Original subtitles

I am a former inspector Walter Henry Thompson.

I am almost 18 years old Winston Churchill's bodyguard.

In almost every movie clip from the great British war leader ...

is this man in the background. Anonymous and secret.

Its crucial role in foiling of attacks on Churchill's life ...

until recently was not known to the general public.

He did not want to live to be taken prisoner ...

and ordered me to .45 Colt always keep fully charged ...

with all but one bullets for the enemy, and the last one for himself.

After the war Thompsons told censored book not everything.

A complete report was by Churchill himself stopped.

Only now can we count the number of attacks to reconstruct Churchill's life.

Many of them failed thanks to Walter.

In this series we have access to these incredible memoirs ...

and we show the story for the first time Walters live with Winston.

Together they made long dangerous trips ...

to Stalin, Roosevelt and meet other world leaders.

Together they visited Lawrence of Arabia, they escaped German killers ...

they almost fell victim of enemy aircraft, attacks ...

submarines and assassins from the IRA.

This series is about the political revolutions in the 20th century ...

the times that Churchill escaped death ...

and Thompson's role in prevention from an early end of life.

In his hands, this weapon was deadly.

Someone who is within the reach of this weapon came, it did not survive.

The killers of the IRA and the Bolsheviks of the Soviet regime ...

Churchills were not the only enemies when Walter became his bodyguard in 1921.

Together they traveled through one of the most dangerous regions on earth.

A hotbed of ethnic and religious conflicts ...

where Winston as the British minister target was of many fanatics.

Walters became nerves and expertise put to the test ...

but he also found unexpectedly an ally: Lawrence of Arabia.

2: Saved by Lawrence of Arabia

Then Prime Minister David Lloyd George the 46-year-old Winston told ...

that he is Minister of Colonies would become...

his bodyguard realized that this was the chance to be murdered would increase.

Because now he got to deal with a whole new world of extremists.

He had to determine how the colonies and protectorates were controlled ...

that Great Britain at the end of had obtained the First World War.

For the former German colonies Africa was no problem ...

but in the highly flammable The business was very different in the Middle East.

The Ottoman Empire, which ruled the Turkish border up to the Suez Canal ...

was dismantled.

Britain got by name of the League of Nations ...

the responsibility about Palestine, Transjordan ...

the Arabian peninsula and Mesopotamia, the current Iraq.

There were rival groups everywhere.

They all wanted to seize power now they were no longer dominated.

80 years later that is still true.

Lloyd George and his minister were investing a conference in Cairo ...

for which all parties were invited.

There it was determined how the new one areas would be controlled.

The conference would take place from 12 to 20 March.

Within a few weeks after his appointment ...

Walter Winston had to protect in one of the most dangerous regions in the world.

Here was a British minister for everyone that grudge had a target ...

but also for all kinds of species terrorists.

An incident before their departure already indicated how complex the problems were.

Walter walked away with Winston from the ministry ...

when Lord Rothchild awaited them. He was a member of the banking dynasty ...

and an avid champion of a permanent homeland for the Jews.

Walter noted what happened next.

"He started against Winston about the trip to Palestine.

Winston did not like his tone. When Rothchild raised his voice ...

and demanded that the Arabs Palestine were thrown out, Winston said:

"I do not take orders from you regarding this trip.

I will try to make a reasonable arrangement to come, do not interfere with it. "

Then he walked away. "

Jews wanted to return for centuries to the land of their ancestors.

That since the year 636 was dominated by Arabs ...

apart from the time of the crusaders ...

did not mean the Zionist movement had become weaker.

Arthur Balfour, Minister of Foreign Affairs during WWI ...

wrote a letter to Lionel Rothchild, chairman of the Zionist movement.

In it he supported the idea of a Jewish state in Palestine.

It became known as the Balfour statement ...

and was the reason that Jimmy Rothchild Churchill had addressed.

It was a signal that the Zionists were the new minister under pressure.

The Palestinian Arabs, however, found that they were more entitled to the area ...

because they lived there for centuries.

They were focused on that the Jews would not benefit.

Walter needed as much information as possible about possible threats.

