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| Jack Churchill carries a sword on the far right. |
Jack Churchill was a British
officer who served during the Burma conflict, World War II and the Palestine
conflict. He was given two monikers during his service. “Mad Jack Churchill”
was most likely given to him because he was insane enough, or brave enough, to
fight during WWII with a bow and arrow against men who were armed with modern
weapons. “Fighting Jack Churchill” was probably given to him because of his
fighting spirit. The man apparently loved to be involved in war and seemed to
get bored if he wasn’t.
Jack Churchill’s given name was
John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming Churchill. He was born in Hong Kong to parents of
English descent on September 16, 1906. He went on to attend the Royal Military
Academy at Sandhurst and graduated in 1926. He became an officer in the
Manchester regiment, following his graduation. He had two younger brothers who
also served in the British military. One was also an officer in the Manchester
regiment, the other served with the Royal Navy and was killed in action.
Jack Churchill quickly became
known for being a little odd, while serving with the Manchester regiment. One
story about his odd behavior goes that he showed up to formation one day with
an umbrella. When his commanding officer asked him why he had an umbrella, “Mad
Jack” told him that he had the umbrella because it was raining. Sure, that’s a
normal enough thing for a civilian to do, but for a military officer it’s
nearly unforgivably insubordinate. Nonetheless, Jack fought in the Burma
conflict bravely and successfully without getting himself into too much
trouble.
In 1936, after ten years of
service, Jack Churchill decided to leave the military. He turned to perfecting
a few of his hobbies. He spent a great deal of time playing the bagpipes and
practicing with his bow and arrow. He apparently became very good at both. He
also began working as an extra in films. However, in 1939, Germany invaded
Poland and Jack Churchill decided to get in on the action. He reenlisted with
the Manchester regiment, but he had an odd request. He wished to be allowed to
carry a bow, arrows and a sword into combat. This was apparently allowed.
Not long after Jack Churchill
reenlisted, he decided to volunteer to become a commando. He had no idea what
this was, at the time, but it turned out to be perfect for him. Commandos were
responsible for conducting raids in various areas and the action was just the
way Churchill liked it-intense. He
participated in commando training in Scotland. While there, he met and fell in love
with Rosamund Denny. The couple married in Scotland in 1941. They remained
married until Jack’s death.
On December 27, 1941, after the
completion of his commando training, Jack Churchill led two companies in an
attack off of Nord Fjord in Norway. Reportedly, as the men made their way to
conduct this ultimately successful mission, “Mad Jack” stood in the foremost
landing craft and played “The March of the Cameron Men” on his bagpipes. Jack
was a part of numerous raids, and yes, he used his sword and his bow and arrows
as weapons. When the situation warranted the use of firearms, he used them, but
there were many times when a German soldier was surprised to find himself being
captured by a man with a sword, or to see that one of his downed comrades had an
arrow sticking out of him.
In 1944, “Mad Jack” and his men
were charged with taking three German held hills in Brac. Most of the men were
killed. In fact, Jack Churchill was reportedly the only one left unharmed. When
he realized that they had been defeated, Jack stood and played his bagpipes
until he was knocked out by a blast and subsequently captured. Jack was moved
around a little bit before being taken to Sachsenhausen (a German concentration
camp). He escaped for a brief period, but was recaptured within hours. He was
taken to another camp in Niederdorf, Austria in April of 1945. He escaped in
September of the same year.
Jack Churchill walked south 150
miles, for eight days after leaving Niederdorf. He survived by staying off of
the road and eating pilfered vegetables cooked in a pilfered, rusty tin can. He
was rescued on the eighth day, when he spotted a group of U.S. Army tanks. The
war had ended in the European theater, by the time Jack returned, but he
requested to be deployed to the Pacific theater so he may continue fighting.
His request was granted, but World War II ended shortly thereafter. Jack
Churchill earned the Distinguished Service Order and two Military Crosses for
his service during World War II.
In 1946, at the age of 40, Jack
Churchill qualified as a paratrooper and was an extra in another film. In 1948
he served in the Palestine conflict and maintained his usual level of bravery
and eccentricity throughout. He retired from the military in 1959. He died in
March of 1959. There are two quotes by this man that seem to sum up his
attitude as a career soldier. They are as follows “People are less likely to
shoot at you if you smile at them.” and “In my opinion, sir, any officer who
goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed.”
Sources
Bellows, Jason, Any officer who
goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed, retrieved 2/15/10,
damninteresting.com/any-officer-who-goes-into-action-without-his-sword-is-improperly-dressed
Barr Smith, Robert, Jack
Churchill survived a wartime odyssey beyond compare, retrieved 2/15/10,
wwiihistorymagazine.com/2005/july/col-profiles.html
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