CHURCHILL, WINSTON

A very unique memorabilia item. An original typescript of Churchill's answer to a Parliamentary question by Colonel Lyons on the supply of material and munitions by Britain to USSR on two pages, war-dated 10th May 1944. The typescript bears autographed revisions in Churchill's hand in red ink consisting of 27 words. A typescript answer to a possible supplementary question on the despatch of civil supplies accompanies the speech, as does a typescript "Statement for circulation in the official report in answer to Parliamentary question by Colonel Lyons" including a two page list of military supplies to the USSR (3 pages). Between August 1941 and the spring of 1945, approx. forty Arctic convoys, coded "PQ", made the long voyage from British ports to North Russia - Archangel and Murmansk. The decision by the British Government in August 1941 to send military supplies to her new ally, was as much for political reasons and to boost morale as to provide any really significant military assistance. Our typescript provides an impressive list of British military supplies to the Soviet Union (in part): " between 1 October 1941 and 31 March 1944 we have supplied (...) 5,031 tanks, (...) vehicles 4,020, 9,778 aircraft, (...) total value of (...) raw materials £28,115,000, (...) total value of foodstuffs supplied £7,223,000 (...)". The typescript was given by Churchill to Sir Peter Agnew, MP (1900-1990), who served in the Royal Navy. Agnew's copy of his letter of thanks to Churchill, also dated 10 May 1944, accompanies the typescript.