But nothing could prepare him on what awaited him in Egypt.

Winston told him he was had another priority ...

one that would make it even more difficult to protect him.

"Winston called me.

"Thompson, I will have a lot of you during this trip.

You take care of my painting stuff, because when I paint, you are the only one with me. "

I saw no harm in it and said: I'll do my best. "

Winston was going to paint after he resigned in 1915 as Minister of Marine ...

after the drama at Gallipoli.

Soon he became a meritorious painter, especially landscapes.

Like his girlfriend Violet Bonham Carter said ...

what it is the only activity which he operated in total silence.

Winston liked his life, and thought not that something would ever happen to him.

That's why he sometimes saw Walter as a servant, and not as his bodyguard.

Wearing the donkey and the paint box ...

was one of the chores that Walter would always dislike it.

'I soon noticed that painting no whim, but an addiction.

I was immediately tired of the idea to carry those boxes all the time. "

Winston also still had a responsibility ...

because he was also again Minister of Aviation.

'Winston had two roles during the journey to Egypt and Palestine.

That is why Lord Trenchard assisted him as far as air force matters are concerned ...

and Lawrence of Arabia with regard to the Arab issue. '

Winston always had the military and civilian potential of aviation.

Before WWI he had learned to fly, and when he became Minister of Aviation ...

he picked it up again, even though it was his enthusiasm greater than his expertise.

In 1919 he collapsed twice during training flights.

Yet Clementine had everything out of the closet to get him to stop.

He had to decide whether Trenchard's idea ...

to the new areas from the air to control with bombers ...

a number of armored cars and a local police force was feasible.

It would be entire garrisons troops care ...

something that is tight with cash government had ears to.

This aspect of his ministerial responsibilities ...

would Winston with a political and a bureaucratic nightmare.

He therefore had a chance in Whitehall politically to be massacred.

But the other aspect of his journey ...

find solutions for the centuries long conflicts ...

carried a real risk that really blood would flow.

And as Walter would experience, thought many that it would be Churchill's blood.

When Walter was preparing for Churchill to secure in the Middle East ...

he must take care of that have made.

He had traveled very little.

No more than a few trips left the Canal with Prime Minister Lloyd George.

Now he came in one of the most dangerous areas in the world.

A region full of religious and ethnic quarrels ...

where a British politician for every fanatic would be a great target.

The board of T.E. Lawrence will give him even more nervous.

He acted as Winstons personal adviser in Arabic affairs.

"He said Churchills lives from the first moment would be at risk.

The Egyptian police would being helpful...

but the Arab crowds could suddenly become dangerous. '

Walter knew that the man was him this advice did not get frightened quickly.

But in the modest man that he got to know ...

He did not immediately recognize the legendary Lawrence of Arabia ...

one of the most elusive figures from the beginning of the 20th century.

"He was a simple, untidy one and strange man.

I could hardly believe that he was really the 'uncrowned king' of Arabia.

I was deeply impressed how sincere he spoke about the Arabs.

His respect for them was the same as the extent to which they worshiped him. "

But soon Walter was grateful ...

for the special relationship between Lawrence and the Arabs.

He would take him and Winston several times to save from very dangerous situations.

Lawrence knew the Arabs since 1911.

Then he worked in Mesopotamia as an archaeologist.

He admired them and learned Speak Arabic.

In 1915 they thought he was the Arabs against the Turks.

He first visited the two most important ones tribal chiefs of the peninsula.

He chose Sheikh Feisal as the one the Arabs could unite.

With him he put the uprising in 1916 against Turkish domination.

Led by Lawrence the railways sabotaged ...

so Turkish reinforcements were cut off.

Then he led the Arabs at the conquest of all major cities.

He was first in the Arab attack on the Turks in Palestine ...

who, together with British troops, are under General Allenby was executed.

The highlight was the intake of Jerusalem on December 9, 1917.

Lawrence took over in the fall of 1918 with Arab troops Damascus in.

He thought all the time the Arabs fought for their independence ...

and that they passed them tacitly the British government was promised.

