Churchill (No Not the Car Insurer)

[Hylander]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/live/bbcparliament

 

At the moment both of iplayer and BBC Parliament they are showing exactly to the minute of the hour of the day Churchill's funeral.

 

When I realise what that man did for this country it is quite touching to see.

 

Peter's clip about the Camps made me realise just how many of these Camps were about and that we were probably the next in line.

 

Makes you think.

[Polly]

We were the next. I loved Churchill's comment made to his peers on his 90(?) birthday in Westminster Hall. 'The British people were lions, I supplied the roar.'

Together he, George VI and the Queen Mother were inspirational, Hitler called the QM the most dangerous woman in Europe. She refused to take her family out of danger when London, and indeed, Buckingham Palace was bombed.

To me, that whole generation was amazing.

[Gracie]

Our Granddad often told us stories of the war and what Churchill did for this country, he told us about the Camps and the suffering of people in them, because of him I have always been interested in war time and watched many documentaries including one's about the Camps and have to say I found them to be the most heart wrenching things I have ever watched, I stopped watching Peter's clip halfway through.

 

I guess what I am trying to say is that even though I am of 'the younger generation' I have the utmost respect for the likes of Churchill, the troops and ordinary people that helped us to win the war. The suffering that they endured is almost beyond belief. My Granddad always said we must never forget and even though at times I used to think "Here he goes again" he was so right, I personally feel we owe it to those generations to never forget.

 

We may moan that our mobiles aren't working properly or our computers have broken down but boy have we got it bloody easy and all thanks to those brave people, compared to what people in the war went through our lives are a walk in the park

 

Grace

[Guest]

It's surprising how  tenuously history depends on just a handful of individual people.

 

If we hadn't had Winston Churchill in that position at that exact time the world today would be quite different.

 

In the same way, if Hitler had never existed, then that also would have made a dramatic difference.

 

Just two men, direct opposites, holding the fate of civilisation in their hands.

[GeoffandWendy]

I had the honour of actually being selected to form part of the gun carriage crew, that bore Churchill's  coffin and we spent hours and hours going through the rehearsals at the Royal Naval Barracks in Portsmouth. Unfortunately, I fell and broke my arm, several days before the funeral, so I was unable to carry out the duty. I was so disappointed, as it would have been such an honour to have been part of the funeral procession. I had to be content with watching it on television. I was 21 years old at the time and had reached the rank of, Leading Hand. (the equivalent of a Corporal in the Army)  I eventually reached the rank of Chief Petty Officer before I was demobbed. Just one of those unfortunate incidents that do happen I suppose,, but that's life.

[LizG]

My father was a railway officer and was on the train that took the coffin to the station nearest Bladon. I went up with my mother and waited at Waterloo Station to watch the procession arrive and then saw my father sitting in the back carriage. I feel very proud to have been there and that my father was involved. Whether he was actually involved with the organisation of the train I don't know but he was the divisional manager for part of the route from Waterloo.

 

I remember waiting for ages in the cold in my school uniform!

Liz