Winston Churchill typed and signed letter to Cyril Lakin

Maker Winston Churchill (English, 1874 - 1965)

Date1942

ClassificationsHistory

DimensionsFrame: 36 x 35 x 1 in. (91.4 x 88.9 x 2.5 cm)
Letter: 9 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. (24.1 x 19.1 cm)

DescriptionA typed letter, signed by Winston S. Churchill with a handwritten greeting in Churchill's hand. The letter is two pages on "10, Downing Street, / Whitehall" letterhead, dated May 27, 1942. Included with the letter is the transmittal envelope, reading "ON HIS MAJESTY'S SERVICE" at top with "PRIME MINISTER" at bottom left. Framed with gray mat and gilt rope edge design in black frame, with black and white photograph of Churchill and gold plaque.

The letter is written to Cyril Lakin, a candidate for a special election seat n Parliament for a district in South Wales. Lakin won the special election and served as a Member of Parliament until 1945.

Churchill writes, in full:

"My dear Lakin,

The tragic death of that esteemed Member and fine sportsman, Patrick Munro, while taking part in a Home Guard exercise at the House of Commons, came as a shock to his many friends in the House and in the Llandaff and Barry Division.

His place in Parliament must now be filled and I hope that all his friends and supporters in the Division will rally to your support in the forthcoming bye-election.

Let there be no doubt in the minds of the electors that you are the candidate who stands for the completion and execution of plans for victory that have been developed by the National Government which it has been my duty to lead during the past two perilous years.

You come before the constituency, of which you are a native, as a National Government candidate, and the political principles for which you stand are plain to all. You believe with me that the Government and nation should concentrate their life-energies on cleansing the world from Hitlerism and that when victory has been won the future of this country should be planned in harmony and combined action with other like-minded peoples in accordance with the principles of the Atlantic Charter.

If you opponent is opposed to this policy, he should say so.

I urge every elector, man and woman, to grasp the opportunity open to them to use their votes to further the prosecution of the war. To abstain from voting at such a time as this is to neglect the prime duty and to sacrifice the time-honoured privilege of a Briton.

Yours sincerely,
Winston Churchill"