As Prime Minister of the UK in World War 2, Churchill inspired and led the country through it's darkest days. His Bulldog determination and inspired speeches endeared him to millions, and kept the nation fighting when all seemed lost. His mother was American which helped his long standing relationship with President Roosevelt, which assured that the American President was determined to help even before America entered the War. Churchill is credited with saving Britain, and possibly the World, from Nazi domination. When he died he was given a State Funeral, a rare honour for a Commoner, usually only given to Royalty. I think one of the most moving moments of his funeral came as he was carried down the river and the cranes on the docks are all lowered in salute as the barge passes.
Winston Churchill was a racist and a misogynist. He happily caught himself fighting against Nazis. That wasn't his aim. Just as the mass-murdering USA didn't atom bomb for goodness. It was all about money. Money. Capitalism. Money. Greed. For me. Greed. Let's grow up; you sycophant to a taught tradition of the nation-state. Boy! Toure dull.
Hi Steve. Yes you really need to understand the importance of this man in the British psyche. He was absolutely the best war time leader the British could have had as he was pugnacious, determined and very very capable by that stage in his life. He typified and tapped in to 'The British Bulldog' identity which he used to keep the U.K. together when we were fighting Nazi Germany virtualy on our own and our cities were being bombed.
I can remember his death when I was about 9 . I recall in New Zealand, people were stunned & saddened as even I recall I was , he was that much of an iconic person. My father & uncles had fought in WW2 , an uncle was killed. Yes a great man
Churchill is regularly voted the greatest Briton of the 20th Century. Almost by the force of his will alone he held the country together during the Second World War. Through the power of his speeches he persuaded the USA to support Britain with equipment and arms at a time when isolationism was still running strong.
Sir Winston was our prime minister during World War II. When France fell, he delivered a speech to the House of Commons which helped rally the country against the Nazis in a time when many politicians would have rather surrendered to them. In short, without Churchill, the allies lose the war.
Yes Winston made some outstand, rousing speeches ie "We shall fight on the beaches" "Never in the field of human conflict, has so much be owed by so many, by so few!" but my favorite (probably because my grandfather was a Desert Rat, ie 8th army, and he fought in North Africa (when the 8th army beat the German Army and Rommel. This was the first time German armed forces (Tanks and infantry) were beaten. Hence after this massive uplifting victory, Winston gave this speech After Alexander advised Churchill to “Ring out the bells” to celebrate victory in Egypt, Churchill told a Lord Mayor's luncheon at Mansion House: “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” he was a outstanding Statesman.
He was very much the Boris Johnson of his more referential day. Made horrendously stupid strategic decisions and caused the unnecessary deaths if many. Much like Johnson !
@@nichotto Churchill was in no way perfect. The Gallipoli misadventure was one that failed miserably yet could have been successful had it been executed properly, his stance on the Empire was of his age but retrospectively showed a lack of vision, but his application from his appointement in May 1940 until late in 1945 as Prime Minister almost single handedly ensured that the free world, and certainly the vast majority of the continent of Europe enjoy the freedoms that they do. Underestimating that is really disingenuous in the extreme.
My then neighbour’s son was one of the naval ratings pulling the gun carriage that SirWinston’s coffin was on. It is extremely rare for anyone other than the Royal Family to be accorded a state funeral. My husband queued for 6 hours in freezing cold to pay his respects in Westminster Hall. His life story is really fascinating, culminating in being our Prime Minister during WWII. He had his flaws but was the right man at the time and we are all grateful for his leadership during those awful years.
Perfect comment, Winston Churchill was not this flawless man, a lot of his politics before and after the war are questionable, he was a Tory. However during the war he brought the country together and the parties together to fight against tyranny and for that he will always have my respect.
Especially when we were ON OUR OWN in our stand against Nazism. I was in London by chance the day of the funeral and suddenly realised I wasn't far from the route. I stood in crowds 10 deep in the bitter cold. The silence was complete until we could hear the crunch of marching feet comming nearer then the rumble of the gun carriage wheels. There were many tears in those crowds - and not ones caused by the cold.
@Harry Johnson First Lord of the Admiralty, NOT First Sea Lord. The Sea Lords were Admirals, professional sailors. The First Lord was a political appointment, basically Minister of State for the Navy. His job was to give political direction to the Admiralty, to tell the Admiralty what the Government wanted done. The Sea Lords, the professional sailors, would then propose practical ways in which government policy might be implemented. Churchill was also appointed as First Lord of the Admiralty again for a brief period at the start of WWII before he became Prime Minister.
When WW2 started the UK stood alone for the first 2 years as country after country across Europe fell to Nazi Germany. Ships bringing food were sunk, air raids devastated many areas of England (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland suffered but not nearly as much), and through it all we had the resolute voice of Winston Churchill encouraging us. No TV, no internet, just the radio in people's homes keeping them involved. His famous speech, "We will fight them on the seas, we will fight them on the beaches, we shall fight them on the landing grounds. We shall never surrender" kept the people strong until other allies could help us win the war. He was our hero when we needed one.
Winston Churchill saved the world as we know it. Most Americans think that couldn't possibly be true - but it is. The most genuine V-sign at the end of the video 🇬🇧
People of my generation hold him in awe as he saved us from Nazi rule. The responsibility he shouldered was enormous and yet he managed to rally his country to be brave and positive through a very dark time in our history. I can’t watch the Darkest Hour without realising how fortunate we were to have had such a strong leader. As well as a masterful writer people forget that he was also a fine painter.
I can not fully express my profound feeling for Churchill as a leader, patriot and human being. His impact on the world, Britain and people in every corner of the globe is beyond compare, and I still choke up and get emotional when I see even these few short recordings of his funeral all enhanced by the incredible hymn (and words) of I Vow To The My Country.
He was captured in the Boer war..took part in the last ever cavalry charge... was involved in the first world war. It was if his life was all gearing him for leading uk through 2nd WW. He instigated the little ships at Dunkirk and so much more
Winston Churchill was probably the most important Statesman of the twentieth century. One of only three men outside the royals who was given a state funeral. His life was extraordinary and well worth looking at. He was born at Blenheim Palace, into a very illustrious family - he had some very famous and important ancestors. His father was a English Lord, his mother was American. As a young man he was a soldier and took part in the last cavalry charge of the British Army. He became a war correspondent, politician, soldier again, famous author, painter and then led the country through World War II. His speeches are a mastery of the English Language and truly inspired the country into resisting Hitler, his importance at the time cannot be overstated.
I remember watching this as a 14-year-old girl, and even then it moved me. He kept the morale of the people up during WW2 he was ao positive about the outcome, so I learned from my parents.
You hit the nail on the head, Sir Winston Churchill was a King to the people of the UK. Churchill was a huge reason that the UK won WWll. This was a King's funeral.
I think it’s also important to remember that Sir Winston died just 20 years after the war. Every adult in that crowd would have lived through the war and everyone man over the age of 40 in 1965 would have served in the army, navy or airforce during the war. What he achieved was what they achieved and he was a real part of their lives.
Not quite, Andrew. Whilst every adult in the crowd lived all, or at least part of their lives in the War years, only a small proportion of men over 40 in 1965 served in the armed forces. Remember the "Bevan Boys" ? .... one in 10 young men conscripted during the War were directed to be coal miners (not in the armed forces). Middle aged men and pensioners did not serve in the armed forces. Although many women did men's work, many men continued to build Spitfires and Hurricanes and Lancasters, and tanks, and Bedford lorries, and guns. Many were farmers (rather important people). Whilst in real life, nearly all of the cast of Dad's Army saw military service, some being awarded a string of medals, the fictional characters, the bank manager, the funeral director, the green grocer, and everyone's favourite spiv did not. Only some of the men in the House of Commons were in the services at any time. Wasters such as solicitors and barristers continued to chisel and chance and thieve as before and since the War. Dockers continued as dockers as did train drivers and their firemen. Most firemen (members of fire brigades) continued as firemen. Men who failed medicals did not serve including those with "flat feet". Although it might have been good to have most of them suffer some pain, not many dentists served and those who did, did so largely well behind the lines. The man who is partially obscured by Winston at 6.47 was Police Inspector Walter Thompson, Winston's personal bodyguard. At all times, he was a police officer and did not serve in the military.
@@terryhoath1983 You overstate your case. I think Andrew Little was saying that every man over 40 in those crowds was, in one way or another, involved in the war effort. My Mother worked a lathe in a munition factory during the war. My Dad was a toolmaker, a restricted occupation, and was not allowed to join up. We (I can say we because I was born during the war) were together, for Britain against the Nazi hoards. Don't you try to diminish the determination of the British at that time.
@@terryhoath1983 There is no shame in serving 'behind the lines'. Someone had to be a dentist for the people mining coal, making Spitfires, and the million plus odd jobs that made Britain strong. Some served anyway, my Father and his brothers all had exemption certificates because their civilian jobs were considered essential. Despite which all three went willingly into the Army for 7 years and in the words of a common phrase at that time said they were "were doing my bit".
