Never, never, never ...

Late October 1941 in England was a perilous time. World War II had been raging in Europe for more than two years. In September 1939 Germany had invaded Poland. Britain quickly declared war on Germany and began attacking the German navy. The United States immediately proclaimed neutrality and did not enter the war until the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

In May 1940 Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of England. At this time, the German army was invading and conquering several European countries, and Britain was definitely threatened. Throughout 1940 and 1941 England experienced rationing, the evacuation from Dunkirk, German U-boat attacks, the Battle of Britain, bombing of British airfields and factories, a blockade of the British Isles, and air raids on London and Coventry.

On Wednesday, October 29 Winston Churchill visited Harrow School and spoke to the headmaster and students there. Following is an excerpt from his remarks that day (with my emphasis). While the context of his words was the horror of World War II, Churchill’s remarks are relevant today for those who deal with personal challenges, tragedies, and feelings of despair and hopelessness.

“You cannot tell from appearances how things will go. Sometimes imagination makes things out far worse than they are; yet without imagination not much can be done. Those people who are imaginative see many more dangers than perhaps exist; certainly many more than will happen; but then they must also pray to be given that extra courage to carry this far-reaching imagination. But for everyone, surely, what we have gone through in this period - I am addressing myself to the School - surely from this period of ten months this is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. We stood all alone a year ago, and to many countries it seemed that our account was closed, we were finished. All this tradition of ours, our songs, our School history, this part of the history of this country, were gone and finished and liquidated. Very different is the mood today. Britain, other nations thought, had drawn a sponge across her slate. But instead our country stood in the gap. There was no flinching and no thought of giving in; and by what seemed almost a miracle to those outside these Islands, though we ourselves never doubted it, we now find ourselves in a position where I say that we can be sure that we have only to persevere to conquer.”

http://www.winstonchurchill.org/learn/speeches/speeches/1941-1945-war-leader/103-never-give-in