Sunday 16 January 2011

What did Young Winston Churchill do?


Winston Churchill's father was Lord Randolph Churchill and his mother was an American socialite named Jenny Jerome. As a young man, Winston gained some fighting experience in Queen Victoria's Empire. He fought in British India, Sudan and in the second Boer War. 

As an infant he lacked promise at school and was often bottom of the class. He got into the British Army as a young man but even then his marks were said to be low. However, he began to show courage once in the field. In Afghanistan, he accompanied the relief force to the British garrison under siege at Malakand by Pushtun tribesmen. He was a young second Lieutenant. He got caught up in some of the mountain shoot outs with the Afghans and later wrote about the account, which was widely read.

Later he was with Kitchener's forces in Sudan during the Mahdist War. This had been going on for a longer time then the British Army expected and the young Churchill took part in the final stages of the Mahdist War during the Battle of Omdurman. He was in one of the last great horse charges when the British cavalry attacked the Mahdist forces and came across a greater and more organised number then expected.

Then followed his daring adventure during the Boer War when he was captured and interned. He managed to escape and returned a hero - a much publicised event. From this stage, he went into writing and became more involved with politics. Before him lay a lifetime of trials and tribulations and he would bring the country of Great Britain through her most testing times in history.  




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