@@terryhoath1983 --You seem to have issues unrelated. I was working in London in 1965. Everyone I knew then had served in some way and told their stories. One-armed men were commonplace as were shell-shocked survivors from WW1. The Bevin Boys (not Bevan) were essential to keeping the mines going, as were other professionals in 'reserved' occupations. The legal profession that you so despise are very well represented amongst the most decorated, fighting in every theatre of the conflict. Inspector Thompson as Churchill's bodyguard probably had the most unnecessary job with very little to do.
@@davidtuer5825 I had no idea that anyone had replied to my reply until today when a notification of a contribution made a few hours ago popped up in my notifications. You make my very point. Your Mum and Dad were NOT in the Army, Navy, or Air Force. I I am not suggesting that they were among those physically paying their respects in London that day, I don't know, but as THEY weren't in the Army, Navy, or Air Force, it is reasonable to assume that many of those who WERE there also did not serve in the Armed Services. My reply was purely in pursuit of accuracy. Andrew stated, "Every adult in that crowd would have lived through the war and everyone man over the age of 40 in 1965 would have >>>>>> served in the army, navy or airforce
Actually, state funerals are rare not only for commoners but also for royalty. So far as I know the only members of the a Royal Family given a state funeral in the last 200 years have been monarchs. Lord Mountbatten, Diana Princess of Wales, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Prince Philip were given "ceremonial" funerals, as was Margaret Thatcher, not as grand as a state funeral.
@@trevorhart545Four times prime minister William Ewart Gladstone was given a state funeral, notwithstanding Queen Victoria's dislike of him. I think Isaac Newton was given a good send-off but not officially categorised as a state funeral.
You have to remember that this took place only 20 years after the end of World War II. He was the steadfast leader of the UK in their darkest hour. And the invasion of the allied forces could've been possible if the UK had been conquered by the Nazis too. Not only the UK, but the world at large owes this giant gratitude for ever!
I am old enough to remember seeing the announcement of his death reading the headline “Churchill Dead”. I was 10 and didn’t know who that was. 50 years later I’m watching The Crown and I finally get it. I know a TV miniseries the has embellished everything can’t paint a true picture of Churchill so I plan on reading a credible book about him.
Churchill first came to note as a correspondant during the Boer war. He was Nobel prize winner for literature and an honorary citizen of the USA amongst many other honours
@@deborahadeniji808 No, his mother was American and, like Boris, he was born there. edit, My error, Winston wasn't born in America although his mother was.
Loved this video...Sir Winston was a national hero to the UK and commonwealth. He led us through WW2, he was our late Queen's first Prime Minister. Watch The Darkest Hour, it will tell you his wartime story, and perhaps you'll realise why we help in such esteem.
Churchill is widely regarded as the greatest Briton of all time. He became prime minister at the lowest point of the second world war when we were on the verge of defeat and almost single handedly, through the force of his own will, he gave us the belief that not only could we win the war, it was a war we quite simply had to win to save the country and along with it, the civilised world.
A US President said something like that Churchill mobilised the English language and led the country to victory in the Second World War. Winston is seen appearing before crowds in London on VE Day, 8 May 1945. He was twice First Lord of the Admiralty and twice Prime Minister. Voted the Greatest Briton ever in a poll in 2000 - I agree!
Hundred's of thousand of people are born or die every day, very few of those people create a ripple in history and are therefore never forgotten in time. Winston Churchill is one of those few. England, Britain, The United Kingdom, The Commonwealth and owe him and many other's in their finest hours a debt. Lest We Forget.
I’ve watched many Americans react to all sorts of things British/uk. I have to be honest at the beginning you weren’t my favourite but over time I’ve watched how respectful you are to both our past and present. I really enjoy your videos, thank you - much respect 🫡
I remember watching his funeral on TV... the first time I ever saw a TV. The whole world owed Winston their freedom. It was Winston who stood up and led the allies throughout WW2 at times the lone voice shouting out warnings that people just didn't want to hear and at other times being the voice for the people in speeches that stirred the spirit and kept us together. He was also a prolific writer and historian and renowned international Statesman a decorated soldier and first lord of the Admiralty. Just a few weeks after the end of WW2 he was 'let go' by the public, many wanting a different kind of Prime Minister in peacetime others doubtless feeling he so badly needed rest. Sure enough four years later he was back and elected as PM again. The truth is the years took their toll on him and we watched him age and become frail and his death was not so much of a surprise as a realisation that we had lost a man who more than any other before or since represented the Soul of Britishness. I loved that he left London by boat and that the dockworkers lowered the cranes as he past. Truth be told the whole nation stood still for a moment.
@@rayrecrok his atrocities on the commonwealth folk just like the queen’s greed is what pulled Britain through the war. If Churchill did not commit mass murder in commonwealth ,it would have been a different outcome
A man born into privilege life. He had an interesting life. He was in and out of favour and prone to episodes of depression, which he called his black dog days. Although a pupil at Harrow School, where he didn't do well. He was also at Sandhurst Military Academy and was a late developer, but the military was the making of him. He was afforded a State funeral, not many commoners are given. He spoke for the nation during WW2.
Every Brit European and American owes him their freedom, he was the reason Britain survived WW2 he was the wartime leader and the only one who dared apose Hitler. I'm quite surprised you don't know who he really is. He is a WW2 hero He stood up in the American house of representatives and spoke too, it was a fantastic speach Listen to his speechs he was an incredible wordsmith and statesman
The cranes were bowing in salute as he passed them. He was a great man and war leader, he had many faults and made mistakes but he was a great leader in spite of that. He rallied the nation in its darkest hour and gave hope to a people whose sons had gone to war only a fear decades before.
That was an incredible funeral procession- so similar to that we saw last year for Queen Eliabeth. Because he was Prime Minister during World War II he had a very special place in the nations heart. It would be unusual for any politician to get that level of support from the people - usually politicians divide a nation!
Thank you very much for showing the video of the funeral and for your comments, and more generally for your apparently sincere efforts to understand British culture, which is a formidable task for someone born and brought up in the USA. The video brought back some memories for me. I was born in England during the final months of WW2 and brought up overseas, but at the time of the funeral I was a 20.year old seafarer and was back in the UK studying for my Second Mate's Certificate. I came up to London by motorcycle from Southampton, where I was studying, to see the historic event. You are right about the size of the crowd. Although you can only see a small part of the crowd in any frame of the video, due to the narrow streets in that part of London, in addition to the dense crowd around the Cathedral I understand that the pavements (sidewalks) all along the route of the funeral procession, a few miles, were packed with people. I heard it was the biggest crowd in London since the Queen's coronation in the 1950's. Due to the crowds and traffic diversions, I had to park my motorcycle several blocks from the Cathedral, but I managed to reach the area of the Cathedral on foot. and find a position on the south side of the Cathedral where I could see the coffin and various dignitaries coming up the steps at the main (west) entrance, and where I could hear the service through loudspeakers which had been rigged outside the cathedral (including, as you mentioned, the beautiful patriotic hymn ."I vow to thee" which, since I was brought up overseas, was unfamiliar to me, and I only got to learn the words many years later). My two main impressions were of the weather, which was overcast and bitterly cold, but fortunately not raining or snowing, and of how quiet the crowd was. You mentioned the "dipping" of the cranes at the wharves along the River Thames as the launch carrying the coffin passed along the river after the service. I had walked down to the riverside to see the launch passed, and saw that too. I read in the London newspapers at the time that the dipping of the cranes had not been part of the planned funeral activities, but that when the local waterfront workers heard that the coffin was to be carried up the river by launch, they had spontaneously organised this final tribute to Churchill among themselves, and taken the media by surprise, but fortunately some newsreel cameras were stationed ar the riverside to record the passage of the coffin, and were able to capture this unique tribute. I suspect, though, that the media were probably tipped off beforehand, but the crowd seem to have been taken by surprise.
I was 7 years old and still remember his funeral. One of the lasting memories is watching the cranes along the side of the Thames "bowing" down as his coffin went past
Hate to burst your bubble but the crane drivers were paid to come in to bow their derricks. Many working men detested Winston because of his treatment to workers. My dad, a docker at the time, confirmed this. That is why, after the end of WWII he was voted out of office as a poor peacetime leader.
Wow I have never seen this! ..I had no idea he had a state funeral..obviously I no about him because I'm English ..but I did not realise he laid in state in the very same building our queen was ...a state funeral ...he really must of been so loved! ...and in the world now we had Boris and now Rushi ...no comparison! ...RIP sir Churchill..❤❤🙏🙏
He was an amazing man. His speeches inspired and got us through our darkest times. I was 4 at the time of his funeral. I remember the barge going down the Thames. My mum was crying. The cranes lowered to half mast.
