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TLS signed “H. H. Arnold,” one page, 6.75 x 9, Headquarters, Army Air Forces (Office of the Commanding General) letterhead, February 1, 1946. Letter to Colonel F. W. Clark, in full: “Just a line to express my appreciation to you for the cordial hospitality you extended to me and the members of my staff on our recent visit to Miami. It was a great pleasure to see you again and I certainly enjoyed an unofficial reunion with Mr. Churchill.” Arnold adds a handwritten postscript: “Hope to see you again when things are not so hectic – H.H.A.” In fine condition.
On January 30, 1946, Winston Churchill and his wife, Clementine, visited Hialeah Park racetrack with General H. H. ‘Hap’ Arnold, joining owner John C. Clarke in his private box as they watched the afternoon races. The outing formed part of the Churchills’ six-week stay in South Florida, undertaken at the recommendation of his physician following his party’s defeat in the July 1945 parliamentary election. Residing as a guest of Canadian Colonel Frank W. Clarke at his Miami Beach home, Churchill used the period for rest and reflection – painting, entertaining, and reconnecting with senior Allied figures – while quietly shaping the ideas that would soon find expression in his March 5, 1946, ‘Sinews of Peace’ address, warning of an ‘Iron Curtain’ descending across Europe.
Quebec-born Colonel Frank W. Clarke, a paper mill heir, had a longstanding association with Churchill: he served on the staff of The British Gazette during the General Strike of 1926. He later became a shipowner whose vessels supported Allied operations in the Second World War as hospital, supply, and troop ships. Their friendship endured over decades; Churchill had previously accepted Clarke’s hospitality following the Quebec Conference, spending two days of rest at his lakeside cabin.
From the personal collection of a lifelong collector, teacher, and traveler with a passion for world history. His collecting years ranged from the 1970s to the present day, meaning that several of the premier pieces have not been on the market in decades.
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