Young Winston - British cavalry charge at Omdurman - YouTube


This clip from, "Young Winston" shows the charge of the 21st Lancers at Omdurman, Sudan in 1898. Looks pretty authentic, based on Winston Churchill's own account. (Read his book, "My Early Life".) Here, he was portrayed by Simon Ward. The narration mimics the statesman's later voice.

Once he was into the charge, Lt. Churchill sheathed his sword and took out a Mauser 7.63mm pistol, with which he shot several Dervishes. Note that he draws it from a saddlebag. The revolver in his belt holster was (in real life, anyway) a Webley-Wilkinson .455, Model of 1892. I believe it's still in the Churchill family.

This shows the manner of a cavalry charge in that day. Note how quickly they wheel into place, officers in front, and go for the enemy, unaware that many are hidden behind sand dunes.
Churchill shot his way clear. Many others didn't.

He wrote later of the Mauser, "The pistol was the best thing in the world." He fired all ten shots(in real life), claiming several kills and a couple of wounded, I believe. The range was very close, and he was lucky to survive.

I stumbled across this today, and thought that some might be interested. Sorry that the film quality is just average. But you can easily see what's happening.

Awesum footage!

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Old paratrooper in NC

I will have to find that movie! Thanks!

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James L. "Jim" Rhiner

Jim-

I understand it's out on DVD, but hard to find. I can't get it locally. Amazon.com may have it.

I saw it in the theater, in 1972. It was a major film that year. Lord Randolph Churchill was played by Robert Shaw, and Winston's mom by Anne Bancroft. The whole cast was good.
The military scenes are excellent, with wide, sweeping visages seldom seen before or since.

Alas, Sir Winston didn't live to see it. He died in 1965.

Churchill said he bought the Mauser because due to a shoulder injury he felt he couldn't wield his sword properly.

In this instance a high capacity semi-auto was a better choice than a six shot revolver or sword.

TCM has it on their website. 20 bucks.
Young Winston (1972) - Overview - TCM.com

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I always take precautions

Churchill acquired a 1911 Colt when he went off to the trenches in WWI, after the Dardenalles affair. There was a good article in one of the collectors' magazines about 20-25 years ago on it. Don't remember if it it was a .455 or .45 ACP, but I think the latter. He was thought to have carried it occasionally in WWII; some photos of him suggest a gun-sized bulge which might have been it. The gun is still around someplace.

He was also given an inscribed FN Browning High Power after WWII by the Belgian government. In addition to the BHP another 5 pistols were owned by him at the time of his death in 1965.

The movie is indeed out; got mine from Amazon and watched it tonight. The book that gave rise to it, "My Early Life", is an excellent read.

WSC is one of my heroes.

I posted about that pistol above. It is a .45ACP, and his bodyguard confirmed that he often carried it in WW II, also.The magazine was, "Man at Arms." The present Lord Churchill allowed photo access to the guns. The one on his belt at Omdurman was a Wilkinson-Webley, Model of 1892. The barrel length is six inches, the caliber .455. He had the new Mauser in a saddlebag. Wouldn't surprise me if he had the .455 loaded with the MK III or MK IV .455 "Manstopper" bullets, full wadcutters, the MK III also a HP. Lead bullets were still standard until about 1938, I think, when German protests about lead ammo changed that.

Someone mentioned his having a bad arm, causing him to sheath his sword during the charge and draw the Mauser. I believe he said that was from a polo injury that hadn't healed yet. I wonder sometimes if God didn't cause that, to spare him for his future greatness. Maybe he was just lucky. Had he kept the sword as his primary weapon, the Dervishes would have probably gotten him, as they did many of his companions.

I didn't know about the Browning, but Colt gave him a 45 Commander about 1950. This may have been to thank him for insisting that the Govt. Model .45 be the standard sidearm of the Commando units that he created in 1940. They also kept the Tommy gun long after other units had to turn them in for Stens. I presume that you've seen the photo of Churchill holdng a Tommy for the cameras? He seemed to like it.

He based the Commando units on the similar Boer raiders whom he'd encountered in South Africa in the war there from 1899-1902. Of course, they captured him, and his first real fame came from his escape, launching his political career. But you surely know this. Someone else here may not.

If one can find, "My Early Life", it's a fine book, laden with the author's droll humor. And it does contain the account of his experiences at Omdurman. Jeff Cooper once wrote that the account was in, "The River War." It isn't; I checked. That's more a general history of the Nile campaign.

Churchill was a superb writer; probably wrote most of his own speeches. I try to keep his advice in mind: "The old words are the best, and the old, short words are the best words of all." I think that's a literal quote, certainly very close. There are exceptions, but it's overall pretty good writing advice.

I like his droll comment, "There is nothing quite so exhilirating as to be shot at without effect." Written after coming under fire on the NW Frontier of India.
He was Cited in Despatches for bravery in recovering a wounded sepoy (Indian soldier) while under heavy fire.

Have you ever seen Blenheim Palace, his birthplace? Nice pad, built by a grateful nation for his ancestor, Lord John Churchill, after a major military victory in Europe. It's worth a Search to see it. I'd hate to have the heating and A/C bill for the place today, though... Maybe they give tours of all but the private family quarters to offset the expense. I hope the kitchens aren't so far from the dining areas that the tea gets cold en route. But they surely have suitable tea covers.

Blenheim Palace Video - Birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill - YouTube


Blenheim Palace, narrated by His Grace, the 11th Duke of Marlborough. He shows a gold watch given him in 1937 by Winston Churchill.

And he quotes Sir Winston: "A nation that forgets its past has no future." I fear that Americans are today at that door.