When the Arabs in Paris with vague promises were fobbed off ...

Lawrence was deeply disappointed.

Yet he saw the conference in Cairo where he advised Churchill ...

as a new opportunity to do the right thing.

For the emergence of the passenger plane ...

went traveling considerably slower.

Even as a minister fast to a conference.

It was not comfortable. They traveled to Paris by train.

Hence it was about Walter a terrible experience ...

the train from Paris to Marseille about Lyon.

'You could not possibly talk, eat, sleep, you shave or even think.

You could have the complete lack of comfort just trying to survive ...

and then as soon as possible forget.'

Churchill's wife Clementine fourth holiday in Cannes.

She joined Marseille with Walter and Winston.

There they took a liner to Alexandria.

Walter only knew Northern France.

It was a difficult and possible one disastrous baptism of fire as a bodyguard.

Lawrence provided better and better how it would go.

But now he could at least guess Walter indicate if it became penile.

"Only in a real emergency may I use my revolver.

A fistfight would be respected.

I would make friends if I were to attack attackers ...

but enemies like me would shoot. "

Lawrence did not know the British at all loved in Egypt.

It was part of the Ottoman Empire, but was under British rule ...

since the construction of the Suez Canal in 1869.

After WWI, the wish was to be independent to become increasingly stronger.

Despite that, Winston is not direct responsible for the government ...

everyone suspected the British their wanted to strengthen the country's grip.

Winston would therefore with many demonstrations.

When the ship moored ...

Walter must have thought that his greatest fear came true.

"The heat and the flies were terrible.

There was a crowd on the quay Egyptians and Arabs.

When Winston disembarked, they began to scream furiously.

The cheering seemed to do little. But the facial expression of those people ...

when we quickly got to the cars was threatening. "

When Walter took place next to the driver, he heard someone say:

"Never lose sight of Mr. Churchill."

It was Walters first acquaintance with Thomas Russell Pasha ...

the head of the police ...

that name had made as, like Walter it called, "scourge of drug fanatics."

Walter was not comfortable with it when she by the hostile crowd.

It could become dangerous at any moment. A killer could pop up like that.

But they came to the hotel, and worked by another screaming crowd.

Winston was immediately after lunch brought to a RAF camp.

Walter went along, and afterwards they were sitting in the dining room.

"Mrs. Churchill was tired and went to her room.

Suddenly she was troubled in the door.

She said: Come quickly, there is someone in the room next to mine.

I rushed there. The door was closed, but I heard someone.

I could not open the door, so I kicked him. After two times he gave away.

I looked into the room ...

and saw an Arab climbing out of the window, he was immediately out of sight.

The official suitcases were undamaged but there was nothing of value.

Someone guarded the room while I was went to Winston in the dining room.

He already arrived and seemed disappointed that he had missed everything.

He said: You are sleeping in that room as long as we are here.

That's where my wonderful bed went.

I had to sleep on a cot with my revolver under my pillow. "

The next day was there again a hostile crowd in front of the hotel.

Walter had counted on it, and they left by a side door ...

and would go through small streets drive to the station.

The royal train was ready. When they boarded, a crowd gathered.

It was thrown with stones. The situation seemed to get out of hand.

The train left, but he was driving Walters is far too slow.

"I went to stand in the doorway, and stayed there ...

until the train went so fast that you did not to climb up or shoot more. "

That was good too.

The train slowed down when he came to a transition.

A large crowd waited there who had counted on this.

They swarmed around the train and threw stones.

The boldest among them tried to open the doors.

Walter knew it quickly life threatening.

The crowd became increasingly boisterous, the flame could hit the pan.

"Suddenly we heard glass break.

A window behind Churchills compartment ment was thrown in, and one before.

Lawrence gestured me quietly stay in my place.

He went to the end of the carriage. "

When the train stopped ...

Churchills seemed to live and that of his escorts are in danger.

The Egyptians became mad about it go. If they came in the train ...

Walters would probably be the first mission run into a disaster.

"A huge crowd of angry people Egyptians ...

some of which go to the windows handles, kept the transition occupied.

Stones hailed down on the carriages.