Winston Churchill got this country through WW2 and stopped Hitler invading our shores , l remember watching the funeral on the television , just seeing again brought a little tear to my eyes R.I.P
The 'Crane Salute' was not part of the 'official' funeral. It was an entirely genuine expression of how working people felt about a man they perceived as very great. Churchill lived in the same grim slimy world we all inhabit and yet he, very rare among men, rose above himself and made himself more than he would have been, a truly inspiring man. These days it's becoming popular in the woke world to 'knock' Churchill and men like him. More fool the wokes. Churchill will be remembered among The greatest Giants of history, Julius Caesar, Albert Einstein ... As a youngster in South London I watched on TV the funeral and saw, felt the emotions. No one expected the 'dockies' salute, from tough no nonsense Union men. As his funeral barge was motored slowly up the river, the same route chosen for Nelson's funeral, the cranes on the docks were all lowered one after another in salute as the barge passed. For most of us this was a complete surprise and yet such a fine demonstration of how the 'ordinary' working people felt about Winston Churchill. Who was Winston Churchill? If you've not read his life story, I strongly recommend you do, for inspiration. See also the film 'The Young Winston'. If you keep in mind the historically context you'll find you are reading / seeing one of the very greatest most inspiring men of all time. A little post script; a few years astern the BBC ran a series of programmes about famous Brits. King Alfred the Great, Queen Elizabeth I, Horatio Nelson, Isambard Kingdom Brunel and so on. They then invited the public to vote for the title of Greatest Brit. The title went by popular vote to Sir Winston Churchill.
Maybe in england, he's despised in much of the UK, mention his name in south wales, or the mining communities in south west england, especially among older residents and you'll get some angry glares. As he sent the army and ordered them to fire on miners who were protesting not being paid enough to buy food (or at all in some cases). The only reason he is so highly regarded is because he was a showman and hid a lot of his actions behind a facade as such many deplictions of him don't talk about many of his actions (his abysmal military leadership that was directly responsible for more than 56,000 deaths during a single battle in WW1 and Australia breaking from the empire), his response to the bengal famine in 1943, among other actions. Scratch away at the surface and he was a horrid human being
@@crwydryny No, he was a flawed human being, as all human beings are. I know that nuance isn't a thing anymore, but the mistakes he made don't cancel out all the good he did for this country.
@@crwydryny you are aware the opening fire box Welsh miners during the Tonypandy Riots is famously a myth, right? Because it sounds like you have fallen victim to it. As for the Bengal Famine, the misinformation is fascinating to someone who has studied it in great depth. Churchill’s involvement is largely historical revisionism that relies on a few misinterpreted quotes. The British government can absolutely be criticised for areas of the response, but when it comes down to the facts, it is massively unfair to blame it on a single figure considering the insane amount of factors that led to the disaster.
@@crwydryny The Galliopli thing is also not exactly true. Churchill's plan was actually quite sound and likely would have worked- he wanted to just blast through the straits, take some losses going through, and continue on to a defenseless Istanbul, allowing the creation of a second front that could join up with the Russians and a pincer movement that likely would have ended the war well within a year. The Turkish forces on the Dardanelles would be cut off and at worst would just harass the British as they passed through, but wouldn't do any real damage to the overall effort. The military establishment was responsible for the debacle. First, they delayed- the Turks were literally down to one round of ammunition at one point, with old ineffective guns that would have bounced off of the armor of most of the British ships, but the navy refused to force the straits without actually holding the land, in part because the navy had a culture where losing any ship under your command was an ultimate sin, and career ending. No losses were acceptable, so they wouldn't take any risks or accept any losses even if it would lead to guaranteed strategic success. So the Navy wouldn't force the straits, they needed to have the Army hold the ground before they would go. The Army delayed and delayed on the invasion, and the Turks were able to get German guns and reinforcements in place. And debacle follows. But Churchill never wanted to bother with that part. He just wanted to sail on through, maybe lose a few ships to mines and subs, but Istanbul was totally vulnerable and already evacuating, one battleship's shore bombardment would take it, and he could get a whole flotilla through. He took the fall and resigned from the Admiralty, but any tactician today would tell you that his plan as proposed was basically certain to work.
@@crwydryny also don’t get me wrong- the man absolutely had some opinions that would never pass today, and also was a terrible peacetime leader. However it always bugs me how much misinformation there is on the guy, which I guess it to be expected from the most influential Briton of the 20th century.
The movie 'Darkest Hour' gives an excellent introduction into how Winston Churchill came to be the UK's wartime prime minister. It also does a good job of showing his complexities, insecurities and failings. He was not necessarily the perfect leader, but he was very much the right man at the right time. I know reacting to a movie would be a lot of work, and would require careful editing to avoid copyright strikes, but it is very doable. That would set you up nicely for watching Christopher Nolan's 'Dunkirk' movie, because whereas 'Darkest Hour' shows Churchill's crucial role in the evacuation, 'Dunkirk' shows how the desperate plight of the stranded British and allied forces unfolded day-by-day, hour-by-hour and minute-by-minute on land, sea and in the air respectively. Other World War II films, like 'Saving Private Ryan', are more popular with many because they are more character driven. But 'Dunkirk' is unparalleled in providing a visceral experience of what it was like for the 400,000 servicemen stuck on those beaches, surrounded by German forces, with nowhere to hide.
My Dad was one of those stranded at Dunkirk. He jumped onto a cargo net on the side of a ship. So many jumped he was losing his grip and a hand came down and pulled him up and saved his life. He never knew who had helped him. The night before he died, he was back on the beach shouting to his mates, "Get down lads they are coming again". That was the stukkas. He died at 98 years old.
the first prime minister of her late majesty the queen. she broke royal protocol and attended his funeral. she liked him a lot. what a great honour for his family to have the queen of the nation be a mourner at the service.
It wasn’t just Sir Winston it was his ancestors who had also been so iconic in British history having created a destiny to follow for this man who had a full life.
Many key speeches in WW2 . A divisive figure in his early days his leadership in the war was outstanding. "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few" (regarding RAF in Battle of Britain September 1940) "We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."
An incredibly complex character without whom it is doubtful if the allies would have triumphed in WW11. He liked his alcohol, and one humorous story is that he was a bit 'in his cups' at some function or the other when some high quality lady remonstrated with him and said "You, sir, are drunk!' To which he replied, "And you ma'am are ugly. However I shall be sober in the morning." He was not universally liked, and had a number of political and personal hurdles to overcome, but he became one of the most respected icons of his time. Well worth doing further research.
There will never be another like him. One of only a few Prime Ministers to have the honour of a State Funeral. His resting place is 15 mins away from where I live.
My darling dad and uncle were cadets in the met police and were put on duty for Churchills funeral. Wish I'd asked him more about this while he was here.
We must never forget Sir Winston was a very successful author releasing 43 best selling books and his first was in 1898. He was truly a great man of his time destined to be remembered for eternity.
@@summersmile27 ... and a bricklayer. He was a member of the bricklayers' trade union. Examples of his work can be found at Chartwell, his country house.
@@MrBulky992 True, He had many strings to his bow, yet each one made the great man he was. His views on empire were not great but without him we wouldnt be the nation we are today
He is buried next to his father who he always looked up to Sir Randolph Churchill who was also a Member of Parliament and Government being Secretary of State for India ... he was also a great orator like his son ... but he always said " the lad ( Winston) won't make anything of himself. He was annoyed that Winston didn't get a Commission into The Guards but instead Cavalry as the upkeep financially was greater . How proud his father would have been if he lived to see what his son achieved .
I was 9yrs old when he died and his funeral is a marker in my life ... something that remains with me decades later. Watching that video made me quite weepy .... the bowing of the dock cranes was especially moving. He was a great man, much respected and was honoured with a full state funeral, which is usually reserved for royalty, so not the norm for civilian leaders in the UK.
I was 9 also! I remember hearing the news on the radio and running into the kitchen to tell my Mum. Why do we not have his calibre of leaders today?🙁🏴🇬🇧
I was 9 as well. I watched the funeral on TV in New Zealand and still remember it vividly, especially the parts on the Thames and the cranes bowing. I have since seen the room he was born in in Blenheim Palace, complete with some of the painting he did. He was a towering figure in history.
The bowing of the dock cranes was pure pageantry - it was a Saturday, the workers wouldn't usually have been there, they were paid to man their cranes and do it (many of them weren't exactly Churchill fans, as post-war he wasn't that popular with the working men who voted him out in favour of Attlee).
I went to have a look at his grave a few years ago. I was surprised how ordinary it was. Not sure what I was expecting but it was just a normal village churchyard. His gravestone just has his name on it, nothing else. Quite fitting really.
He wanted to be laid to rest near his birthplace (Blenheim Palace) with his family. I visit Bladon often and it’s so humbling to see his gravestone tucked away in a village graveyard.
@@BuntyMcB - I have a beautiful photo of it. It was at dawn and there was a spider web on it glimmering with dew in the sunrise. Even the spider respected him!
You need to learn about this remarkable msn who was a beacon of hope for England during WWIi. You andolutely must listen to his, we will fight on the beaches, sperch. He was an outstanding orator,
My father was also in the gun crew for Churchills funeral, he was our war time leader during WW2, he lead the nation through some of its toughest times, and yes that was a state funeral.
Fun fact - Gathered inside St. Paul’s to celebrate Churchill’s extraordinary life were dignitaries from an unprecedented 112 countries-including six monarchs, six presidents and 16 prime ministers-which made the state funeral the largest in history at that time. In addition to the 3,000 congregating under St. Paul’s dome, an estimated television audience of 350 million people-a tenth of the world’s population it remained the largest funeral in history until 2005.
