The PLA and Sir Winston Churchill

On the 13th April 1908, the changes which took place following the resignation of Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman and the formation of a Ministry by Mr. Asquith, led to Mr. Lloyd George quitting the Board of Trade for the Treasury and being succeeded by Mr. Winston Churchill.

In Churchill’s charge, the Bill which was to become the, ‘Port of London Act, 1908' was read a second time, referred to a joint committee of the Lords and Commons and The Royal Assent was given on December 21st, 1908. History of the Port of London Sir Joseph G. Broodbank.

Churchill's appreciation of the importance of the representation of labour evident in the formulation of the Bill, must have been one of the earliest signs that he was to prove, 'a man of the people'.

From this time, as president of the Board of Trade, Churchill had helped create the Port of London Authority, on through the years of the First World War, the twenties, thirties and the Second World War, he had always been held in the highest esteem by the PLA.

Many of the Officers were wearing, or could have worn had they been in uniform, the decorations and campaign ribbons won under the leadership of Churchill. He was their war leader. They had served under him and won through. They served him equally willingly now. Nothing that could be done to enhance the grandeur and solemnity of the occasion was left undone. PLA Monthly.

There had been many occasions over the years when his connections with the Port had been recorded in the PLA journal, ‘The PLA Monthly’. It was during Second World War that ties between Sir Winston and the Authority were at their closest. The Port of London was a main target of the Luftwaffe and suffered repeated devastating attacks. During this time the Wreck Raising Service was especially important and dangerous work, acknowledged by Sir Winston in 1941 through the awarding of Gallantry Certificates, many of which were presented by Mrs. Churchill. In 1944, Subaltern Mary Churchill presented more Certificates for Gallantry to PLA staff.

The PLA was part of the 'team', proudly and efficiently performing their duty, whilst the spirit of the London Docklands and it's Authority would not have easily been broken the reliance on their leader was never underestimated.

The PLA monthly celebrated its Silver Jubilee in 1950. Sir Winston in a letter to the PLA offered his congratulations,

The Thames is no ordinary waterway; in peace and war through our long and glorious tale London's River and its Port have always been a living force in the nation's life, and a journal which aims at recording the traditions and reflecting the robust spirit of the historic tideway has my cordial wishes for its continued success.

There is, in the 1965 publication, a sense of wonder of what the future held for a nation, ‘showing signs of being wearied by post-war materialism.’

If the funeral of Churchill the Great proves to be the turning point at which a great nation re-discovered its soul, his achievements, even in death will be as great as those of his finest hour.

So it was, with, ‘the most profound sense of loss’ that the passing of Sir Winston was recorded.

The Port of London Authority commissioned artist, Mr. W.G. Morden, R.I. to capture the river procession of the state funeral. The memorial canvas, 'Westward to Bladon' is currently display at International House, St. Katherine Docks, London.