May 7, 2015

Finest Hour 115, Summer 2002

Page 37

Eric Kane of Bayport, New York sent us a copy of this interesting 8×10-inch photograph signed by Churchill and numerous others, and asks us to identify the cast of characters. Allen Packwood and Paul Courtenay agree that the photograph shows Churchill with members of the Conservative Whips Office from his second ministry in the 1950s. They identified most of the front row. Left to right: Unknown, Edward Heath (Deputy Chief Whip, later Prime Minister), Patrick Buchnan-Hepburn (later Lord Hailes, Government Chief Whip 1951-55), WSC, Cedric Drewe, Roger Conant and Henry Studholme. They recognise few in the back row, but of the remaining legible signatures, the following were whips at the time: Martin Redmayne (presumably back row, far left), Dennis Vosper (later Lord Runcorn, Conservative Whip 1950-54, centre under portrait) and Dick Thompson (second from right). Can anyone help identify the others?