Retracing Churchill's final journey: Barge that carried wartime icon's body to state funeral 50 years ago sails the Thames once more as modern leaders pay tribute to their glorious predecessor

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Poignant: Churchill's family, stood on board the merchant vessel Havengore (centre), retraced the route that his coffin took in 1965

t was one of the most poignant moments in modern British history – the cranes by the River Thames bowing their heads in turn as the coffin of Sir Winston Churchill passed by. 

Today, 50 years on from the wartime leader's dignified State funeral, that same boat traced the route to the Palace of Westminster, where a wreath will be laid in tribute.

Tower Bridge was raised as members of Churchill's family, on board the merchant vessel Havengore, sailed past crowds of well-wishers who had gathered to commemorate the revered former Prime Minister.

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Tribute: The sight of cranes bowing their heads as Sir Winston Churchill's coffin passed is one of the most moving in modern British history

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Unprecedented: The State funeral of Sir Winston Churchill, left, was the largest to date. Right, his family at today's commemoration

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Remembered: Two pipers played on the bow of the ship as a wreath was cast into the River Thames as part of the day's commemoration 

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 Respect: Crowds gathered at London's Tower Bridge to remember Winston Churchill and watch a flotilla recreate his final journey

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 Reminded: The Havengore passed the Houses of Parliament this afternoon, where crowds had gathered to pay tribute to Sir Winston Churchill

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Pause: Shortly before traffic over the bridge stopped as a small flotilla, including Havengore, pictured centre, approached the famous towers

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Reflection: While the numbers today could not match those of 1965, people still lined the banks to acknowledge the nation's debt to Churchill

While the numbers today could not match those of 1965, people still lined the banks to reflect and acknowledge the nation's debt to its great wartime leader.

Earlier today, Prime Minister David Cameron led tributes to Sir Winston Chuchill, saying Britain owed him a huge debt of gratitude, and calling on Britons to ensure his contribution to the country is never forgotten.

The day started with his great-grandson, Randolph Churchill, and granddaughter, Celia Sandys, laying a wreath at Sir Winston's statue outside the Houses of Parliament, London.

 

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Wreaths were laid by (left to right) Churchill's grandson, Conservative MP Sir Nicholas Soames, sixth-form student Nathania Ewruje, Labour Party leader Ed Miliband, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, David Cameron, Baroness d'Souza, Speaker of the House of Lords, and John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons

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Predecessor: Mr Cameron said after laying his wreath, above, that Britain must draw on the 'courage and resolve' inspired by Churchill

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Handwritten: 'Britain was so incredibly fortunate that in our hour of greatest need there came forward one of our greatest ever statesmen. 50 years on the light has not dimmed. David Cameron'. The message that was pinned to Mr Cameron's floral tribute

'His enduring legacy and influence on political life and British culture is testament to his formidable strength of character and remarkable achievements.' 

Wreaths were laid by Commons Speaker John Bercow, his Lords counterpart Baroness d'Souza and Tory MP Sir Nicholas Soames, Churchill's grandson.

The three main party leaders - none of whom were born when Churchill was buried - took part along with 17-year-old Stockton Sixth Form College student Nathania Ewruje. 

The winner of the English-Speaking Union's Winston Churchill Cup for Public Speaking, she recited from a 1955 speech of the former Prime Minister. 

The handwritten note pinned to the floral tribute placed by the Prime Minister spoke of Churchill's light that 'has not dimmed'. 

It read: 'Britain was so incredibly fortunate that in our hour of greatest need there came forward one of our greatest ever statesmen. 50 years on the light has not dimmed. David Cameron'.

Notes penned by Labour leader Ed Miliband and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg were also left. 

Mr Milband wrote: 'With gratitude, respect and admiration for the leadership you showed during Britain's darkest hour. 