There is a 1972 feature film called "Young Winston" which gives a great background to Winston's early life, fighting in the Boar War and up to his his election to Parliament at the age of 26. I remember watching Winston's funeral on black and white TV. He was one of the few people who were not a member of the British Royal Family to have been given a State Funeral. His grave is in the graveyard of his local church near to his family home according to his own wishes. The London dockworkers lowering their cranes as Winston's coffin passed, is an iconic image.
If you want to know more about this amazing individual then I support the suggestion to give the 1972"movie "Young Winston" a watch, I promise that you won't be disappointed and, unbelievably this is only the start of his life.
Where can you start about how brilliant this man was with so many things he did in his life that literally saved us . He was in the last cavalry charge of the British Cavalry in The Sudan ... was the Minister in charge of the Royal Navy leading up to ww1 and responsible for the modernisation.... he didn't have to but he volunteered to go to the front in ww1 and fought in the trenches. Before ww2 he saw the danger of Hitler and persuaded those in Government not to cut spending in the RAF if they hadn't listened to him there would be no Spitfire etc. ( he was responsible for the development of the tank in ww1) . He also set up most of our military intelligence and SOE ...he also backed the SAS in its early months and gave them the freedom to do whatever they wanted .. his son was sent on missions in N Africa with them and reported back to them . That's only a fraction .... you've also got his heroism as a war porter on the Boer War and his escape from capture that made international headlines as they were hunting for him . You must watch the fantastic movie about his early life " Young Winston " starring Simon Ward its fantastic.
Sir Winston Churchill took over as Prime minister in 1939 it was thought he would fail leading the country in war and we would make peace with Germany. He didn't he spoke to the public in London personally realised we would fight . He saved the British expeditionary forces from Dunkirk which lead to him saving Britain then with the aid of allies saved Europe. He never gave in and gave the nation the strength pride abd conviction to fight to the end.
One of if not the most important political figures of the 20th century. You've heard of the term "the Iron Curtain" ?? He coined that at a speech right after WW2 at a college in Missouri - referring to that communism that engulfed the countries of Eastern Europe enforced on them by the Soviet Union.
The cranes were "bowing" in respect to the boat carrying Churchill's body as it passed by going up the Thames River to his place of burial in a smaller town
You could fill up a whole youtube comments section just on the career alone of Sir Winston Churchill and that wouldnt even cover half of the mans acheivements and what he represented and meant to the British people, he was truly loved and respected. I sat as a young boy with my mum as we watched the funeral live on tv and she was in floods of inconsolable tear's having been a young teenage girl during the war, she was that distraught. there are so many parts to the man it takes books - very thick books to try to convey what he achieved to those who werent around when the man was alive, a brilliant and gifted orator for instance - and there are books solely concentrating on his many many epic speeches (we shall fight them on the beaches - and never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few to name but two), But what I loved most about Winnie was his mastery of the one line put down, One example always comes to mind and needs a bit of back story for those who dont know.: At the height of the blitz and just after our retreat at Dunkirk, when things were looking pretty grim for the Country and as Hitler was poised on the beaches of France to initiate a massive invasion of our Country, Churchill who liked a drop of brandy it has to be said would be up attending to matters for twenty hours of the day and obviously he was always half pissed as apparently it kept him awake - wouldnt anyone of us be half pissed in that situation too ? in amongst all this he also had his duties as Prime Minister to appear in the commons at all hours of the day and night, and for me as I said his best put down ever, occured during one early hours sitting of the house at the height of the blitz, when a leftie M.P named Bessie Braddock( a real big fat ugly trouble causing moose) jumped up in the middle of his report to the house on the war so far, and shouted over Churchill YOU sir are DRUNK ..hoping to do him political damage in the way most lefties try, whereupon Churchill calmly stopped what he was saying and gazed up at her in the back benches and after a moments silent pause said, Madam I MAY be drunk -but YOU are ugly....and in the morning I shall be SOBER - she never tried it again oddly enough ! lol
Sir Winston's grandfather was the 7th Duke of Marlborough & his mother was American actually, born in Ohio or New York. He was Prime Minister several times, most importantly during WW2
Not just that, he was First Lord of the Admiralty during the naval escalation prior to WWI, and was responsible for the British building so many great warships. Although he resigned from government during the war so he could rejoin the Army and fight.
@@SevCaswell Not quite, he was fired as First Lord of the Admiralty (politics) and when they decided they needed him he was found in the trenches of WW1, soldiering. He was a Major in the army at that time.
You should see and react to the movie, The King's Speech, as there is Winston Churchill character in that movie. You'll understand a lot about post-war Britain by watching the movie, which won the best picture Oscar in 2010 & Colin Firth won best actor as King George VI, Queen Elizabeth's father. The movie is nothing short of excellent. My favorite scene is when Dr Louge's wife comes home & discovers her husband's secret client...it's one of the funniest & best scenes I've ever seen.
The bit at the end wasn't from the funeral, It was from the end of the war in Europe or possibly the war world wide, Thats Churchill giving the crowd a "V" for victory sign. The footage from the funeral goes up to the gravestone bit in the churchyard, After that it's a short look back at him in life..
Churchill's picture hung in my grandparents and parents rooms. He said: 'It was the nation and the race dwelling around the globe which had the lions heart. I had the luck to be called upon to give the roar'.
I was 4 years old when my grandad died a week or two before Churchill, it was deemed that I was too young to attend grandads funeral, when I saw Churchills funeral on TV I thought, ah that's what my grandads funeral must have been like. 🤷♂️I was only 4.
Sir Winston Churchill was a member of the Spencer family and a cousin of Princess Diana. He joined the Army and fought in the Boer war in the 1890s, was elected to Parliament and was the first Lord of the Admiralty at the beginning of the First World War, (he resigned and rejoined the Army to serve in action on the western front) and was elected as Prime Minister shortly after the outbreak of World War 2. He was again elected Prime Minister in 1951 and was thus Queen Elizabeth II's first Prime Minister, and something of a surrogate father figure in the first few years of her reign.
Winston hurchill was our Prime. Minister during WW2. He held the country together during those hard times and led us out to freedom. He was so loved he was given the very rare honour of a State Funeral. it was the cranes dipping to honour him as he went down the Thames that remains my enduring memory.
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The last British prime minister who really did what was best for the country, not was best for themselves or their party.
That is so true Angie.
As Prime Minister of the UK in World War 2, Churchill inspired and led the country through it's darkest days. His Bulldog determination and inspired speeches endeared him to millions, and kept the nation fighting when all seemed lost. His mother was American which helped his long standing relationship with President Roosevelt, which assured that the American President was determined to help even before America entered the War. Churchill is credited with saving Britain, and possibly the World, from Nazi domination. When he died he was given a State Funeral, a rare honour for a Commoner, usually only given to Royalty. I think one of the most moving moments of his funeral came as he was carried down the river and the cranes on the docks are all lowered in salute as the barge passes.
Yes them fake wars all fixed
That was a wonderful moment
Winston Churchill was a racist and a misogynist. He happily caught himself fighting against Nazis. That wasn't his aim. Just as the mass-murdering USA didn't atom bomb for goodness. It was all about money. Money. Capitalism. Money. Greed. For me. Greed. Let's grow up; you sycophant to a taught tradition of the nation-state. Boy! Toure dull.
😂🤣😂😂
A commoner who was born in a Palace?
Hi Steve. Yes you really need to understand the importance of this man in the British psyche. He was absolutely the best war time leader the British could have had as he was pugnacious, determined and very very capable by that stage in his life. He typified and tapped in to 'The British Bulldog' identity which he used to keep the U.K. together when we were fighting Nazi Germany virtualy on our own and our cities were being bombed.
I can remember his death when I was about 9 . I recall in New Zealand, people were stunned & saddened as even I recall I was , he was that much of an iconic person. My father & uncles had fought in WW2 , an uncle was killed. Yes a great man
Churchill is regularly voted the greatest Briton of the 20th Century. Almost by the force of his will alone he held the country together during the Second World War. Through the power of his speeches he persuaded the USA to support Britain with equipment and arms at a time when isolationism was still running strong.
Greatest EVER
He was voted the greatest Britain of the past 1000 years.
Sir Winston was our prime minister during World War II. When France fell, he delivered a speech to the House of Commons which helped rally the country against the Nazis in a time when many politicians would have rather surrendered to them. In short, without Churchill, the allies lose the war.
Yes Winston made some outstand, rousing speeches ie "We shall fight on the beaches" "Never in the field of human conflict, has so much be owed by so many, by so few!" but my favorite (probably because my grandfather was a Desert Rat, ie 8th army, and he fought in North Africa (when the 8th army beat the German Army and Rommel. This was the first time German armed forces (Tanks and infantry) were beaten. Hence after this massive uplifting victory, Winston gave this speech
After Alexander advised Churchill to “Ring out the bells” to celebrate victory in Egypt, Churchill told a Lord Mayor's luncheon at Mansion House: “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” he was a outstanding Statesman.
@@davepavey2737 my dad was in North Africa too,
Utter nonsense
He was very much the Boris Johnson of his more referential day. Made horrendously stupid strategic decisions and caused the unnecessary deaths if many. Much like Johnson !
