MR. CHURCHILL AND EMPIRE PRIME MINISTERS SEE INVASION TROOPS - An original 13 May 1944 Second World War British Official Photograph of British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill with Field Marshal Jan Christiaan Smuts, Prime Minister of South Africa, Prime Minister William Mackenzie King of Canada, and Sir Godfrey Huggins, Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia, in England inspecting invasion troops in preparation for the Normandy invasion.
London: British Official Photograph, Crown Copyright Reserved, published by The Daily Telegraph, 13 May 1944. Photograph. This original 13 May 1944 Second World War British Official Photograph captures British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill, accompanied by Field Marshal Jan Christiaan Smuts, Prime Minister of South Africa, Prime Minister William Mackenzie King of Canada, and Sir Godfrey Huggins, Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia. The group were inspecting invasion troops in preparation for the Normandy invasion, which took place less than three and a half weeks later. In the image, Churchill holds his hat in his left hand, calling for and acknowledging cheers from the crowd, while Smuts, Churchill’s great friend, faces Churchill with a rare smile on his face, his right hand on his hip.
The gelatin silver print on heavy, glossy photo paper, measures 8 x 6 inches. Condition is very good, the image clean and unfaded, the paper uncreased and showing only minor wear at the corners. Of note, this is not just a press photo, but a “British Official Photograph | Crown Copyright Reserved”, ink stamped thus on the verso. Tipped on over the ink stamp, the verso of the photograph retains the “BRITISH OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH” original typed caption, specifying a release date of “14th May 1944” for “Sunday Papers”, the delay ostensibly a security precaution. The caption designates this as photograph “No. BH. 23336” titled “MR. CHURCHILL AND EMPIRE PRIME MINISTERS SEE INVASION TROOPS”. The caption reads: “Mr. Winston Churchill, General Smuts (S. Africa), Mr. Mackenzie King (Canada) and Sir Godfrey Huggins, (S. Rhodesia) saw invasion troops and weapons on 13 May 1944, during a 60 mile tour. Later they were joined by Mr. Peter Fraser. PHOTO SHOWS: Mr. Churchill calls for three cheers for the visiting Prime Ministers, lustily given by the villagers. Picture issued May 1944. RELEASE DATE: SUNDAY PAPERS OF 14th MAY 1944.” An ink stamp at the upper right of the original caption confirms that this photograph was “RECEIVED” by “The Daily Telegraph” on “15 May 1944”.
From 1 May to 16 May 1944, Dominion prime ministers, including Smuts, Mackenzie King and Huggins (though Southern Rhodesia was technically not a dominion, but a self-governing colony) were in London for the Dominion conference. The dominant subject of the conference was the impending invasion of Europe by Allied forces, known as Operation Overlord. At their opening meeting on 1 May, Churchill told the assembled prime ministers that they were gathered together “in the most deadly climax of the conflict of nations, at a time when, though we need no longer fear defeat, we are making the most intense efforts to compel an early victory.” Speaking of the “great Operation about to be launched” across the English Channel, Churchill told the Dominion Prime Ministers that it would use between 3,000 and 4,000 vessels, and nearly 11,000 aircraft.
This British Official Photograph was captured in the closing days of the conference, on 13 May, during an inspection tour of Allied invasion troops. Operation Overlord commenced on 6 June 1944, when the United States, Britain, and their WWII allies, under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, launched the largest amphibious invasion in history. Allied landings on the beaches at Normandy, France, which came to be known as D-Day, began the campaign that ended with Germany’s unconditional surrender. The Allies celebrated their final victory over Germany less than one year later on V-E Day, 8 May 1945. Item #005296
Price: $275.00