1920's British Admiralty Marked Briefcase of Winston ChurchillŐs Bodyguard Walter Thompson

ARTIFACT: British Admiralty marked leather briefcase, with a CHUBB lock (and key), named inside to Detective Inspector W. Thompson, Winston Churchill's personal Bodyguard. Walter Henry Thompson worked with Churchill for nearly 18 years beginning in 1921 until his second retirement in 1945. He was pivotal in saving Churchill's life on numerous occasions in both his early days as a British politician, and later as Prime Minister (1940 Đ 1945). During his time protecting Churchill, Thompson was exposed to many dangers, Nazi's, the Irish Republican Army, Arab nationalists, Communists from Greece, and he even took shrapnel during the Blitz. Thompson's early career began out of the Paddington Green Police station and he was later accepted to the Special Branch surveilling the suffragette movement, he also spent time tracking anarchists and other foreign threats prior to his protection service. The briefcase could be from these early days, as handwritten markings under the flap read "Det. Insp. W. Thompson SB Only" 'SB' could be Special Branch. (see photo). After his first retirement in 1935, Thompson opened a grocery store with his family. It was there he received the infamous telegram in 1939 calling him back to Churchill's protection. The telegram read: "Meet me Croydon Airport 4:30 pm Wednesday" and despite the fact Thompson no longer held an official government position, he honored the request and served Churchill during his time as Prime Minister. Walter Thompson wrote a memoir of his time as Churchill's bodyguard, but was threatened with the loss of his pension if he published the manuscript in full now, or anytime in the future. An approved, edited version of Thompson's memoirs was published in 1950 under the title I Was Churchill's Shadow - a second printing dated 1952, with its original dust jacket is included (see photos) The BBC has created a series of documentaries relating to Churchill's bodyguard Thompson...here are a couple of link addresses below: http://www.amazon.com/CHURCHILLS-BODYGUARD-Churchills-Bodyguard/dp/B000I2J6KA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkGL1PP_M5g

VINTAGE: Circa 1920's

SIZE: Briefcase approximately: 10 _" x 16", and Key: 1 _" x _".

MATERIALS / CONSTRUCTION: Leather, brass,

MARKINGS: "CHUBB" on face of lock and head of key; "Det. Insp. W. Thompson SB Only"; "D.C.P.S. (O)"; "N.A.2. SL" under the inside flap.

ITEM NOTES: This is from a police and law enforcement collection which we will be listing more of over the next few months. CON-JMB-VAJJJX15 LAEIEX5/15 RET2/16

CONDITION: 7+ (Very Fine+): Briefcase shows moderate wear, lock and key remain intact. Book is in excellent condition showing only minor age and storage wear, dust jacket shows moderate wear especially around edges.