On this day back in 1965
the state funeral took place, in London, of Sir Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister of Britain.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century, Churchill had been a young soldier in India, the Sudan and the Second Boer War. He was also a historian, a writer, and an artist.
As a politician he had held many positions in government having served in Asquith's Liberal administration before he switched parties to serve as a Conservative.
It was the biggest state funeral of its kind since the burial of the Duke of Wellington in 1852 and one of the iconic images was of the cranes on the River Thames dipping in salute as the barge carrying his coffin passed them by.