 

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Personal: 'With gratitude, respect and admiration for the leadership you showed during Britain's darkest hour. Our country will always remember the hope you gave and the courage you inspired. Ed Miliband'

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Proud: The note left with Nick Clegg's tribute reads, 'In memory of a man who defended our nation, defeated facism, led the free world and has made generations of his... citizens proud to be British. Nick Clegg'

'Our country will always remember the hope you gave and the courage you inspired. Ed Miliband'.

Nick Clegg said: 'In memory of a man who defended our nation, defeated facism, led the free world and has made generations of his... citizens proud to be British. Nick Clegg'.

US Ambassador Matthew Barzun paid tribute to both the UK leader and his American Second World War counterpart, Franklin D Roosevelt while visiting a statue of the two men today.

Today is also the 133rd anniversary of Roosevelt's death and Mr Barzun - sitting between the figures on the bronze 'Allies' tribute in London's Bond Street - said it was a perfect moment to celebrate the continuing 'special relationship'.

'So often we - appropriately - celebrate these two great figures as standing up in these big, tall, bronze statues because they stood up for the values that unite us, they stood up against oppression,' he said in a video message.

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Speeches: John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, left, and Stockton Sixth Form College student Nathania Ewruje, winner of the English-Speaking Union's Winston Churchill Cup for Public Speaking

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Resting place: Floral tributes, one in the form of the Union Flag, are placed on the grave of Sir Winston Churchill in Bladon, Oxfordshire. He was laid to rest in the family vault at St Martin's Church

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Tribute: Randolph Churchill and Celia Sandys, the great-grandson and granddaughter of former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, laid a wreath at his statue on Parliament Square in London this morning

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A procession from the service at Parliament's St Mary's Undercroft chapel, led by the Speaker's Chaplain Rose Hudson-Wilkin, ended under what is known as the Churchill Arch

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Floral tributes left at the foot of the bronze statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament

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As politicians gathered in London, well-wishers headed to Sir Winston's grave in Blandon, Oxfordshire, above

'And we continue to stand up today around the world - you think of us standing up to fight Ebola in West Africa, you think of the US and the UK standing up to fight the scourge that is Isil or Daesh and standing up to the fanaticism that fuels that.

'But I love this statue because they are sitting down, sitting down in friendship and sitting down with space enough between them that someone like me or anyone walking by here can come and sit and show that the special relationship is alive and well.'

Laying a wreath at his great-grandfather's statue in Parliament Square this morning, Randolph Churchill said Sir Winston would be 'surprised but thrilled' at today's commemorations.

Standing alongside alongside Churchill's granddaughter Celia Sandys, he said: 'It was a time when people said that the nation came to a halt and people on the streets stood and paid their respects to the great man passing.

'I think he would be extremely surprised but thrilled that we are a country that thrives on its parliamentary democracy, where we have our freedoms and liberties, that we cherish them, and he would be thrilled that modern Britain has achieved so much in its own way.'

 

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Constant presence: Sir Winton's Churchill's statue outside the Houses of Parliament this morning. While a member of the Commons, Churchill sat for two parties and represented five constituencies

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Remembrance: Their tributes signaled the start of a day of commemoration being held to mark the 50th anniversary of the wartime leader's State funeral

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Honoured The Prime Minister said: 'Winston Churchill was not only a great leader, but a great Briton and his contribution to this country must never be forgotten – we all owe him a huge debt of gratitude

He said it was also a chance to remember the heroes who fought for Britain in two world wars.

'Here we are today, 50 years on, in what Churchill referred to as the 'broad sunlit uplands', and what's sad is that we are losing that remarkable generation that served us so well in two world wars.

'I AM TOUCHED BY YOUR THOUGHT': LETTER FROM SIR WINSTON'S WIFE SENT DAYS BEFORE HIS DEATH 

A rare letter written by Sir Winston Churchill’s wife to a couple who sent her a note offering their support shortly before he died has been found hidden in a dusty drawer.

The handwritten letter, addressed to Mr and Mrs Kelly, from Wolverhampton, was sent by Clementine Churchill on January 22, 1965 - two days before he died on January 24.

It reads simply: 'I am touched by your thought of me at this time. Thank you so much.'

