Churchill Amidst the Rubble During the Blitz: Photograph of Winston Churchill as Prime Minister in 1941, In the Ruins of Bombed-out Portsmouth, with the Lord Mayor, Signed by Both

A rare signed image of Churchill visiting a bombed out site during the Blitz

 

The most devastating Blitz attacks on the city of Portsmouth, England, took place on January 10-11, 1941. During the Nazi onslaught, which saw thousands of bombs dropped between 5pm on January 10, 1941, and into the early hours of January 11, large parts of the city were transformed into smoking ruins.

The blitzkrieg attack saw 172 people killed and hundreds more injured or made homeless during the city’s darkest hour. Overall during the Blitz, 930 people were killed in Portsmouth and 2,837 were injured. More than 6,000 properties were destroyed. The survivors found large parts of Portsea, Landport and Southsea were smoking ruins. The Guildhall, six churches, a hospital, three cinemas and most of the Commercial Road, King’s Road and Palmerston Road shopping centers were all damaged by the raid. In his message at the time, Portsmouth mayor Sir Denis Daley said : ‘We are bruised, but we are not daunted, and we are still as determined as ever to stand side by side with other cities who have felt the blast of the enemy, and we shall, with them, persevere with an unflagging spirit towards a conclusive and decisive victory.’

On January 31, 1941, Winston Churchill visited Portsmouth and its dockyard, along with Daley. He was there to observe but also to boost morale, as was the case with so many bombed out sites he visited during the Blitz. In Portsmouth Churchill inspected the bomb site, and new warships at a shipbuilding yard. He tipped his hat at crowds of dockers. He visited Admiral Nelson’s ship, the Victory and inspected Royal Navy regiments of sailors, as well as Civil Defense workers and nurses in tin hats. A photograph was taken of the Portsmouth visit by War Office official photographer William G. Horton.

On December 11, 1950, the city of Portsmouth held a banquet honoring Churchill, on the occasion of the presentation to Churchill of the “Honorary Freedom of the City”. On the inside of the program for the event was a menu, including lobster salad and roast pheasant. On the cover was the photograph of Churchill and Daley amidst the ruins, and was signed by both men. On the photograph is the legend, “Mr. Winston Churchill, as Prime Minister, with the Lord Mayor (Alderman Sir Denis Daley), 1941.”

This is an iconic signed photograph of Winston Churchill picturing him boosting the morale of his people at a bombed out site during the Blitz. In our four decades in this field, we have only had one other similar one, and that was decades ago.