January 1, 1970

In October 1914, Churchill managed to engineer a position at the centre of an ill-fated land battle, despite being in charge of the Navy. The Germans, pushing into Belgium and France, were attacking the key Belgian port of Antwerp. Its capture would have allowed the Germans to march unimpeded into north France and on to the Channel Ports, threatening the British Expeditionary Force’s routes to Europe. The Belgian army, with the King of Belgium and his government, were taking refuge in Antwerp; worried that reinforcements from Britain would come too late, the Belgians wanted to evacuate.

Churchill offered to take personal command of the forces involved and headed off to Antwerp in person, where he drove around the city in an open-topped Rolls Royce, in cloak and yachting cap. He then compounded this rashness with a telegram to Asquith offering to exchange his post in the cabinet to take up a military command in Antwerp. His offer was, of course, refused.

The city fell to the Germans on 9 October, with over two thousand men killed, wounded or captured, including many of Churchill’s ‘private army’ of reinforcements, the Royal Naval Division.

Although Churchill was roundly criticised for his actions – many accused him of serving his own interests in wanting to be at the centre of things – the three-day delay may have held up the German advance into Northern France and defended the Channel Ports.

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