Winston Churchill was a man who worried himself half to death, his anxious nature having earned him the nickname ‘Black Dog.’ The British Prime minister had a great many fish to fry, and he worried about each and every one of them. Always on his mind were casualty numbers, equipment losses, numbers of air-ready Royal Air Force planes, troop advancements across the field of battle, and the infinite threads of logistics and strategy to be woven into wartime policy. Winston Churchill was proud, having just returned from the United States where he had succeeded in convincing Congress to enter the war, and still he worried. Even his hobbies worried him: Churchill was a lepidopterist, and he worried about his farm of butterfly specimens collected over the course of his travels. He was also an icthyophile, and worried for the health of the exotic fish in his aquarium.
Somewhere in the south of England, American soldiers observed the Prime Minister in his three-piece pin-stripe suit as he inspected the new Thomson automatic rifles, also called Tommy guns, which had just been shipped from the US. The American war machine was up and running, with weapons and food rations arriving en masse. Back in the States they were busy building frigates, bombers and shells, while across the Atlantic Churchill conducted a review of the troops in the company of General Dwight Eisenhower.
“We need time to train before the landing. The Tommy guns arrived just this morning, but my men are already getting used to them,” General Eisenhower informed him.
“Your men?” Churchill asked sharply.
“Excuse me, Mister Prime Minister, I meant to say ‘our’ men.”
“Are the Tommies in working order?” Churchill asked.
“They are in perfect condition, Mr Prime Minister. We just want to ensure that it’s the case for all of them. Don’t want to run into any problems in the field.”
The Thompson machine guns were piled up in their hundreds, needing to be tested and handled in order to ensure they worked perfectly. Winston Churchill grabbed a Thompson and flicked up the safety. He pointed the gun at a target and fired once, then twice. “I see the Prime Minister knows his weapons,” General Eisenhower remarked. Churchill was known to be irascible, and a well-timed complement was said to help lift his mood. But Winston Churchill remained worried about these Thompson submachine guns, so hastily shipped from the U.S., and felt an urgent need to be sure they all worked. “Don’t worry sir, our men will take care of it,” General Eisenhower assured him. All of a sudden, Churchill stepped back and aimed for the furthest target. He fired, and hit the bullseye. The American soldiers applauded the British PM’s moxie, impressed by his humility and respect. Winston Churchill burst out laughing, feeling accepted by the American army.
“Once this war is won, I shall show you my butterfly collection, Churchill told Eisenhower. I have been fortunate enough to collect many species of all sizes, and in many fine colours.”
“I didn’t know you collected butterflies, Mr Prime Minister,” the general said, surprised.
“Exotic fish, too,” Churchill went on.
“You must make a discerning collector.”
“It relaxes me,” Churchill added, grinning.
The Prime Minister’s driver started up the jeep; it was time to head back to London. Winston Churchill’s meeting with General Dwight D. Eisenhower had gone off smoothly. Their great victory was at hand, and Hitler would be defeated. Winston Churchill formed a V sign with his fingers to the American soldiers as they watched him move off; it was his calling card, the V for Victory. He gave the general a military salute and lit a fat cigar for the journey home.
“Until next time,” called the general.
Alan Alfredo Geday