The Churchill Series – Jan. 18, 2007

(One of a series of weekday posts on the life of Winston S. Churchill.)

The Jan. 15 and 16 posts concerned Archibald Sinclair, who served as Churchill’s adjutant when he commanded a battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers in the trenches during the winter of 1915/16. The two officers formed a friendship then that lasted for half a century until Churchill’s death in 1965.

From the outset Churchill admired Sinclair for his bravery, the quality he valued most in an officer. Sinclair, a graduate of Sandhurst who’d been commissioned into the Life Guards, was an experienced front-line officer who’d earned the respect of the battalion. Although Churchill was himself a Sandhurst graduate who’d fought in what is now Pakastan, Sudan and South Africa, there was much Sinclair taught him about trench warfare.

Following the war Churchill employed Sinclair as his private secretary when he served first as secretary of state for air and war and then as secretary of state for the colonies. While holding the later office Churchill visited Egypt and Palestine. Sinclair accompanied him.

Throughout the trip there were concerns for the safety of Churchill and his party. The Middle East was then as now wracked by political turmoil fueled by extremists. His car was twice surrounded by mobs who only backed off when Sinclair and Churchill’s bodyguard, Detective Walter Thompson, brandished guns.

During the 20s Sinclair entered politics and was elected to Parliament. In 1940 Churchill appointed him secretary of state for air. Sinclair served until 1945.

Sinclair subsequently lost two close parliamentary elections. When Churchill returned to the premiership in 1951 he arranged a peerage for him. In the mid-fifties, Sinclair suffered a series of strokes. He died in 1970.
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This post drew on the Wikipedia entries for Sinclair and Churchill.