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Walter Thompson

Born

in The United Kingdom

December 03, 1890

Died

January 18, 1978

Genre

History

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Detective Inspector Walter Henry Thompson was the bodyguard of Winston Churchill for 18 years between 1921 and 1945, being recalled from semi-retirement running a grocer's shop with his wife by a telegram from Churchill on 22 August 1939 reading "Meet me Croydon Aerodrome 4.30pm Wednesday Churchill."

Although at that time Churchill had no official position in government, as the leading anti-appeaser he was aware of the prevailing risk to his life from assassins (particularly the Nazis) and he personally engaged Thompson to protect him at a rate of £5 per week with Scotland Yard continuing to pay his salary. Thompson resumed his official duties with Scotland Yard, being assigned to protect Churchill, when Churchill rejoined the Cabinet on th Detective Inspector Walter Henry Thompson was the bodyguard of Winston Churchill for 18 years between 1921 and 1945, being recalled from semi-retirement running a grocer's shop with his wife by a telegram from Churchill on 22 August 1939 reading "Meet me Croydon Aerodrome 4.30pm Wednesday Churchill."

Although at that time Churchill had no official position in government, as the leading anti-appeaser he was aware of the prevailing risk to his life from assassins (particularly the Nazis) and he personally engaged Thompson to protect him at a rate of £5 per week with Scotland Yard continuing to pay his salary. Thompson resumed his official duties with Scotland Yard, being assigned to protect Churchill, when Churchill rejoined the Cabinet on the outbreak of war.

During his time with Churchill, Thompson travelled over 200,000 miles and is reported to have saved Churchill's life on some 20 occasions, including times when Churchill's own foolhardiness exposed him to danger from shrapnel during the Blitz, plots by the IRA, Indian nationalists, Arab nationalists, Nazi agents, Greek Communists and the deranged.

The stress of his duties during his time with Churchill caused Thompson to suffer a breakdown, which took him away from Churchill, but within weeks, Thompson had recuperated and returned to his duties. The stress of the job, compounded by long absences away from his family, led to the dissolution of Thompson's first marriage in 1929 and during the war he married Churchill's junior secretary, May Shearburn.

In June 1945, with Churchill out of office and Thompson about to retire for a second time from the Metropolitan Police, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and Downing Street decided that it would be improper for him to publish his memoirs for the foreseeable future and threatened Thompson with the loss of his police pension if it was published, even though he had nearly completed a 350,000 word manuscript. An expurgated version, 'I was Churchill's Shadow' was published in the 1950s, but the full manuscript was discovered only after Thompson's death, by his great-niece Linda Stoker.

For his service in protection of Churchill and to his country, Thompson was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1945.

He died of cancer on 18 January 1978, aged 87 years.

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Walter Thompson’s books

Average rating: 4.18 · 40 ratings · 8 reviews · 22 distinct works • Similar authors

	Beside the Bulldog The Intimate Memoirs of Churchill's Bodyguard 4.09 avg rating — 34 ratings — published 1953 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Lancaster to Berlin by Walter Thompson, Don Bennett (Foreword) 4.50 avg rating — 4 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Federal centralization 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Seventh-day Adventists: Cult or christians? by Walter Thompson, Mark Decker (Illustrator), Creation Enterprises International Staff (Editor) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 1991	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dictionary of idioms 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Adventures of the Clairville Trio: Book 1, May: Foul Play in Clairville 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Steel Design 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Federal centralization: a study and criticism of the expanding scope of congressional legislation. 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Another Cezanne 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	TIME OFF MY LIFE 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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The History Book ...: ARCHIVE - BUDDY READ - THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE: A SAGA OF CHURCHILL, FAMILY, AND DEFIANCE DURING THE BLITZ - DISCUSSION THREAD (No Spoilers, please)	361	303	Nov 11, 2020 06:14PM

Walter Thompson’s Followers

Walter Thompson

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Walter Thompson’s books