The letter is on headed paper with the Churchill’s address, 28 Hyde Park Gate, where he died in 1965.

The letter now belongs to Allan Hodges, 56, from Penn, Wolverhampton, who bought it from a shop but left it in a dusty drawer for many years.

He said: 'To be honest I had put it away and forgot about it. I remembered I had it and found it in time for the 50th anniversary of Sir Winston’s funeral.' 

'It is wonderful to mark this point and remember those heroes.' Churchill, he said, had 'touched the nation's heart'.

'The story of how he first entered politics, he fought 19 general elections, and he was not always right on the issues, but people so admired what he managed to do in 1940 to inspire a nation and lead them through his great speeches and oratory.

'So he retains a very warm place in the nation's heart and the family have been bowled over by all the coverage.' 

Churchill's grandson Sir Nicholas Soames, who walked behind the gun carriage bearing his grandfather's coffin 50 years ago, spoke to BBC Radio 4's World at One about the event.

He said: 'It was an awe-inspiring event. It was the most beautiful day, very, very cold. The music of the band and the marching kept us all going.

'The streets were 30 or 40 deep, full of people, wherever you looked. What was so extraordinary was to see the faces of people literally contorted with grief as the coffin went by - many people with tears pouring down their faces.

'In those days everyone wore a hat, and every man that you saw swept his hat off as the coffin approached. All the old soldiers wore their medals.

'It was a very remarkable, uplifting and moving day in every way, and there were a series of events that really broke one's heart. I remember, coming to the top of Whitehall, there were a large number of French resistance fighters standing all together in one place and as the coffin arrived they lowered their flags, and I remember finding it very hard not to cry when that happened.'

Sir Nicholas said that the famous dipping of the cranes in London's docks in salute to the war leader was "an unbelievable moment of raw emotion."

He added: "As he was carried in to Westminster Hall - which was completely pitch dark, apart from four candles - there were an enormous number of representatives of the state there, the Earl Marshal and all the people from the Lord Chamberlain's office. My mother turned to me and said 'You must understand that this is the moment we hand him over to the state'.

'I was very conscious that for the five days leading up to his funeral, and for the state funeral, he belonged to the people of this country, who wanted to say their farewells to someone who was an old friend."

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Sombre: Crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square on 30 January 1965 to pray for the great wartime leader

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Ceremony: Attended by dignitaries from 112 countries – a record – it was the largest State funeral to date

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Dignified: Winston Churchill's coffin is pulled to St Paul's Cathedral. The event today will include a wreath-laying ceremony at another statue of Churchill, in the Members' Lobby of the House of Commons

Sir Nicholas acknowledged his grandfather had made some 'bad decisions' during his 63-year political career, but added: 'Thank God, is all I can say, that he turned out all right on the night.'

He recalled Churchill as a 'wonderfu' grandfather: 'He loved having his grandchildren around, he was affectionate, he was doting and - providing we didn't make a noise when he was writing or working - he loved us being there. One couldn't have wanted a more wonderful grandfather.'

A remembrance service is being held at the Houses of Parliament in recognition of Churchill's unswerving dedication to his country.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who is among those attending, said: 'Half a century after his death, Winston Churchill's legacy continues to inspire not only the nation whose liberty he saved, but the entire world. His words and his actions reverberate through our national life today.

'2015 is a year to remember Winston Churchill's extraordinary life of achievement, to admire and to celebrate it anew, and to give thanks for his service not only to the country he loved, but to humanity as a whole.'

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Mourning: The Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth led other members of the Royal Family in St Paul's

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Respected: Crowds gathered as the coffin is carried up the steps of St Paul's Cathedral in London

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Touching: The poignant moment the cranes along the Thames dipped during the funeral of Winston Churchill

Churchill's career in the Commons began in 1900 and spanned 64 years, the longest in the 20th Century.

While a member of the Commons, Churchill sat for two parties, represented five constituencies and contested 21 elections. He held numerous ministerial positions and served as prime minister twice. 