Window after window was bounced. Glass was everywhere on the carpet. "

For the first time he saw how calm Winston stayed if his life was in danger.

'Winston was sitting quietly in the whole time royal salon, and smoked a cigar.

I held his briefcase down a stone flew through the window and fell between us.

Winston said:

Give it to Archie, you must maybe your hands free.

We grinned and Sir Archibald asked:

If Thompson needs both hands has, what do we need? "

Despite Walters somewhat boyish The story was an anxious moment.

Almost all windows were thrown in, there was glass everywhere.

The crowd wanted to climb in ...

and it seemed that they were every moment had to fight.

Finally the train went faster. The Egyptians ran after it ...

and tried to get in anyway, but the danger seemed over.

"Lawrence came back, he never said much.

"We'll save it, there is nothing more to throw in. "

Eight kilometers before Cairo the train stopped unexpectedly.

Everyone reacted tense, Walter will have feared the worst.

Two high British officers stepped in.

They warned them in Cairo also awaited a hostile crowd.

That's why they switched to cars, while the train drove further to the station.

The trick succeeded, without problems they arrived at their hotel.

General Allenby, the high commissioner from Egypt, Churchill welcomed.

As he did, took Russell Pasha Walter again separately.

"He said to me: "Churchill is in great danger.

Keep him in this part of the world always in the eye.

Do not trust anyone, black or white. Watch about him as about your own life.

Even in his bedroom. " I said:

That is what I am here for, I will do everything to protect him. "

Walter told the doorman ...

that he should report it immediately Churchill went outside without him.

When he heard that Churchill was on foot left, he was scared to death.

Walter went into the hostile streets from Cairo looking for the minister ...

fearing what he would find.

Horrified that his boss only by the town ran, Walter hurried down.

But Churchill was gone in the hot and dusty streets ...

where it was swarming with beggars, street vendors and passers-by.

It was terrible for Walter ...

to realize that the man he had to secure now was extremely vulnerable.

The doorman thought he was at Allenby gone. Walter went straight there.

He was greatly relieved then Churchill came out of the house ...

but did not show anything when Churchill greeted him with a smile.

"I said, I thought you would not go out.

If I have to guard you in a way that you and me seem pretty ...

you must let it know when you go out.

My responsibility is big and it would make my work much easier.

I said it on a real one Scotland Yard tone.

How he reacted then, gave me insight into his character.

It was the first time he did showed something of itself.

"I will do everything to help you. We begin to understand each other. "

The latter he said so nice that I almost apologized ...

that I had spoken to him in a very official tone. '

Walter had to be permanent be wary.

If Churchill was at the conference, he could fall back on the police.

But outside the hotel the danger was everywhere.

That turned out a few days later ...

when Allenby visited Churchill went to King Abdul in the Abdin Palace.

They were surrounded by the palace by students and troublemakers ...

those slogans screamed and scold them.

Their car just knew to slip through the gate.

"Suddenly the crowd started to move.

A multitude of maniacs with brown faces stormed on the fence.

Stones were flying around, it had to go wrong.

The guards went there the smeared lightning off.

The students were floating around our car. Some climbed on the footboard.

The sergeant of the RAF said: No weapon, just use your fists.

The sergeant and I went out, each on the own side of the car.

The situation was dire ...

but we apparently struck so hard that the majority was drying.

Officials came out of the palace and spoke the rest.

Then we heard that they were going to our hotel went to catch us later.

Winston came out and we took 'A route behind the protesters.'

Churchill then chaired the conference which the British administration had to determine.

Walter could relax, knowing that Churchill was now in a safe environment.

But now and then Churchill made trips to the pyramids to paint them.

These were trips for Walter nervous.

Winston's life was directly in danger if he was in public.

Winston was almost injured in a trip to the city of Saqqara ...

at 27 km southwest of Cairo. But he did it himself.

Walter heard when they left ...

that the honored guests on dromedaries would drive ...

accompanied by sheiks and others dignitaries on horses.

Winston and Walter were sitting for the first time on 'the ship of the desert'.

Both did not turn out to be born drivers.

