Roy Howells

[Director, Churchill Archives Centre]

Dear all,

 

We have a few documents in the Churchill staff files relating to Roy Howells. Sadly, these are not open. We can do so under data protection with his permission or once we know he is deceased. However, I can offer the following summaries… AMB is Anthony Montague Browne, Churchill’s last Private Secretary. CSC is Clementine Churchill.

CHUR 1/143/107 – letter from AMB to Howells 14^th July 1959. CSC & WSC enjoyed having Howells back, he should keep in touch with AMB in case the opportunity for him returning arises.

CHUR 1/143/108 – AMB to Howells 24 Sept 1959. Mrs Sheppard going to have a baby so job position has changed since Howell visited in summer, he should get in touch with AMB.

CHUR 1/143/110 – AMB to Howell 9^th Oct 1959. Sheppard leaving on Oct 14^th, can Howell come then? His new colleague can follow later.

CHUR 1/143/111- CSC to Howell 5^th Feb 1961. Howell having his tonsils removed – CSC suggests date for operation, will ask Moran to speak to his doctor.

CHUR 1/143/112 – recommendation of Howell by CSC

 

My colleague Tom, to whom this is copied, did all the work!

 

All best wishes,

 

Allen

 

 

Mr Allen Packwood Director Email: director...@chu.cam.ac.uk Telephone: 01223 336175   Churchill Archives Centre Churchill College Cambridge, CB3 0DS   Registered Charity: No 1137476

Please note that the Churchill Archives Centre is now closed to researchers until Monday 10 February 2020 due to building work. We are still answering phone and email enquiries.

 

Churchill College takes its responsibilities to protect your data seriously. The College’s data protection privacy statements are available online at https://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/about/official-documents/data-protection-statements/

This email (together with any files transmitted with it) is intended only for the use of the individual(s) to whom it is addressed. It may contain information which is confidential and/or legally privileged. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender by return email (or telephone) and delete the original message.

 

 

 

[Liam McLoughlin]

Many thanks.

I am intrigued by Howells.

I wonder why the files are closed .I suspect that the closure of the files on Howells is not unrelated to his absence from history.He does not seem to me to be someone who would shun publicity-witness the publication of his memoirs after first serialisation in the popular press soon after Churchill's death.I think it unlikely that he would have chosen to remain anonymous since 1965.

One can only guess at the reasons for his half century of silence.

We may never know.

Regards

Dr L.McLoughlin

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[Stan A. Orchard]

It is possible that the Royal College of Nursing might be helpful in tracking down last contact information for Ronald G. Howells or any of the other three members of his nursing team listed on page 186 of Simply Churchill.

Stan

[Liam McLoughlin]

Hello

I tried that some time ago but drew a blank.

Regards

Liam

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[Richard Langworth]

Howells and his book played a minor anecdotal role in what Lady Soames used to call "the saga," and I am not sure he sheds much significant light on WSC. But Dr. John Mather, ("How Healthy was Churchill?"-- Google <Finest Hour 82>, download the pdf, and see his article on page 28, says he wrote "with care and feeling." Anthony Montague Browne and Lady Soames did not think everything in it was entirely accurate, and as Anthony once quipped,, "I 'eard different.' 

I'm sure the book was reviewed when published, and you should look in the archives of London newspapers, Kirkus, NYTtimes, etc. Here is my annotation in the Zoller bibliography of works about Churchill, reproduced for books through 1995 so far, on the Hillsdale Churchill website. The Hillsdale URL is https://winstonchurchill.hillsdale.edu/books-about-winston-churchill/

A260. Howells, Roy. Simply Churchill. London: Robert Hale, 1965, 214 pp. Churchill's Last Years. New York: David McKay, 1966, 214 pp., reprinted.

         The author served as Churchill's male nurse in his declining years. He offers a light account, shedding little on Churchill's medical history. The English edition is the only one with photographs; texts are identical.

