The Churchill Series - Nov. 24, 2008

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

When using his initials Churchill commonly signed "WSC." But some political foes and others who considered themselves wits took delight in playing on the commom British expression for toilet, "WC."

Thus when Churchill was defeated in the 1925 general election, one newspaper said it was sure the members of the new parliament could manage "with one less WC." Churchill took it in stride.

On occasion he would even make a WC remark at his own expense, as he did in February, 1940 while on a destroyer returning to England from France.

There were some mines in the ship's path. Guns were fired to destroy them. The gunfire churned the water and set some debris from a sunken ship floating past the destroyer.

Among the debris was a lavatory door. Churchill looked at it and said with a grin to those beside him, "That door has my initials on it. They must have known I'd be aboard." ___________________________________________________ Tom Hickman, Churchill's Bodyguard. (p. 88-89)