'Winston seemed to be enjoying himself, but suddenly fell sideways to the ground.

The Arabs were directly involved, turned around ...

and rushed at him.

They went up and screamed I thought in a threatening tone.

Later I discovered that they were begging him to take a seat on their steed ...

and not defying the danger again on a ship from the desert.

But they did not know him yet as I knew him.

It just seems to be undermining him to even greater efforts.

He wanted to finish the journey like he started it, and said:

"I started on a dromedary, I end up on a dromedary. "

When he mounted the dromedary again, who was now ruminating ...

I heard Lawrence laugh out loudly and explain why he had fallen.

"The animal knew he had the honor to carry you.

So he sucked the lungs out of pride. But he noticed your driving style ...

that you could not be the big man about whom he had heard ...

and that you were an ordinary person which he had to throw off as quickly as possible.

He blew the air out, the saddle belt became looser and you flew off.

Pride comes before the fall. "

The visit went well. But Walter still had terrible saddle pain for days.

The conference ended, as it was then seen, in a success.

Transjordan and Mesopotamia were kingdoms. The latter is now called Iraq.

It would be on behalf of the League of Nations for the time being under British rule.

If the monarchies proved sustainable, they would become independent.

Arabia also remained under British rule ...

until there was one government for all rival tribes.

The same was true the mandate of Palestine ...

where the tensions between Arabs and Jews assumed threatening forms.

Then Churchill traveled to Palestine.

Russell Pasha gave Winston one frightening warning.

'He said we were unprecedented fanaticism would encounter.

And that during the train journey an attack would be committed on Churchill. "

Walter realized that Palestine even more dangerous than Egypt.

By that warning Walter was very alert ...

when the train was in the heat slowly traveled further ...

through Sinai on the way to Palestine.

The next morning, Churchill left stop the train ...

and demanded a bath in the hot water from the steam engine.

"In Gaza we would talk with a number of Arab leaders.

There were about 2000 people outside, and while Churchill was being addressed ...

the noise became stronger. When it was time to go ...

the crowd did not move, and did not want us to go to the train.

Churchill asked Lawrence: Is this a demonstration for or against us?

He said: They just want to look at you.

But how long, Churchill asked. If it takes too long, you can sweep me up.

Then I experienced how much prestige Lawrence enjoyed with these peoples.

Police on horseback tried the crowd get away.

But they grabbed the bridles and pushed the horses backwards.

Meanwhile, the crowd came getting closer to us.

Lawrence raised his hand, and I looked at all those faces.

Lawrence spoke a few words.

Those oriental faces looked at him meanwhile, full of dedication.

Then he stepped aside. And like the Red Sea once passed through the Israelites ...

that is how it appeared here in the crowd a gangway.

They walked back and bowed in the meantime.

But as soon as Churchill progressed, they stopped.

Lawrence followed, it was a sign to show their devotion.

For many threw themselves on the ground, with his arms out to him.

Winston saw it and said to me: They worship him.

The crowd stayed us follow a short distance.

Escorted by just about whole We finally reached Gaza by train. '

Lawrence's influence became clear again when they came to Jerusalem.

"The train stopped before Jerusalem. I heard noise at the locomotive.

A number of Arabs blocked the track with their own body.

The noise became harder than a part from the crowd came to us.

Winston smoked equally unperturbed as always a cigar ...

while Lawrence opened a window.

When his face appeared, there fell an absolute silence, just like in Gaza.

He spoke for a long time. Again I had the feeling that those brown men worshiped him.

The crowd cheered.

Lawrence walked to Winston and said that the Arabs wanted to see him.

Winston walked to the window, Lawrence was behind him.

Two brightly dressed Arabs came forward...

and gave Mr. Churchill a writing.

It was a petition about the Jewish influence in Palestine.

Winston accepted him.

When he put him in his pocket, the crowd cheered.

They started as children to dance around.

When the train drove away, they continued to dance and they waved us out.

That was the last delay before we reached Jerusalem. "

Lawrence once again had a possibility prevent serious incident ...

and Walter was greatly relieved when she enter the station of Jerusalem.

