Charting the trips undertaken by Churchill during the Second World War
By DE VINE HUNT, Frank A. , 1947
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Dunkirk to Berlin, June, 1940 - July, 1945. Journeys Undertaken By The Rt. Honble. Winston S. Churchill, O.M., C.H., F.R.S., M.P., Prime Minister of Great Britain In Defence Of The British Commonwealth And Empire.

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  • Author: DE VINE HUNT, Frank A.
  • Publication place: London,
  • Publisher: George Philip & Son, Ltd., 32 Fleet Street, London, E.C.4, in association with "Time & Tide",
  • Publication date: 1947, [but 1956].
  • Physical description: Chromolithograph map, housed in original paper slipcase, with title and photograph of Churchill. Maps 1200
  • Dimensions: 920 by 1165mm. (36.25 by 45.75 inches).
  • Inventory reference: 22187

Notes

Unusual map charting 19 different journeys undertaken by Churchill over the course of the Second World War, including his trips to the "Atlantic Charter" Meeting, the Normandy beaches, and the Yalta and Potsdam conferences. Each journey is numbered, corresponding to a legend at the bottom-centre, which details information as to the route and dates of the trip. A key bottom-left explains the symbols that denote whether a journey was made by sea, air, rail, or road. Also at the bottom of the map are several vignettes, illustrating some of the different boats and aeroplanes taken by Churchill, such as H.M.T. Queen Mary, shown increasing her speed to avoid U-Boats.

While the imprint on the map is dated 1947, the present example was published in 1956 to accompany the republication by the Reprint Society of Churchill's six-volume work 'The Second World War', as the note on the back of the slipcase attests. We are unaware of any examples of the 1947 edition.

The map had been published by George Philip & Son in collaboration with 'Time and Tide', a British weekly political and literary review founded by Margaret, Lady Rhondda, whose contributors included D.H. Lawrence, C.S. Lewis, and Virginia Woolf. The two also published the iconic 'Time and Tide' map of the Atlantic Charter - Churchill's journey to the meeting for which is, coincidentally, shown on the present map - by MacDonald Gill, in 1942.

Churchill himself was involved in the genesis of the 'Dunkirk to Berlin' map. He writes, in a letter, dated 18th April 1946, to Frank de Vine Hunt, who had worked in the Map Room at the Cabinet War Rooms during the Second World War:

"Thank you for your letter of April 17. I have no objection at all to Lady Rhondda's publishing the map of my journeys. I only wondered whether there would be sufficient public interest to justify the expense which she would incur, but, if she is satisfied about that, and it is your desire and hers, I should be very glad indeed."

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