An original Second World War press photograph of Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill observing armored vehicle maneuvers in southern England in September 1941

Published by Copyright A.B. Text & Bilder, published by Svenska Dagbladets, Stockholm, 1941

About this Item

This is an original Second World War press photograph of Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill inspecting armored vehicle maneuvers in Southern England in September 1941, The gelatin silver print is on glossy photo paper and measures 4 x 6 inches (10.16 x 15.24 cm). Condition is very good, the image bright and crisp despite comparatively small size, Churchill standing in the left foreground, left hand on his hip, right leaning on his cane. He is adjacent to one armored vehicle, its identification number clearly discernible, with more than a dozen more crewed armored vehicles and some soldiers on foot and scattered across the background of gently rolling grassland. Affixed to the verso and extending below the photo is an original typed caption in Swedish by "A/B Text & Bilder" that identifies Churchill inspecting a tank column moving over grasslands in southern England. Undoubtedly the vagueness as to time and location is intentional, given wartime secrecy. The verso of the photograph features the "COPYRIGHT" ink stamp of "A.B. TEXT & BILDER" of "STOCKHOLM SWEDEN" as well as the ink stamp of "Svenska Dagbladets Bild-Arkiv" . Svenska Dagbladets was a Stockholm daily newspaper, and bild-arkiv translates to photo archive. Affixed to the verso is a clipping of the Swedish caption as it appeared in print, saying much the same thing as the other typed caption, as well as a handwritten date of "19/9 1941". The image shows one unobtrusive pin hole at each corner and mild waviness. Superficial scuffs and blemishes are apparent only under raking light.Tanks were very much on Churchill s mind in September 1941, nor was it any surprise that he would take time to observe maneuvers in person.Churchill was a soldier before he was a politician and maintained a lifelong informed fascination with the minutiae and machinery of combat. The man who began his career as a cavalry officer and participated in the last great cavalry charge in British history would later help design the tank, pilot aircraft, direct use of some of the earliest computers (for WWII code breaking), and ultimately preside as Prime Minister over the first British nuclear weapons test. During the Second World War he showed keen interest in and critical support for the struggle for technological mastery that would prove as critical to winning the war as men, material, and logistics. Armored vehicles were of particular note. As First Lord of the Admiralty during the First World War Churchill advocated development and application of the tank as a decisive offensive battlefield weapon. The tank would, of course, revolutionize offensive warfare during the Second World War. September found the need for armored vehicles far outstripping supply. America was ramping up pre-war production, Britain had long been besieged, and Stalin was clamoring for tanks on the eastern front.On 7 September, "Churchill told Roosevelt that the supply of tanks to Russia, as Stalin had requested, was hitting ourselves very hard"… By 22 September, Roosevelt offered to send Britain a substantial increase in United States tank production and Churchill replied by telegram: "Your cheering cable about tanks arrived when we were feeling very blue about all we have to give up to Russia. The prospect of nearly doubling the previous figures encouraged everyone." Roosevelt had informed Churchill that "The tanks available to Britain were 3,994 medium tanks and 1,953 light tanks between October 1941 and June 1942. These were minimum figures , Roosevelt explained a week later, because I have directed that production during the next nine months be increased by ten or fifteen percent ". (Gilbert, Vol. VI, pp.1185-1200). Seller Inventory # 005609

Bibliographic Details

Title: An original Second World War press ...

Publisher: Copyright A.B. Text & Bilder, published by Svenska Dagbladets, Stockholm

Publication Date: 1941

Binding: Photograph