[Homeporter]

I used Roy Howell's book among some 50 others including Browne, Colville, Soames, Sandys, Young Winston, Gilbert, et al while working on my novel, Churchill's Cat: A Feline Remembrance. I made use of mostly primary sources to cover Churchill's last two years. Howells had his mistakes such as saying Churchill got Jock in 1964. Of course, I also found Martin Gilbert had some errors, too (had TE Lawrence visiting Chartwell in 1936--Lawrence died in 1935). Howell's was a dedicated nurse and like Anthony Montague Browne had to endure Churchill at his worse. Both were amazingly kind and compassionate to Sir Winston. They helped the elder statesman to transition from this life to the next. Along with Jock the cat, their service was well beyond the call of duty.

Larry Kryske

La...@YourFinestHour.com

Author of:

Churchill's Cat: A Feline Remembrance

Churchill Without Blood, Sweat, or Tears: Applying His Methods for Today's Leaders

The Churchill Factors: Creating Your Finest Hour

Ready, Begin! Practical Strategies for Cultivating Courage

 

 

 

[David Riddle]

As I’m sure members know, regarding T E Lawrence’s visit/s to Chartwell, at least one of them is accurately recorded in one of the Chartwell Visitors Books which have recently been extensively researched.

David Riddle
Mobile: 07966 472340
Sent from my iPhone

> On 27 Jan 2020, at 23:14, Homeporter <homep...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Martin

[Director, Churchill Archives Centre]

Dear Dr Mcloughlin,

 

The files are only closed under British data protection regulations because we cannot be certain he is deceased. Nothing more sinister.

 

Regards,

 

Allen

 

From: Allen Packwood
Sent: 27 January 2020 20:27
To: Director, Churchill Archives Centre
Subject: FW: [ChurchillChat] Roy Howells

 

 

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[Liam McLoughlin]

That's good to hear!

Still, I am intrigued by Howells's relatively mysterious absence from history since 1965.Did he perhaps incur displeasure with the publication of his book like Lord Moran did?

It is of course quite possible that Howells has chosen to absent himself from posterity but nonetheless I would have expected that his existence would at least have been known to some of those who guide the public around Chartwell!

I also wonder why his book has not been reprinted.I do not know how successful it was commercially which might have some bearing on the matter.

Regards

Liam McLoughlin

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[David Riddle]

Allen..

Surely it’s possible to find this out from the national records or findmypast.co.uk?

David Riddle

Mobile: 07966 472340

Sent from my iPhone

On 28 Jan 2020, at 08:23, Director, Churchill Archives Centre <Director...@chu.cam.ac.uk> wrote:



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[Gregory B. Smith]

Roy Howells is not the only close Churchill acquaintance to disappear
without a trace. Churchill's "man" Sawyers who traveled with him
extensively throughout WWII, apparently left his employer shortly after
WWI and was never heard from again.

--
Gregory B. Smith
154 W. Spain St., Villa T
Sonoma, CA 95476


Live dangerously, dread naught, all will be well. (W. S. Churchill)

[bullfrogcontrol]

I hope they don't all turn up in a senior's home in Moscow.

Stan

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

-------- Original message --------

From: "Gregory B. Smith" <gbs...@comcast.net>

Date: 2020-01-28 1:22 p.m. (GMT-08:00)

To: church...@googlegroups.com

Subject: Re: [ChurchillChat] Roy Howells

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[Dave Turrell]

It would certainly be interesting to listen to them huddled around the fire and complaining about what a rotten tipper that bastard Philby was J.

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[Liam McLoughlin]

Seems that Lord Lucan has been found-hope for Howells yet perhaps!!?

Regards

Liam

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[Richard Langworth]

Greg, not quite. Frank Sawyers migrated to America after leaving WSC's service and ended up in the Midwest. 

He played a far longer, more significant role than Howells and his recollections would be valuable, but it seems he followed WSC's usual request: "You're not going to write, are you?"

Andrew Roberts and I have tried to track Sawyers to a final location and to discover any papers or memoirs, thus far without success. Perhaps Allen Packwood has a line on him. 

[Director, Churchill Archives Centre]

You asked about Clementine’s testimonial for Howells. My colleague Tom has had a look and I think I can release the text:

 

Tom writes…

“The document is undated but it is definitely before WSC’s death. My guess is either before  the letter of 14^th July 1959 (maybe late 1958) or approx. 8 months after the Oct 1959 letter? But the others will probably have a better idea.”