@@nichotto Churchill was in no way perfect. The Gallipoli misadventure was one that failed miserably yet could have been successful had it been executed properly, his stance on the Empire was of his age but retrospectively showed a lack of vision, but his application from his appointement in May 1940 until late in 1945 as Prime Minister almost single handedly ensured that the free world, and certainly the vast majority of the continent of Europe enjoy the freedoms that they do. Underestimating that is really disingenuous in the extreme.
My then neighbour’s son was one of the naval ratings pulling the gun carriage that SirWinston’s coffin was on. It is extremely rare for anyone other than the Royal Family to be accorded a state funeral. My husband queued for 6 hours in freezing cold to pay his respects in Westminster Hall. His life story is really fascinating, culminating in being our Prime Minister during WWII. He had his flaws but was the right man at the time and we are all grateful for his leadership during those awful years.
Perfect comment, Winston Churchill was not this flawless man, a lot of his politics before and after the war are questionable, he was a Tory. However during the war he brought the country together and the parties together to fight against tyranny and for that he will always have my respect.
Especially when we were ON OUR OWN in our stand against Nazism. I was in London by chance the day of the funeral and suddenly realised I wasn't far from the route. I stood in crowds 10 deep in the bitter cold. The silence was complete until we could hear the crunch of marching feet comming nearer then the rumble of the gun carriage wheels. There were many tears in those crowds - and not ones caused by the cold.
He was also the first sea lord of Admiralty. During ww1
@@welshonex818 He was a Liberal MP for many years.
@Harry Johnson
First Lord of the Admiralty, NOT First Sea Lord. The Sea Lords were Admirals, professional sailors. The First Lord was a political appointment, basically Minister of State for the Navy. His job was to give political direction to the Admiralty, to tell the Admiralty what the Government wanted done. The Sea Lords, the professional sailors, would then propose practical ways in which government policy might be implemented.
Churchill was also appointed as First Lord of the Admiralty again for a brief period at the start of WWII before he became Prime Minister.
When WW2 started the UK stood alone for the first 2 years as country after country across Europe fell to Nazi Germany. Ships bringing food were sunk, air raids devastated many areas of England (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland suffered but not nearly as much), and through it all we had the resolute voice of Winston Churchill encouraging us. No TV, no internet, just the radio in people's homes keeping them involved. His famous speech, "We will fight them on the seas, we will fight them on the beaches, we shall fight them on the landing grounds. We shall never surrender" kept the people strong until other allies could help us win the war. He was our hero when we needed one.
Winston Churchill saved the world as we know it. Most Americans think that couldn't possibly be true - but it is. The most genuine V-sign at the end of the video 🇬🇧
Yes he stood up to & defied Hitler when all around people were saying he should negotiate a peace deal . Thank God he didn’t
People of my generation hold him in awe as he saved us from Nazi rule. The responsibility he shouldered was enormous and yet he managed to rally his country to be brave and positive through a very dark time in our history. I can’t watch the Darkest Hour without realising how fortunate we were to have had such a strong leader. As well as a masterful writer people forget that he was also a fine painter.
I feel all generations feel the same
I can not fully express my profound feeling for Churchill as a leader, patriot and human being. His impact on the world, Britain and people in every corner of the globe is beyond compare, and I still choke up and get emotional when I see even these few short recordings of his funeral all enhanced by the incredible hymn (and words) of I Vow To The My Country.
He was captured in the Boer war..took part in the last ever cavalry charge... was involved in the first world war. It was if his life was all gearing him for leading uk through 2nd WW. He instigated the little ships at Dunkirk and so much more
The crowds paying their respects, knowing that they owed their lives and way of living to this man. The greatest of all Englishmen.
Winston Churchill was probably the most important Statesman of the twentieth century. One of only three men outside the royals who was given a state funeral. His life was extraordinary and well worth looking at. He was born at Blenheim Palace, into a very illustrious family - he had some very famous and important ancestors. His father was a English Lord, his mother was American. As a young man he was a soldier and took part in the last cavalry charge of the British Army. He became a war correspondent, politician, soldier again, famous author, painter and then led the country through World War II. His speeches are a mastery of the English Language and truly inspired the country into resisting Hitler, his importance at the time cannot be overstated.
Our captain! Simply the greatest man ever. 🇬🇧
I remember watching this as a 14-year-old girl, and even then it moved me. He kept the morale of the people up during WW2 he was ao positive about the outcome, so I learned from my parents.
You hit the nail on the head, Sir Winston Churchill was a King to the people of the UK. Churchill was a huge reason that the UK won WWll. This was a King's funeral.
I think it’s also important to remember that Sir Winston died just 20 years after the war. Every adult in that crowd would have lived through the war and everyone man over the age of 40 in 1965 would have served in the army, navy or airforce during the war. What he achieved was what they achieved and he was a real part of their lives.
Not quite, Andrew. Whilst every adult in the crowd lived all, or at least part of their lives in the War years, only a small proportion of men over 40 in 1965 served in the armed forces. Remember the "Bevan Boys" ? .... one in 10 young men conscripted during the War were directed to be coal miners (not in the armed forces). Middle aged men and pensioners did not serve in the armed forces. Although many women did men's work, many men continued to build Spitfires and Hurricanes and Lancasters, and tanks, and Bedford lorries, and guns. Many were farmers (rather important people). Whilst in real life, nearly all of the cast of Dad's Army saw military service, some being awarded a string of medals, the fictional characters, the bank manager, the funeral director, the green grocer, and everyone's favourite spiv did not. Only some of the men in the House of Commons were in the services at any time. Wasters such as solicitors and barristers continued to chisel and chance and thieve as before and since the War. Dockers continued as dockers as did train drivers and their firemen. Most firemen (members of fire brigades) continued as firemen. Men who failed medicals did not serve including those with "flat feet". Although it might have been good to have most of them suffer some pain, not many dentists served and those who did, did so largely well behind the lines. The man who is partially obscured by Winston at 6.47 was Police Inspector Walter Thompson, Winston's personal bodyguard. At all times, he was a police officer and did not serve in the military.
@@terryhoath1983 You overstate your case. I think Andrew Little was saying that every man over 40 in those crowds was, in one way or another, involved in the war effort. My Mother worked a lathe in a munition factory during the war. My Dad was a toolmaker, a restricted occupation, and was not allowed to join up. We (I can say we because I was born during the war) were together, for Britain against the Nazi hoards. Don't you try to diminish the determination of the British at that time.
@@terryhoath1983 There is no shame in serving 'behind the lines'. Someone had to be a dentist for the people mining coal, making Spitfires, and the million plus odd jobs that made Britain strong.
Some served anyway, my Father and his brothers all had exemption certificates because their civilian jobs were considered essential.
Despite which all three went willingly into the Army for 7 years and in the words of a common phrase at that time said they were "were doing my bit".
@@terryhoath1983 --You seem to have issues unrelated. I was working in London in 1965. Everyone I knew then had served in some way and told their stories. One-armed men were commonplace as were shell-shocked survivors from WW1. The Bevin Boys (not Bevan) were essential to keeping the mines going, as were other professionals in 'reserved' occupations. The legal profession that you so despise are very well represented amongst the most decorated, fighting in every theatre of the conflict. Inspector Thompson as Churchill's bodyguard probably had the most unnecessary job with very little to do.
@@davidtuer5825 I had no idea that anyone had replied to my reply until today when a notification of a contribution made a few hours ago popped up in my notifications. You make my very point. Your Mum and Dad were NOT in the Army, Navy, or Air Force. I I am not suggesting that they were among those physically paying their respects in London that day, I don't know, but as THEY weren't in the Army, Navy, or Air Force, it is reasonable to assume that many of those who WERE there also did not serve in the Armed Services. My reply was purely in pursuit of accuracy. Andrew stated, "Every adult in that crowd would have lived through the war and everyone man over the age of 40 in 1965 would have >>>>>> served in the army, navy or airforce
He was afforded a state funeral, which is unusual for a commoner but such was and is his importance to our history.
Horatio Nelson was one of the other few.
@@susieq9801 The Duke of Wellington and Sir Isaac Newton are the other 2. Just 4 commoners.
@@trevorhart545 - Deserving!
Actually, state funerals are rare not only for commoners but also for royalty. So far as I know the only members of the a Royal Family given a state funeral in the last 200 years have been monarchs.
Lord Mountbatten, Diana Princess of Wales, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Prince Philip were given "ceremonial" funerals, as was Margaret Thatcher, not as grand as a state funeral.
@@trevorhart545Four times prime minister William Ewart Gladstone was given a state funeral, notwithstanding Queen Victoria's dislike of him.
I think Isaac Newton was given a good send-off but not officially categorised as a state funeral.
He stood for England when all in Europe felt lost.
Thank your Winne.
Loved you and still do.
JML
The rest of the United Kingdom too. He was MP for Dundee for a bit.
I was 11 when he died and my dad went and bought a television so we could watch the funeral. I cried and cried through the whole service.
I was about 9 & I still recall how shocked I was even then . As a kid the idea of mortality hasn’t really sunk in
You have to remember that this took place only 20 years after the end of World War II. He was the steadfast leader of the UK in their darkest hour. And the invasion of the allied forces could've been possible if the UK had been conquered by the Nazis too. Not only the UK, but the world at large owes this giant gratitude for ever!