They stayed in the residence from the high commissioner.

Walter found it amusing to discover who the previous owner was.

'The building looked fairly modern.

Much nicer than anything we do from the station.

It stood on the Mount of Olives, and was built for Emperor Wilhelm.

It had its palace in the East must become.

The German eagle was still above the entrance gate.

Then it became the residence from Herbert Samuel.

That is how the high commissioner lived in a building ...

that for the 'supreme' was meant ...

to get his business from there in the eastern part of his empire.

On a hill there was a small, refined building ...

with a seat in it that offered a view about the vast landscape:

the seat of the emperor.

Here, by the grace of God and those of old enemies and new ...

British and allies ...

Wilhelm had the expanse want to think about his area. '

Walter liked to sit in the chair from the emperor.

But he exaggerated the wish of the 'Supreme' to build a realm.

The Germans saw the Ottoman Empire as a means to bother the British.

And the emperor had managed to to have the sultan at his side in World War I.

But it is unlikely that he wanted to take over the whole region.

Here too Walter was fascinated by it effect that Lawrence had on the population.

"It was beautiful to Lawrence to see in his Arab clothes.

But the reaction of the Arabs was even more striking.

Everywhere he came to Jerusalem ...

Arabs came rushing, and sometimes they threw themselves at his feet.

Then he hesitated for a moment, then to say something to those people. "

Churchill also fascinated Walter increasingly.

"I had faces at Scotland Yard learn to study.

That's why I watched that from Winston.

When he visited the holy places, the Holy Sepulcher and Bethlehem ...

he was visibly moved.

He just stood there, did not say a word and then left in silence. "

Both at the sights as during private conversations ...

Winston had to both rival to keep parties to friend.

He said that the British government is the largest Muslim state in the world was ...

and that he has the friendship with the Arabs very much appreciated.

But he also said that the British are kind Jewish home state in Palestine.

That's why he planted a tree at the Jewish university on the Scopus mountain.

Churchill would not the last politician is ...

who noticed that the problems in it Middle East are virtually insoluble.

It is no different nowadays.

As Walter discovered later, also found Lawrence ...

that Winston occurred during the visit a true statesman had shown.

"Lawrence sent him a copy from his book Seven Pillars of Wisdom.

I have seen what he up front had written. There stood:

"To Winston, that made for a happy ending.

Eleven years after we have a reasonable arrangement our work is still standing.

I would give you two copies should send. "

There were no more incidents when they returned to Alexandria.

But Walter will be relieved on board the boat have stepped for the return journey.

It was a relaxing journey ...

doing Sicily and Naples for the sights.

Churchill was after six weeks on 12 April in London again.

Both in his professional and his he would have problems with his private life.

The situation in Ireland got out of hand, and the next year and a half ...

Walter always had to deal with Irish threats to kill Churchill.

But it was in his private life that he was most affected.

Walter was powerless here.

A few weeks after his return ...

his mother fell when she was in high heels walked down the stairs.

The leg had to be amputated, after which she got cold fire.

"I heard Winston at night come down quickly.

He still put his nightdress in his pants when he said with tears in his eyes:

Thompson, we're going to lady Randolph, I fear she is dying.

He ran all the way to the house from his mother, 200 meters away.

He told me on the way his mother had lost her leg ...

and had bled heavily, and not one she expected it to survive.

I said if I had the same blood group, I liked to donate blood.

He put his arm around me and said:

I'll never forget, even if it is too late.

The doctors came and my blood group it turned out to be the same, but it was too late. '

Churchill kept his word and did not forget Walter's offer.

Confidence grew as a result of this incident and the friendship between them.

In his first year as a bodyguard ...

Walter had not saved him alone when his life was in danger ...

but they did too built up a friendship ...

that the rest of their lives would continue.

They would make a lot of changes together experience ...

while Winstons career highlights reached, and again seemed to collapse.

Walter also received other tasks.

But then Winston against self-government India was and there were threats again ...

he turned to Walter again to secure him.

But the next threat ...

came from a side they did not both of them could have been foreseen.

[Dutch] NN1

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