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Lot 20

CHURCHILL (WINSTON)

10 November 2009, 11:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £1,080 inc. premium

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CHURCHILL (WINSTON)

Typed letter signed ("Winston S. Churchill"), to E.J. Robertson, Managing Director of the Daily Express, stating that he has been looking into the complaint raised by his article [in the Evening Standard] that morning: he claims that the Admiralty issued only one statement and that "The story about 'decorating heroes of the Fleet Air Arm' was pure invention", adding that "When it was brought to the notice of the Admiralty, and as soon as they could make inquiry at the Palace, they denied it, and they continued to deny it until eventually their denial was made public"; protesting (in an autograph concluding sentence) that "I do not see where they were at fault"; marked up in pencil with Robertson's reply, partly in shorthand ("P.A. & our own man. It appeared everywhere... Admiralty... Sunday Night..."), one page, blue embossed Admiralty crest, filing-crease at top left-hand corner, 4to, Admiralty, Whitehall, 10 October 1939

Footnotes

CHURCHILL ATTEMPTS TO SUPRESS RUMOURS OF A SECRET NAVAL OPERATION, a month after the opening of the Second World War (having returned to the Admiralty on the declaration of war on 3rd September). His correspondent, E.J. ('Robbie') Robertson, was (with Beaverbrook) one the Canadian triumvirate in charge of the Express Group. The Express had run a story the day before headed "The King visits the Fleet" stating that he had "decorated heroes of the Fleet Air Arm who recently 'achieved a certain northern sea triumph'", a story that had been taken up that evening by its stable mate, the Evening Standard. The whole fracas was to be seized upon in the Commons by Arthur Greenwood, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, the following day during a debate on the proposed Ministry of Information and Broadcasting: "... I quote the leading article of last night's "Evening Standard," which I read with a considerable amount of shame: On Sunday night a report is passed by the Ministry that the King had visited the Fleet to decorate heroes of 'a certain northern sea triumph.' But were we to be told the heroes' names or shown their pictures? Not likely. At 3.40 yesterday afternoon the Admiralty denies the whole story. Ten minutes later the Ministry cancels the Admiralty's denial. Ten minutes later again follows another message releasing the denial or cancelling the release; it is difficult to say which [Laughter.] These things seem amusing when read in retrospect, but they reflect little credit on those responsible for the distribution of news (Hansard, HC Deb, 11 October 1939, vol. 352, cc.376-484).

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