He saved Britain, nobody else, He did. God bless him. 🌹❤️
I am old enough to remember seeing the announcement of his death reading the headline “Churchill Dead”. I was 10 and didn’t know who that was. 50 years later I’m watching The Crown and I finally get it. I know a TV miniseries the has embellished everything can’t paint a true picture of Churchill so I plan on reading a credible book about him.
Success is not final , failure is not fatal , its the courage to continue that counts .... Winston Churchill.
Churchill first came to note as a correspondant during the Boer war. He was Nobel prize winner for literature and an honorary citizen of the USA amongst many other honours
Thanks to the US-UK special relationship of course.
@@deborahadeniji808 No, his mother was American and, like Boris, he was born there. edit, My error, Winston wasn't born in America although his mother was.
Loved this video...Sir Winston was a national hero to the UK and commonwealth. He led us through WW2, he was our late Queen's first Prime Minister. Watch The Darkest Hour, it will tell you his wartime story, and perhaps you'll realise why we help in such esteem.
Yes, I found this DVD enlightening and inspiring.
Hero for UK agreed. Hero for commonwealth…100%not
Sir Winston's mother was an American,, so, he had a great love for your country. The London dockers lowered their cranes to salute him.
The crane operators had to be paid to turn-up!!!
Not sure his mother had anything to do with it. Churchill often complained about his largely absent parents. His childhood was pretty miserable.
@@oldman1734 I daresay the police officers, the street sweepers and the Archbishop were paid too. Does that make a difference?
@@oldman1734 you don't turn up to work without getting paid I can't see your point
@@Englishman_and_mountains. OK. So for them it was just another day at work. They weren’t celebrating Winston Churchill’s life.
There is a difference.
Churchill is widely regarded as the greatest Briton of all time. He became prime minister at the lowest point of the second world war when we were on the verge of defeat and almost single handedly, through the force of his own will, he gave us the belief that not only could we win the war, it was a war we quite simply had to win to save the country and along with it, the civilised world.
A US President said something like that Churchill mobilised the English language and led the country to victory in the Second World War. Winston is seen appearing before crowds in London on VE Day, 8 May 1945. He was twice First Lord of the Admiralty and twice Prime Minister. Voted the Greatest Briton ever in a poll in 2000 - I agree!
Hundred's of thousand of people are born or die every day, very few of those people create a ripple in history and are therefore never forgotten in time. Winston Churchill is one of those few. England, Britain, The United Kingdom, The Commonwealth and owe him and many other's in their finest hours a debt. Lest We Forget.
Beautiful comment.
He was the right man in the right place at the right time
I’ve watched many Americans react to all sorts of things British/uk. I have to be honest at the beginning you weren’t my favourite but over time I’ve watched how respectful you are to both our past and present. I really enjoy your videos, thank you - much respect 🫡
I remember watching his funeral on TV... the first time I ever saw a TV. The whole world owed Winston their freedom. It was Winston who stood up and led the allies throughout WW2 at times the lone voice shouting out warnings that people just didn't want to hear and at other times being the voice for the people in speeches that stirred the spirit and kept us together. He was also a prolific writer and historian and renowned international Statesman a decorated soldier and first lord of the Admiralty. Just a few weeks after the end of WW2 he was 'let go' by the public, many wanting a different kind of Prime Minister in peacetime others doubtless feeling he so badly needed rest. Sure enough four years later he was back and elected as PM again. The truth is the years took their toll on him and we watched him age and become frail and his death was not so much of a surprise as a realisation that we had lost a man who more than any other before or since represented the Soul of Britishness. I loved that he left London by boat and that the dockworkers lowered the cranes as he past. Truth be told the whole nation stood still for a moment.
His perseverance in the war is the reason we are not speaking German.
Rubbish !
@@andy.m265 Keyboard warrior reply, now explain how you came to that decision
@@rayrecrok his atrocities on the commonwealth folk just like the queen’s greed is what pulled Britain through the war. If Churchill did not commit mass murder in commonwealth ,it would have been a different outcome
@@Mostly-Saneoh go away troll 😂
@@Mostly-Sanebollards, pet.
A man born into privilege life. He had an interesting life. He was in and out of favour and prone to episodes of depression, which he called his black dog days. Although a pupil at Harrow School, where he didn't do well. He was also at Sandhurst Military Academy and was a late developer, but the military was the making of him. He was afforded a State funeral, not many commoners are given. He spoke for the nation during WW2.
Yes he was a colourful character, his biography makes a very interesting read
Every Brit European and American owes him their freedom, he was the reason Britain survived WW2 he was the wartime leader and the only one who dared apose Hitler.
I'm quite surprised you don't know who he really is. He is a WW2 hero
He stood up in the American house of representatives and spoke too, it was a fantastic speach
Listen to his speechs he was an incredible wordsmith and statesman
The cranes were bowing in salute as he passed them. He was a great man and war leader, he had many faults and made mistakes but he was a great leader in spite of that. He rallied the nation in its darkest hour and gave hope to a people whose sons had gone to war only a fear decades before.
The cranes bowing is my undying memory of his funeral
The Crane Drivers went on strike and refused to work unless they got paid more for the day. They were paid.
Yes he did have his faults as do we all , but as you say he was a great leader
@@mairiconnell6282/ good grief, love the unions 😹
The greatest PM in our history, He saved Europe with his millions of a nation and finally persuaded the US to get involved
That was an incredible funeral procession- so similar to that we saw last year for Queen Eliabeth.
Because he was Prime Minister during World War II he had a very special place in the nations heart. It would be unusual for any politician to get that level of support from the people - usually politicians divide a nation!
Thank you very much for showing the video of the funeral and for your comments, and more generally for your apparently sincere efforts to understand British culture, which is a formidable task for someone born and brought up in the USA.
The video brought back some memories for me. I was born in England during the final months of WW2 and brought up overseas, but at the time of the funeral I was a 20.year old seafarer and was back in the UK studying for my Second Mate's Certificate. I came up to London by motorcycle from Southampton, where I was studying, to see the historic event.
You are right about the size of the crowd. Although you can only see a small part of the crowd in any frame of the video, due to the narrow streets in that part of London, in addition to the dense crowd around the Cathedral I understand that the pavements (sidewalks) all along the route of the funeral procession, a few miles, were packed with people. I heard it was the biggest crowd in London since the Queen's coronation in the 1950's. Due to the crowds and traffic diversions, I had to park my motorcycle several blocks from the Cathedral, but I managed to reach the area of the Cathedral on foot. and find a position on the south side of the Cathedral where I could see the coffin and various dignitaries coming up the steps at the main (west) entrance, and where I could hear the service through loudspeakers which had been rigged outside the cathedral (including, as you mentioned, the beautiful patriotic hymn ."I vow to thee" which, since I was brought up overseas, was unfamiliar to me, and I only got to learn the words many years later).
My two main impressions were of the weather, which was overcast and bitterly cold, but fortunately not raining or snowing, and of how quiet the crowd was.
You mentioned the "dipping" of the cranes at the wharves along the River Thames as the launch carrying the coffin passed along the river after the service. I had walked down to the riverside to see the launch passed, and saw that too. I read in the London newspapers at the time that the dipping of the cranes had not been part of the planned funeral activities, but that when the local waterfront workers heard that the coffin was to be carried up the river by launch, they had spontaneously organised this final tribute to Churchill among themselves, and taken the media by surprise, but fortunately some newsreel cameras were stationed ar the riverside to record the passage of the coffin, and were able to capture this unique tribute. I suspect, though, that the media were probably tipped off beforehand, but the crowd seem to have been taken by surprise.
I was 7 years old and still remember his funeral. One of the lasting memories is watching the cranes along the side of the Thames "bowing" down as his coffin went past
Hate to burst your bubble but the crane drivers were paid to come in to bow their derricks. Many working men detested Winston because of his treatment to workers. My dad, a docker at the time, confirmed this. That is why, after the end of WWII he was voted out of office as a poor peacetime leader.
Same age as i was and still remember this like yesterday
I was 7 years old too and the enduring memory was of the cranes bowing. It made me cry then as it does now. I have tears in my eyes now.
@@sonofednawelthorpe8609- yes , I had a tear in my eye just watching it now
Sir Winston Churchill is my uncle proud brit living in Canada 🇬🇧🇨🇦
Wow I have never seen this! ..I had no idea he had a state funeral..obviously I no about him because I'm English ..but I did not realise he laid in state in the very same building our queen was ...a state funeral ...he really must of been so loved! ...and in the world now we had Boris and now Rushi ...no comparison! ...RIP sir Churchill..❤❤🙏🙏
He was an amazing man. His speeches inspired and got us through our darkest times. I was 4 at the time of his funeral. I remember the barge going down the Thames. My mum was crying. The cranes lowered to half mast.
I think you can u tube his speeches
It was a state funeral, usually reserved only for the monarch, which is why it mirrored the funeral for the late Queen Elizabeth.
