Young Winston

---

Who's that bloody fool on the grey?

Someone who wants to be noticed,

I should imagine.

He'll be noticed.

He'll get his head blown off.

My Early Life...

...by Winston Spencer Churchill.

On the 16th of September, 1897...

...at the age of 22...

...I found myself taking part

in a punitive expedition...

...of the Malakand Field Force

on the northwest frontier of India.

In a sense, I had arranged for my

participation in this action myself.

August the 5th, 1897.

A letter to General Sir Bindon Blood:

"Sir, I do hope you will not be annoyed

if I remind you...

...that you once promised me that

when you had your next command...

...you would try to find

a place for me. "

"Very difficult. No vacancies.

Come up as a correspondent.

We'll try to fit you in. Blood. "

Which of these gallant chaps

will lead me...

...to something really exciting,

an adventure I can write about?

That column there?

Or that one? It's all a lottery, isn't it?

Just luck.

God, I hope I'm lucky today.

The jok e of it all is that I never

really wanted to be a soldier.

No. Politics, parliament,

that's my arena.

But how am I to get there?

I have no reputation...

...no family in the government.

And worst of all, no money.

Money. My darling mother wrote to me

often on that tiresome subject:

"Really, Winston, you are simply

irresponsible about money.

I am sending the man

the 11 pounds he asks...

...but why will you write cheques

when you have no money in the bank?

Actually, in America, you know,

it's illegal.

And they sentence people

to long terms in jail for doing it.

My dear, do be careful.

And do write when you can.

Please, please, don't tak e

any unnecessary risks.

Your loving mother,

Jennie Randolph Churchill. "

Who's that bloody fool on the grey?

Can't tell.

Someone who wants to get noticed,

I should imagine.

He'll be noticed.

He'll get his head blown off.

Sir!

Lieutenant Churchill, sir.

4th Hussars.

Actually, I'm here as a correspondent.

Pioneer and Saily Telegraph.

If you're going

to that village up there...

...would you mind awfully

if I came along?

Yes. Churchill, 4th Hussars.

We don't care much for

correspondents out here.

Or white horses, either.

Where'd you get him?

In the auction last week, sir.

Malakand Pass.

- Previous owner killed?

- I believe so, yes, sir.

Didn't that teach you anything?

Sir?

Come along if you like.

But keep out of the way.

Thank you very much, sir.

Oh, one more thing.

We do try to bring our wounded back.

These chaps can be very nasty.

But as you're only an onlooker, I can't

guarantee anything. Understood?

Yes, sir.

Thank you very much, sir.

The truth is, I'm not at all brave.

The truth is, I've often felt

myself a coward, especially at school.

But if I could win a reputation

for courage and daring...

...if I could be mentioned

in despatches...

...that would help me

to get started in politics.

In short, I need medals.

Lots and lots of medals.

And I have to learn so much,

and there's so little time.

I have to read all the books

I should have read before.

I must become my own university.

And I must overcome my speech

impediment when I speak in public.

The Spanish ships

I cannot shee- See.

For they are not in shite- Site.

Samn!

Move it!

Is everybody gone, sir?

All gone, sir.

Very well, then.

- Carry on.

- Carry on!

Number three section, follow me!

Wouldn't you know it?

All this way for nothing.

Talk about rotten luck.

Right, we'll start back now.

Keep a dozen men and cover us

till we get halfway down.

- Then we'll cover you.

- Right.

Come along, Mr. Cartlidge,

we're going back now.

Very well, sir. Come along

and huddle it up. Bring them down.

Head's up.

Lieutenant general, come with me.

It's not bad at that.

Could be worth two

or three hundred words.

Get back. Get back!

Willy! Come on, get out of there.

Come down! We'll cover you!

Fall back! Fall back!

No, sahib, leave me.

Oh, sahib, you're hurting me.

Sahib, let me go!

Oh, please, on my knees,

I am begging you.

Come on, you idiot, get out of it!

Get out of it!

" And to conclude these despatches...

...the general in the field

wishes to mention and commend...

...the courage of

Lieutenant W L S Churchill...

...who made himself useful

at a critical moment. "

And thereupon,

I sat down and wrote a book.

And the literary critics

were most kind to me:

"If General Kitchener

should ever find time...

...to read Mr. Winston Churchill's

new book, The Malakand Field Force...

...it's fascinating to imagine

the great warrior's reaction to it.

The book is excellent for a first effort,

but perhaps its title should have been:

Some Helpful Hints for Generals

From a Young Lieutenant. "

Hurry up, the train is about to leave.

For some reason unknown to me...

...I have always been charged

with being unpunctual.

But then, in my lifetime...

...I have constantly been accused

of many wick ed things.

Perhaps I paid for all those sins...

...real or imaginary, in advance...

...for when I was but 7,

I was cast out of my happy home...

...and sent away to school.

I left behind me

all who were dear to me...

...especially my nurse,

Mrs. Everest...

Winnie, bye-bye!

...who look ed after me

and tended all my wants...

...and to whom I poured out

all my troubles.

And for some reason

I cannot now remember...

...I called her "Womany. "

And when I went away,

I think I missed her most of all.

"Searest Mother, my white horse

has been a marvellous investment.

Everyone noticed me.

The news is that Kitchener is going

to fight the dervishes in the Sudan.

Mother, darling, you must use

all your influence and charm...

...to get me into his command. "

My American mother...

...always seemed to me

a fairy princess.

A radiant being...

...possessed of limitless

riches and power.

She shone for me

lik e the evening star.

I loved her dearly.

But at a distance.

Nevertheless, it was my father...

...who was the greatest and most

powerful influence on my early life.

He was the second son

of the Suk e of Marlborough...

...and a Tory member

of the House of Commons.

Good morning, good morning.

Unfortunately, if my mother had

little time for me in those days...

...I saw and spok e to my father

even less.

He numbered among his friends...

...some of the most important

men in parliament...

...and indeed in all England.

Men lik e Lord Salisbury,

the leader of the Tory party...

...which was then in opposition.

His nephew, Arthur Balfour.

And Joseph Chamberlain.

And even I knew that one day...

...when the people

came to their senses...

...and swept the Conservatives

back into power...

...it would be these men who,

together with my father...

...would form the government.

No Lord Rothschild?

Are none of your Jewish friends

to be with us today, Randolph?

No, I didn't think

it would be fair to them.

You know how easily bored they are.

Winston.

Thank you, sir.

Now, we enter this in your name.

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