For added fun let's take a soft-drink consumer along with us. My son Philip, aged 11, is

Our soft drink expert laugh. Just the fellow for the job, Hils

were wet capacity for soft drinks is td til his cheeks astonishing,

with tears of eltric neid. All he

There you are,

for lunch. On all sides the talk was about the seven-ounce bottle, the family-sized bottle, and the suggested abolition of the "baby."

"Did you

wince saw him

unce or twice, but he took it all in the? best of spirits, grinning hugely--- and he was clearly moved by the warmth of their feeling. But i was thankful when the car prrived, and I was able to edge him into it.

And so through the dish'usion- ment and defeats of the early Alays we ene at last to lac climax of May 10, 1940. On the afternoon of that day Winston Churchill' went to Buckingham Palace, where the King asked dish to form a Government,

"When he got out of the ear on his return to the Admiralty he said,, turning suddenly to me:

"You know why I have been - to Buckingham Palace, Thómp--|-

have your pleture taken with the group?"

"No, sir "Pity," he answered. "I am bon?" certain that the people in that group will never incet again in similar circumstances,”

Within fow weeks Daladier, had rezigned. The fail Chamberlain came soon after- wards.

اد

But even in those early days. we had our triumphs among the disasters though when I tried to read the run of events from Mr Churchill's fore, I was often deceived.

would

Neither the War Room nor the

He could look as grim in Adinirally establishments kept victory as In defent, and though us tied down for Torre at a A man standing next to me time. In the first eight months he was always quick to chow

he emation said: "There is only one thing of the war I had to accompany absolutely poker-faced. for it. We shall have to educate the First Lord on many, trips to the course of a battle. the public up to drinking France; to Paris for meetings straight from the bottle."

of the Supreme War Council; to

remala during

"Yes, sir," answered, congratulated hint.

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He looked piensed, but he was tense and very strained. 1 went on: "I am very pleased that you have at last become Prime wish Minister, sir, but I only that the position had come your way in better times, for you have taken on an enormous task."

He said gravely: "God alone All T knows how great it is, hope is that it is not too late. I um very much afraid it is. We can only do our best."

As Tears came into his eyes.

he muttered he turned away, something to himself. Then he set his jaw, and with a look determination masking all So I was during the engage- of It was a curious thing. Al-Amiens, where Lord Gort had ment in the South Atlantic which emotion, he began to climb the though everyone was talking his headquarters as C-in-C of ended in the scuttling

of the stairs. about the soft-drink trade no the British Expeditionary Force, Graf Spee. But there was no one seemed to be supporting it.

when he holding the Old Man Unlike well-brought-up children, On January 0, 1940, I was in took part in the welcome home to saft drinks were heard about, Metz with Mr Churchill when the triumphans crews of the

he was due to visit the Maginot Ajax and Exeter. Line. I prepared to accompany

but not seen,

Refreshment

him as usual, but he ordered me

After the Guildhall lunchcon

to stay at the hotel and guard a to the crews I had some unxieteS

which

could murmur was "Super." IT was the same in the even-secret model of a new invention moments.

we had brought 'from After What did I

the mayor left the IT,

ing, after my junior reporter

tell you? The prospect of meet. conference the delegates were had retired with a bottle of England.

300 lemonude kings and given a rousing lecture on "The pup by his bed for the morn-. Kiliter beer barony has gone Future of the

Ing

My

like

"I tried to point out that.my

Soft Drinks Ing.

place was wịth him, but he cut Refreshment flowed

me off abruptly, and I wil‹ less water, but it was not mineral behind. When he returned he water. One manufacturer came raw how upset I was, and tried

"Never mind, Thompson," he i said. "There will be many more chances for you to see the Maginot Lind."

to his head. Immediately. Ho Boitie." has caught the British conftr-

son did not attend this. ence spirit so well that he has He had made friends with the knocked back three stone gingers children of a lemonade manu- and a fizzy lemonalle before facturer, and they had gone off to me and sald: "If you want to pacify "me. ho's half-way there.

to do some serious soft to taste something really good The conference was officially

come up to my room." drinking, welcomed by the Mayor of The children of soft drink Je opened a cupboard and Scarborough, Alderman Rodney manufacturers play an im if you expected me to see rows Chapihab. All the best con- portant part in the trade. Their of bottles containing brillant- ferences are welcomed. by fathers unable to trust their own hucd, exotic fulds your don't mayors.

} palates, dope their offspring know your British conference. Alderman

queer, concoctions, and All that the bottles containedThat was one of the very few Chapman is not a with

WON 一顆 beverage made in

In occasions, when I have known) soft drinker and he said so. note reactions,

Scolland. And they were in prophecy. The Maginot Line full-when started

Then he felt in his pocket for

his speech, and found that by mistake, he had brought one meant for the Red Cross.

Lordly ones

Winston Churchill to be wrong?

no conference continues fjell, was in have little more until Tuesday, and dne of the chahee and 1 never did'see' boy, bubbling carbon dioxide, such accomplished pop tall party. The hosts are the

Mboy in the company of altractions tomorrow chleit-1 fun!" thought this was applause the sad felt as you and I feel when judo mama Food

tasters, was

Next. Tim stars Janette, Scott

evening after he had dined with General Geotges.tut mayde went on to say, that all people talk to us in a lordly object is to test just how much Vincennes, Mr Churchill sailed conferences were rackets. If way about the merits of un-pop can be

by 50 mg to his room and gayo mo s you were in business', for your- known wines, -

orphisha

long lecture self your expenses came off However he got his own Ambulances, call at

You have boon carrying out your incomo Tax, and, if you back. After a passions fruit, havé délegated my assistant a most important duty in guard an employee it was a Juice, followed by a pineapple to attend. He says it's going to in this secret rodde ho mald of "geting your holiday, squanh and two rapberry be super-fun" Anding ou

"It would be of the utmost value Mia corátila, ka said: “I must be ---(London. Expráva, Rajvice.) to endny ugenia, and it in Car

ཚཧྰུཾ་

I was never

NEXT SATURDAY:

Churchill's encounter : with the whistling boy ....the black satin bandago....how he *** propored his speeches

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