Updated at: 2201 PST, Thursday, September 16, 2010
 LONDON: Two letters supposedly written by Winston Churchill which are being auctioned with an estimate of £20,000 have been described as “completely spurious” by an expert.
The letters, from the end of 1944 and beginning of 1945, are being sold at Barbers Auctioneers in Woking, Surrey, on Monday. Click here to see page 1, here for page 2 and here for page 3.
The author begs the recipient to return to work because “I can’t run this show without you” – said by the seller to be a reference to the Second World War.
It is claimed that Churchill wrote the letters to Vivienne June Rutton Boyce, who was said to be his personal assistant. They are signed “A. Conners” or “AC” – apparently a nickname the prime minister gave himself.
Sir Martin Gilbert, a leading authority on Churchill, said there was no record of Mrs Rutton Boyce – who was known as Lady Lisle during the war – having worked for Churchill.
“The letters are completely spurious,” he said. “That it is not Winston Churchill’s handwriting. He never wrote in that type of ink, or on that type of paper. I have never heard of this pseudonym.” |
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