Secret documents signed by Churchill up for auction

In the document, dated June 12 in 1914, Churchill expresses his opinion as to how the nation could be defended in the event of an attack.

June 27, 2017 12:52 pm | Updated 12:58 pm IST - London:

Secret documents signed by Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, including one which discusses plans to build a tunnel between England and France in 1914, is set to be auctioned in the UK.

The original printed note by Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty ‘The Channel Tunnel document’ discusses the feasibility of building a tunnel and considers the risks posed if France were to become England’s enemy in 1914.

In the document, dated June 12 in 1914, Churchill expresses his opinion as to how the nation could be defended in the event of an attack.

“The tunnel should be brought to the surface of the sea not less than a quarter of a mile from the shore and the railway should run from the tunnel mouth to the shore on a bridge,” he wrote.

The document also bears the initials of various members of the Committee of Imperial Defence who sponsored the document.

“No other version of this document signed by Churchill is in existence. The Churchill Archives in Cambridge have a copy of this document but is unsigned,” according to the Mullocks auction house in the UK.

Other documents include an original Telegram dated April 1945 to the Editor of the New Republic Magazine, relaying his personal message on the death of the US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and a historic Letter to Prime Minister Herbet Asquith accepting the post as President of the Board of Trade.

The auction will take place on July 6 in the UK.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.