I was one of many who paid my respects as he lay in Westminster also with my parents
Winston Churchill got this country through WW2 and stopped Hitler invading our shores , l remember watching the funeral on the television , just seeing again brought a little tear to my eyes R.I.P
The 'Crane Salute' was not part of the 'official' funeral.
It was an entirely genuine expression of how working people felt about a man they perceived as very great.
Churchill lived in the same grim slimy world we all inhabit and yet he, very rare among men, rose above himself and made himself more than he would have been, a truly inspiring man.
These days it's becoming popular in the woke world to 'knock' Churchill and men like him.
More fool the wokes.
Churchill will be remembered among The greatest Giants of history, Julius Caesar, Albert Einstein ...
As a youngster in South London I watched on TV the funeral and saw, felt the emotions.
No one expected the 'dockies' salute, from tough no nonsense Union men.
As his funeral barge was motored slowly up the river, the same route chosen for Nelson's funeral, the cranes on the docks were all lowered one after another in salute as the barge passed.
For most of us this was a complete surprise and yet such a fine demonstration of how the 'ordinary' working people felt about Winston Churchill.
Who was Winston Churchill?
If you've not read his life story, I strongly recommend you do, for inspiration.
See also the film 'The Young Winston'.
If you keep in mind the historically context you'll find you are reading / seeing one of the very greatest most inspiring men of all time.
A little post script; a few years astern the BBC ran a series of programmes about famous Brits. King Alfred the Great, Queen Elizabeth I, Horatio Nelson, Isambard Kingdom Brunel and so on.
They then invited the public to vote for the title of Greatest Brit.
The title went by popular vote to Sir Winston Churchill.
Wonderful man a patriot
He was a world figure, so deserving of a special send off.
This man was our saviour in the war .He saved us from the nazi regime.A man of greatness
Winston Churchill is the greatest Briton ,
The right man for our darkest hour,
If it weren't for Churchill we would have lost
Maybe in england, he's despised in much of the UK, mention his name in south wales, or the mining communities in south west england, especially among older residents and you'll get some angry glares. As he sent the army and ordered them to fire on miners who were protesting not being paid enough to buy food (or at all in some cases).
The only reason he is so highly regarded is because he was a showman and hid a lot of his actions behind a facade as such many deplictions of him don't talk about many of his actions (his abysmal military leadership that was directly responsible for more than 56,000 deaths during a single battle in WW1 and Australia breaking from the empire), his response to the bengal famine in 1943, among other actions. Scratch away at the surface and he was a horrid human being
@@crwydryny No, he was a flawed human being, as all human beings are. I know that nuance isn't a thing anymore, but the mistakes he made don't cancel out all the good he did for this country.
@@crwydryny you are aware the opening fire box Welsh miners during the Tonypandy Riots is famously a myth, right? Because it sounds like you have fallen victim to it.
As for the Bengal Famine, the misinformation is fascinating to someone who has studied it in great depth. Churchill’s involvement is largely historical revisionism that relies on a few misinterpreted quotes. The British government can absolutely be criticised for areas of the response, but when it comes down to the facts, it is massively unfair to blame it on a single figure considering the insane amount of factors that led to the disaster.
@@crwydryny The Galliopli thing is also not exactly true. Churchill's plan was actually quite sound and likely would have worked- he wanted to just blast through the straits, take some losses going through, and continue on to a defenseless Istanbul, allowing the creation of a second front that could join up with the Russians and a pincer movement that likely would have ended the war well within a year. The Turkish forces on the Dardanelles would be cut off and at worst would just harass the British as they passed through, but wouldn't do any real damage to the overall effort.
The military establishment was responsible for the debacle. First, they delayed- the Turks were literally down to one round of ammunition at one point, with old ineffective guns that would have bounced off of the armor of most of the British ships, but the navy refused to force the straits without actually holding the land, in part because the navy had a culture where losing any ship under your command was an ultimate sin, and career ending. No losses were acceptable, so they wouldn't take any risks or accept any losses even if it would lead to guaranteed strategic success.
So the Navy wouldn't force the straits, they needed to have the Army hold the ground before they would go. The Army delayed and delayed on the invasion, and the Turks were able to get German guns and reinforcements in place. And debacle follows. But Churchill never wanted to bother with that part. He just wanted to sail on through, maybe lose a few ships to mines and subs, but Istanbul was totally vulnerable and already evacuating, one battleship's shore bombardment would take it, and he could get a whole flotilla through. He took the fall and resigned from the Admiralty, but any tactician today would tell you that his plan as proposed was basically certain to work.
@@crwydryny also don’t get me wrong- the man absolutely had some opinions that would never pass today, and also was a terrible peacetime leader. However it always bugs me how much misinformation there is on the guy, which I guess it to be expected from the most influential Briton of the 20th century.
The movie 'Darkest Hour' gives an excellent introduction into how Winston Churchill came to be the UK's wartime prime minister. It also does a good job of showing his complexities, insecurities and failings. He was not necessarily the perfect leader, but he was very much the right man at the right time. I know reacting to a movie would be a lot of work, and would require careful editing to avoid copyright strikes, but it is very doable.
That would set you up nicely for watching Christopher Nolan's 'Dunkirk' movie, because whereas 'Darkest Hour' shows Churchill's crucial role in the evacuation, 'Dunkirk' shows how the desperate plight of the stranded British and allied forces unfolded day-by-day, hour-by-hour and minute-by-minute on land, sea and in the air respectively. Other World War II films, like 'Saving Private Ryan', are more popular with many because they are more character driven. But 'Dunkirk' is unparalleled in providing a visceral experience of what it was like for the 400,000 servicemen stuck on those beaches, surrounded by German forces, with nowhere to hide.
My Dad was one of those stranded at Dunkirk. He jumped onto a cargo net on the side of a ship. So many jumped he was losing his grip and a hand came down and pulled him up and saved his life. He never knew who had helped him. The night before he died, he was back on the beach shouting to his mates, "Get down lads they are coming again". That was the stukkas. He died at 98 years old.
the first prime minister of her late majesty the queen. she broke royal protocol and attended his funeral. she liked him a lot. what a great honour for his family to have the queen of the nation be a mourner at the service.
It wasn’t just Sir Winston it was his ancestors who had also been so iconic in British history having created a destiny to follow for this man who had a full life.
You should react to more of this man.
Many key speeches in WW2 . A divisive figure in his early days his leadership in the war was outstanding.
"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few" (regarding RAF in Battle of Britain September 1940)
"We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."
'Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few'
An incredibly complex character without whom it is doubtful if the allies would have triumphed in WW11. He liked his alcohol, and one humorous story is that he was a bit 'in his cups' at some function or the other when some high quality lady remonstrated with him and said "You, sir, are drunk!' To which he replied, "And you ma'am are ugly. However I shall be sober in the morning." He was not universally liked, and had a number of political and personal hurdles to overcome, but he became one of the most respected icons of his time. Well worth doing further research.
Lady Astor, I believe.
@davidtuer5825 there we go! Thank you kindly. 😊
Hi Steve, I lined up in the rain with my friend to file past his casket. It was very moving and something I have never forgotten.
Sir Winston Churchill was our Prime Minister that led us through World War 2, he is a National Icon.
There will never be another like him. One of only a few Prime Ministers to have the honour of a State Funeral.
His resting place is 15 mins away from where I live.
My darling dad and uncle were cadets in the met police and were put on duty for Churchills funeral. Wish I'd asked him more about this while he was here.
Darkest Hour staring Gary Oldman as Churchill will show you how important he was to this country
We must never forget Sir Winston was a very successful author releasing 43 best selling books and his first was in 1898. He was truly a great man of his time destined to be remembered for eternity.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953.
He was also an artist. did some lovely paintings
@@summersmile27 ... and a bricklayer. He was a member of the bricklayers' trade union. Examples of his work can be found at Chartwell, his country house.
@@MrBulky992 True, He had many strings to his bow, yet each one made the great man he was. His views on empire were not great but without him we wouldnt be the nation we are today
And his paintings wonders,I would love to own one,a multi talented man
He is buried next to his father who he always looked up to Sir Randolph Churchill who was also a Member of Parliament and Government being Secretary of State for India ... he was also a great orator like his son ... but he always said " the lad ( Winston) won't make anything of himself. He was annoyed that Winston didn't get a Commission into The Guards but instead Cavalry as the upkeep financially was greater . How proud his father would have been if he lived to see what his son achieved .
The last scene was during the VE Day celebrations in London, when he appeared on the balcony along with the royal family
Simply Britains greatest Briton
I was 9yrs old when he died and his funeral is a marker in my life ... something that remains with me decades later. Watching that video made me quite weepy .... the bowing of the dock cranes was especially moving. He was a great man, much respected and was honoured with a full state funeral, which is usually reserved for royalty, so not the norm for civilian leaders in the UK.
I was 9 also! I remember hearing the news on the radio and running into the kitchen to tell my Mum. Why do we not have his calibre of leaders today?🙁🏴🇬🇧
I was 9 as well. I watched the funeral on TV in New Zealand and still remember it vividly, especially the parts on the Thames and the cranes bowing. I have since seen the room he was born in in Blenheim Palace, complete with some of the painting he did. He was a towering figure in history.
@@valforbes6374 Cometh the hour, cometh the man.
