Winston Churchill's visit to Southampton's bomb damaged town and port was a low-key event that was kept fairly quiet. He walked around with his wife talking to and inspecting the civil defence workers that had been lined up to meet him. People who got to see the great man remember an energetic figure striding about waving his cap at the crowds. Along with his wife he was accompanied on the trip by Harry Hopkins, the special envoy of the US President Roosevelt. Despite the surprise of the visit for most of Southampton's citizens, the crowd cheered the great man and he met those standing in the cold with smiles and admiration for all that they had been through.

These images from Southampton's archive show the Prime Minister's tour through the docks and town.

Churchill outside the docks	Churchill waves to crowd
meets civil defence workers	crowds line the dock entrance
Winston Churchill	meeting civil defence workers

Churchill's visit to Southampton

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