January 1, 1970

During the Second World War, Churchill had little red labels attached to important documents with the words ‘Action This Day’. It was one of the many ways in which he sought to drive and enthuse those around him. He was always a man of action. As a young man he sought danger in the army and as a war correspondent. When not on the battlefield, he played polo. He learned to fly in 1913, only ten years after the first aeroplane flight, and had several near crashes. During the First World War he spent five months commanding a battalion of Royal Scots Fusiliers in the trenches of the Western Front and in the Second World War he crossed U-Boat infested waters and flew through enemy-contested skies to visit Allied leaders and the troops in the field. In this section you’ll learn more about Churchill’s lifelong desire to be at the centre of the action.