I was 9 too. I remember mum was watching it whilst doing the ironing.
The bowing of the dock cranes was pure pageantry - it was a Saturday, the workers wouldn't usually have been there, they were paid to man their cranes and do it (many of them weren't exactly Churchill fans, as post-war he wasn't that popular with the working men who voted him out in favour of Attlee).
Churchill had a state funeral, rare for a non-royal. That's why the reaction was so great.
As a Brit I adored him and my parents did adore him, he was our PM during world war 2 and defeated Hitler and the Nazis x
He saved the free world....Full stop.
I went to have a look at his grave a few years ago. I was surprised how ordinary it was. Not sure what I was expecting but it was just a normal village churchyard. His gravestone just has his name on it, nothing else. Quite fitting really.
He wanted to be laid to rest near his birthplace (Blenheim Palace) with his family. I visit Bladon often and it’s so humbling to see his gravestone tucked away in a village graveyard.
@@BuntyMcB - I have a beautiful photo of it. It was at dawn and there was a spider web on it glimmering with dew in the sunrise. Even the spider respected him!
Its as he would have wished
That says a lot about the man
You need to learn about this remarkable msn who was a beacon of hope for England during WWIi. You andolutely must listen to his, we will fight on the beaches, sperch. He was an outstanding orator,
My father was also in the gun crew for Churchills funeral, he was our war time leader during WW2, he lead the nation through some of its toughest times, and yes that was a state funeral.
Fun fact - Gathered inside St. Paul’s to celebrate Churchill’s extraordinary life were dignitaries from an unprecedented 112 countries-including six monarchs, six presidents and 16 prime ministers-which made the state funeral the largest in history at that time. In addition to the 3,000 congregating under St. Paul’s dome, an estimated television audience of 350 million people-a tenth of the world’s population it remained the largest funeral in history until 2005.
There is a 1972 feature film called "Young Winston" which gives a great background to Winston's early life, fighting in the Boar War and up to his his election to Parliament at the age of 26. I remember watching Winston's funeral on black and white TV. He was one of the few people who were not a member of the British Royal Family to have been given a State Funeral. His grave is in the graveyard of his local church near to his family home according to his own wishes. The London dockworkers lowering their cranes as Winston's coffin passed, is an iconic image.
Isaac Newton, William Gladstone, Lord Nelson, and the Duke of Wellington were all honoured with full sate funerals before Churchill
@@imswat890 Corrected.
If you want to know more about this amazing individual then I support the suggestion to give the 1972"movie "Young Winston" a watch, I promise that you won't be disappointed and, unbelievably this is only the start of his life.
Where can you start about how brilliant this man was with so many things he did in his life that literally saved us . He was in the last cavalry charge of the British Cavalry in The Sudan ... was the Minister in charge of the Royal Navy leading up to ww1 and responsible for the modernisation.... he didn't have to but he volunteered to go to the front in ww1 and fought in the trenches. Before ww2 he saw the danger of Hitler and persuaded those in Government not to cut spending in the RAF if they hadn't listened to him there would be no Spitfire etc. ( he was responsible for the development of the tank in ww1) . He also set up most of our military intelligence and SOE ...he also backed the SAS in its early months and gave them the freedom to do whatever they wanted .. his son was sent on missions in N Africa with them and reported back to them .
That's only a fraction .... you've also got his heroism as a war porter on the Boer War and his escape from capture that made international headlines as they were hunting for him .
You must watch the fantastic movie about his early life " Young Winston " starring Simon Ward its fantastic.
Sir Winston Churchill took over as Prime minister in 1939 it was thought he would fail leading the country in war and we would make peace with Germany. He didn't he spoke to the public in London personally realised we would fight . He saved the British expeditionary forces from Dunkirk which lead to him saving Britain then with the aid of allies saved Europe. He never gave in and gave the nation the strength pride abd conviction to fight to the end.
He was able to turn England from Down to UP and WIN WW2.... Thank you Winston Churchill. And it was not easy for Him.
One of if not the most important political figures of the 20th century. You've heard of the term "the Iron Curtain" ?? He coined that at a speech right after WW2 at a college in Missouri - referring to that communism that engulfed the countries of Eastern Europe enforced on them by the Soviet Union.
The cranes were "bowing" in respect to the boat carrying Churchill's body as it passed by going up the Thames River to his place of burial in a smaller town
You could fill up a whole youtube comments section just on the career alone of Sir Winston Churchill and that wouldnt even cover half of the mans acheivements and what he represented and meant to the British people, he was truly loved and respected. I sat as a young boy with my mum as we watched the funeral live on tv and she was in floods of inconsolable tear's having been a young teenage girl during the war, she was that distraught.
there are so many parts to the man it takes books - very thick books to try to convey what he achieved to those who werent around when the man was alive, a brilliant and gifted orator for instance - and there are books solely concentrating on his many many epic speeches (we shall fight them on the beaches - and never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few to name but two),
But what I loved most about Winnie was his mastery of the one line put down,
One example always comes to mind and needs a bit of back story for those who dont know.:
At the height of the blitz and just after our retreat at Dunkirk, when things were looking pretty grim for the Country and as Hitler was poised on the beaches of France to initiate a massive invasion of our Country, Churchill who liked a drop of brandy it has to be said would be up attending to matters for twenty hours of the day and obviously he was always half pissed as apparently it kept him awake - wouldnt anyone of us be half pissed in that situation too ? in amongst all this he also had his duties as Prime Minister to appear in the commons at all hours of the day and night, and for me as I said his best put down ever, occured during one early hours sitting of the house at the height of the blitz, when a leftie M.P named Bessie Braddock( a real big fat ugly trouble causing moose) jumped up in the middle of his report to the house on the war so far, and shouted over Churchill YOU sir are DRUNK ..hoping to do him political damage in the way most lefties try,
whereupon Churchill calmly stopped what he was saying and gazed up at her in the back benches and after a moments silent pause said, Madam I MAY be drunk -but YOU are ugly....and in the morning I shall be SOBER - she never tried it again oddly enough ! lol
He was prime minister during ww2 and was famous for his never surrender mentality
Gary Oldman plays him well in the darkest hour worth a watch
Sir Winston's grandfather was the 7th Duke of Marlborough & his mother was American actually, born in Ohio or New York. He was Prime Minister several times, most importantly during WW2
Not just that, he was First Lord of the Admiralty during the naval escalation prior to WWI, and was responsible for the British building so many great warships. Although he resigned from government during the war so he could rejoin the Army and fight.
@@SevCaswell Not quite, he was fired as First Lord of the Admiralty (politics) and when they decided they needed him he was found in the trenches of WW1, soldiering. He was a Major in the army at that time.
You should see and react to the movie, The King's Speech, as there is Winston Churchill character in that movie. You'll understand a lot about post-war Britain by watching the movie, which won the best picture Oscar in 2010 & Colin Firth won best actor as King George VI, Queen Elizabeth's father. The movie is nothing short of excellent. My favorite scene is when Dr Louge's wife comes home & discovers her husband's secret client...it's one of the funniest & best scenes I've ever seen.
'The Gathering Storm' is worth watching too.
Albert Finney plays Churchill.
It was a state funeral because he was the statesman who was seen as saving Britain in WW2. The whole country mourned.
This really is the perfect song for the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill
Without him......I don't want to go there.
The bit at the end wasn't from the funeral, It was from the end of the war in Europe or possibly the war world wide, Thats Churchill giving the crowd a "V" for victory sign. The footage from the funeral goes up to the gravestone bit in the churchyard, After that it's a short look back at him in life..
Churchill's picture hung in my grandparents and parents rooms. He said: 'It was the nation and the race dwelling around the globe which had the lions heart. I had the luck to be called upon to give the roar'.
I was 4 years old when my grandad died a week or two before Churchill, it was deemed that I was too young to attend grandads funeral, when I saw Churchills funeral on TV I thought, ah that's what my grandads funeral must have been like. 🤷♂️I was only 4.
Good or bad. He was the man for the moment. My dad was his bodyguard in Palestine
Sir Winston Churchill was a member of the Spencer family and a cousin of Princess Diana. He joined the Army and fought in the Boer war in the 1890s, was elected to Parliament and was the first Lord of the Admiralty at the beginning of the First World War, (he resigned and rejoined the Army to serve in action on the western front) and was elected as Prime Minister shortly after the outbreak of World War 2. He was again elected Prime Minister in 1951 and was thus Queen Elizabeth II's first Prime Minister, and something of a surrogate father figure in the first few years of her reign.
When the cranes at the docks saluted....
He was very clever and a phenomenal linguist.
We need another Churchill right now.
Watch the feature film 'Darkest Hour'.
YES!!! I watched this one fairly recently, and thought it was brilliant!
''if necessary for years,if necessary ALONE'' part of the famous speech as he talks about fighting the nazis
He got us through our darkest hour. He was utterly revered.
Everyone owes Winston Churchill a massive debt for what he did for our country and the war effort.
Winston hurchill was our Prime. Minister during WW2. He held the country together during those hard times and led us out to freedom. He was so loved he was given the very rare honour of a State Funeral. it was the cranes dipping to honour him as he went down the Thames that remains my enduring memory.