 

The document reads:

 

Ronald Howells hs bn with Sir W for 8 months. He has discharged his duties admirably and I consider him to be a most reliable man. He has fitted in extremely well with the household and my Husband and I am glad to recommend him.

                                                                                                                                                                                                CSC

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[Dave Turrell]

Dear Allen,

 

Your responses raise an interesting question, and I imagine it is one that must crop up for any archive from time to time .  Under British data protection laws, is there an age at which a person is automatically presumed to be dead if their whereabouts are unknown?

 

I believe that a court can issue a presumption of death after seven years, but I would imagine that needs a request to be filed by a legally interested party. 

 

Given that Roy Howells is not technically missing, at what point will you be allowed to open the archives on him, assuming we don’t find him sitting by his fire in Moscow.

 

Best,

 

Dave

Date: 2020-01-28 1:22 pm. (GMT-08:00)

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[Liam McLoughlin]

Thanks.

I wonder if she would have said the same after the publication of Howells's book and its serialisation in the popular press.It seems to me inconceivable that Lady Churchill would not have been very displeased with Howells given her reaction to the publication of Lord Moran's book.She was clearly concerned at the apparent impropriety of those who had been professionally close to Churchill possibly seeking to profit financially from their association with the aging Churchill who would no doubt today be described by some as a " vulnerable adult".

We may never know what happened to Howells after Churchill's death.His book does provide an intriguing insight into life in the Churchill household between 1958 -1965.His account is affectionately and respectfully written and as far as I can see betrays nothing of a confidential nature.

Regards

Luam McLoughlin

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[Liam McLoughlin]

I  meant to say that it may not be a widely appreciated fact that Howells wrote his memoirs with the help of a budding journalist, Gerard Kemp, who was to later lead the Sunday Telegraph Close Up  investigation team.He died in 2009 at the age of 79.

Regards

Liam McLoughlin

On Thu, 30 Jan 2020, 16:21 Director, Churchill Archives Centre, <Director...@chu.cam.ac.uk> wrote:

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[Antoine Capet]

Dear All,

The Michigan War Studies Review site has just published a review of
interest to Churchillians :

Churchill and Orwell: The Fight for Freedom
By Thomas E. Ricks
New York: Penguin, 2017. Pp. 339. ISBN 978???1???59420???613???9.
Review by Adrian R. Lewis, The University of Kansas

http://www.miwsr.com/2020-019.aspx

With all best wishes,

Antoine CAPET, FRHistS
Professor emeritus of British Studies
University of Rouen
76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan
France
antoin...@univ-rouen.fr

'Britain since 1914' Section Editor
Royal Historical Society Bibliography

Reviews Editor of CERCLES
http://www.cercles.com/review/reviews.html

https://www.lisez.com/livre-grand-format/churchill/9782262065355
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L'absence de virus dans ce courrier ??lectronique a ??t?? v??rifi??e par le logiciel antivirus Avast.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

[Antoine Capet]

Dear All,

So far, Churchill's statue in Paris* seems to have been spared.

*
https://www.google.com/search?q=Churchill%27s+statue+in+Paris+chirac+queen&client=firefox-b-d&sxsrf=ALeKk00EukAo56GWyGeVa6tQXoDOSPw8RQ:1591953823396&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=TxaR79eKQCZIVM%253A%252CsJM-5H6KxAk19M%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kSgAvYHIDUPJ1-MQVx01-HqUN8hZg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwibrZGR-vvpAhURAWMBHZ7YCNwQ9QEwA3oECAgQBQ&biw=1166&bih=590#imgrc=2z8jS0l1aoHagM

For how long, however ?

Not the case in Woodford :

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11832425/second-winston-churchill-statue-vandalised-graffiti-blm-protests/

Or in Prague :

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/11/fears-of-violence-stop-london-racism-protest-as-statue-attacks-continue

For details of the Prague statue, see the late John Ramsden's superb _Man of
the Century_, pp. 312-313.

With all best wishes,

Antoine CAPET, FRHistS
Professor emeritus of British Studies
University of Rouen
76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan
France
antoin...@univ-rouen.fr

'Britain since 1914' Section Editor
Royal Historical Society Bibliography

Reviews Editor of CERCLES
http://www.cercles.com/review/reviews.html

==========================================




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https://www.avast.com/antivirus