Churchill was laid to rest in the family vault at St Martin's Church in the village of Bladon, and his body was conveyed to the county on a train from London's Waterloo station to Hanborough in Oxfordshire, pulled by Southern Railway's number 34051 Battle of Britain class locomotive, named Winston Churchill in his honour.

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Respect: The crowds file past Winston Churchill's grave in at tiny Oxfordshire village in 1965, which was almost overflowing with wreaths and flowers from well-wishers

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Historic: This picture shows servicemen rehearsing Winston Churchill's burial in St Martin's church, Bladon by lowering a coffin into his grave

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Arrival: A hearse carrying the former Prime Minister's coffin drives through the village of Bladon, the streets filled with well-wishers

Today the full train - the locomotive and tender, a parcel van that bore the coffin and a luxury Pullman carriage called Lydia that carried family and funeral guests - will be put back together at the National Railway Museum in York for the first time in 50 years.

During its £35,000 restoration, the locomotive was repainted with BR 'Brunswick' green livery, its missing whistle was replaced and rust was repaired.

The parcel van has also been restored to its former glory and the full train is now back to its best, ready to be displayed in the museum until May 3 as part of an exhibition, Churchill's Final Journey.

CHURCHILL THE ORATOR, CHURCHILL THE STATESMAN, CHURCHILL THE BON VIVANT: CAMERON'S HEARTFELT TRIBUTE TO THE GREAT WARTIME LEADER

'We are here to honour a great leader – and a great Briton. He was born in my constituency, and is buried in my constituency.

'A full fifty years since his funeral when the cranes along the Thames dipped low and the streets were lined with vast silent crowds the sheer brilliance of Winston Churchill remains undimmed.

'I'll never forget the first time I heard that voice.

'I was at my grandmother's house, as a young boy, and looking through a box of dusty old things I found some vinyl records of his speeches.

'I put one on the record player and the phrases boomed out "Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be… Let us to the task, to the battle, to the toil… And of course: "Some chicken, some neck."

'Churchill the orator made a big impression on me as a boy. And now that I'm Prime Minister – there are so many Churchills to respect and admire.

'There's Churchill the global statesman. Go to China and you remember it was he who first recognised the People's Republic.

'Go to Israel and you remember he helped realise the dream of a Jewish homeland.

'Go to Pakistan and you imagine him fighting on the frontier in the Malakand Field Force.

'From the Battle of Omdurman to Britain's acquisition of the H bomb there stretched nearly sixty years and throughout it all he was right at the heart of events.

'Then there's Churchill the bon vivant.

'The bottles of Pol Roger in Number 10, the practice of taking his Cabinet out for lunch at the Savoy Grill, sadly for my Cabinet, that is not quite the current regime.

'And then – often overlooked – there is Churchill the reformer.

'This was the man who pushed for prison reform, championed old age pensions, and introduced labour exchanges for the unemployed.

'Churchill believed that a nation was made great not just by its military might but by how its poorest and frailest citizens were treated and that is another important part of his legacy.

'But if there is one aspect of this man I admire more than any other – it is Churchill the patriot.

'He knew Britain was not just a place on the map but a force in the world, with a destiny to shape events and a duty to stand up for freedom.

'That is why in 1940 – after France had fallen, before America or Russia had entered the war, he said this: 'Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him all Europe may be free – and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands'.

'Churchill was confident that freedom and democracy would win out over barbarism and tyranny in the end... and it did.

'And with every affront to freedom in this century, we must remember that courage and resolve in the last century.

'Fifty years ago, when Churchill was dying, my older brother was a tiny baby.

'My mother used to wrap him up each day, put him in his pram and wheel him along to Hyde Park Gate.

'There, along with crowds of people, they stood outside that red brick house as a mark of respect.

'Such was the affection – and half a century on, such is the affection.

'History has been kind to Winston Churchill, not because he wrote it, but because he shaped it.

'He left a Britain more free, more secure, more brave and more proud, for that we will always be grateful to him.'

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