Second World War
80 years on from El Alamein: The battle we simply had to win…
“Before Alamein we never had a victory. After we never had a defeat.”
Winston Churchill
It’s 1942 and the fortunes of war are running against the Allies on almost every front.
In the east, the Soviets are in collapse.
In the Atlantic, U-boats are crippling the ferrying-in of Britain’s vital supplies.
While, in western Europe, Nazi troops are the occupying force in country after country.
To North Africa, where Rommel’s Afrika Korps are trying to break through to the Suez Canal – and to that all important oil of the Middle East.
To stop them, the Egyptian village of El Alamein, situated between the Mediterranean Sea and the Qattara Depression, simply had to be held.
The defending Allies were represented by the Eighth Army – the ‘Desert Rats’, led by General Montgomery.
Montgomery had a plan. He would launch a diversionary attack to the south, while the main attack would come from the north, nearer to the coast.
And 80 years ago, on the night of 23-24 October 1942, the attack began.
A noise so great, the gunners’ ears bled
It started with the firing of over 800 artillery pieces at the German lines, creating a noise so great that, according to legend, the ears of the gunners bled.
When the infantry attacked, they were followed by tanks that moved through the minefield along a path cleared by engineers.
Outnumbered and under constant attack from land and air forces, on November 4th, Rommel, refusing to carry out Hitler’s suicidal order to fight to the last, retreated.
Image Credit: Chetwyn (Sgt), No 1 Army Film & Photographic Unit.
The Battle of El Alamein, fought in the deserts of North Africa with tank warfare at the heart of it, was undoubtedly one of the pivotal battles of World War II.
The battle revived the morale of the Allies and helped turn the tide during the war. As Churchill noted, “After Alamein we never had a defeat”.
The Battle of El Alamein NumisProof
A Silver Proof NumisProof Commemorative has been issued to mark the 80th Anniversary of the battle of El Alamein.
This stunning NumisProof has been struck from Sterling Silver to a perfect Proof finish, it features a full colour design created by world renowned digital artist Adam Tooby.
It depicts the two leading military commanders involved in the battle – Britain’s Bernard Montgomery and Germany’s Erwin Rommel, with the battle raging in the background.
For such an important anniversary of such an important WWII battle, you’ll be surprised by the edition limit. Just 250 have been authorised.
Today I invite you to be one of just 250 people in the world to own this scarce 80th anniversary commemorative.
Click here to own the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein NumisProof >>
Own the 1874 Churchill Birth Year Sovereign
Picture the scene: it’s October 1st, 1939; exactly one month since Hitler invaded Poland. Britain and France have just declared War against Germany. You gather your family in front of the television as Churchill prepares to deliver his first wartime broadcast…
In 1939 Britain, 83 years ago, this was the reality for more than half of the adult population. The onset of War provoked extreme economic, social and cultural demises which were navigated by the legendary British wartime Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill.
Sir Winston Churchill
Born on 30th November, 1874, Churchill became one of the greatest Britons our country has ever seen. After being elevated to Prime Minister in 1939 following Chamberlain’s resignation, he was given the unmatched task of leading the country through the most challenging battle it had ever seen: World War Two.
Despite openly disliking the recently created BBC for its infrequent broadcasts and previous decisions to defy the government, Churchill sat before a BBC camera and microphone on October 1st 1939 for the first time to prepare the nation for a long conflict with Germany.
And not only are we marking this anniversary with a special product, but we are also preparing for Churchill artefacts to skyrocket as the year 2024 signposts 150 years since he was born…
The 1874 Victoria Young Head Sovereign
Sovereigns, the flagship of every coin collection, are the perfect way to mark an exceptional figure, anniversary, or cultural moment. So, what better way to beat the crowds and prepare for the 150th anniversary of his birth than with the 1874 Victoria Young Head Sovereign…? The pinnacle coin from the year Churchill was born!
The Sovereign not only originates from the birth year of Winston Churchill, but also from a time when these coins were used in circulation. This means your 1874 Victoria Young Head Sovereign could have been passed through the hands of many wartime heroes, including Churchill himself…
The Sovereign that Survived Two World Wars
You can preserve Churchill’s inspiring legacy with the Sovereign that has transcended from the year of his birth through two world wars! Marked by an exclusive certificate of authenticity to preserve the event and his incredible legacy, this is arguably the most limited way to own the already scarce 1874 Sovereign.
In fact, there is one more thing to remember that makes them even more scarce…
In 1914, the government attempted to reclaim all Sovereigns and use the precious metals of Gold coins to pay off its international debt. This means that your coin will be one of the few remaining to exist nearly 150 years after it was produced.
Extremely Limited… Only 25 Available!
However, we have only been able to source 25 of the 1874 Victoria Young Head Sovereigns! And considering how difficult these Sovereigns are already to source, demand is expected to skyrocket as we fast approach the 150th anniversary of Churchill’s birth.
So, with just 25 of these incredibly rare, historically rich Sovereigns available, you must act now if you want to mark a momentous piece of British history with your collection.
Gifting a Poppy Masterpiece
Each year, as many of you collectors may know, here at The Westminster Collection, we release a special Masterpiece coin in partnership with the Royal British Legion. A donation from the sales of our Poppy coins is made to the Royal British Legion, on your behalf.
2021 saw a special centenary year for the long-established charity, with many celebrations held, including the laying of a wreath at the Cenotaph by RBL National President Lieutenant General James Bashall CB CBE.
One such way we commemorated this important event was the gifting of our prized Remembrance Masterpiece Poppy Coin to D-Day veteran Jim Healy.
Jim is 97 and from Manchester – he was born in the Spring of 1925 and was called up to join the Armed Forces at the age of only 18. He served in the Royal Marines from May 1943 until August 1945, telling RBL he couldn’t even swim being a Manchester boy! His specific role was Coxswain of the Landing Craft Assault (LCA).
He landed on Juno Beach on D-Day 1944 and during his time in service, made several trips to land Canadian troops on the coast of Normandy. Describing one such trip he said, “I really admired these lads, I saw some wrecked craft, which must’ve copped a mine, but we were fortunate going in on a high tide, we avoided the mines in the water, going over the top of the obstacles.”
Jim is now a retired printer. He married his wife Marie at the age of 25 and they were married for 38 years, but she sadly passed 30 years ago. His brothers Tom and John also served in the Forces. Tom served in the Royal Air Force, and John worked in munitions.
With the Royal British Legion, Jim has been back to Normandy and took part in the D-Day 75 commemorations in northern France in the Summer of 2019. He has said “I’ve had a whole life before and since D-Day, and it’s only since the RBL started organising these trips that I’ve really started talking about those days.”
“…you’ve got in mind the lads you’ve lost – we lost ten of our boats and even mine was classified as lost, the family were told that I was missing in action, because our craft was disabled in the middle of the sea.”
Jim added “I still don’t know which of those soldiers we dropped off died and which ones survived, which is sad for me. I often think about them, we offer our condolences at various times each year and I know the Canadians suffered heavy losses on Juno Beach, but I never knew them really, which is quite hard.”
The Masterpiece which has been gifted to Jim is crafted from 1945 British Army Mess tins, a World War Two Spitfire and a D-Day Landing Craft, similar to the one piloted by Jim himself on June 6, 1944. Representing the three military facets of RBL, we have repurposed these important materials to create a three-dimensional ‘1921 style’ Poppy, which sits magnificently on the coin.
Jim has said “I’m very proud to receive this coin, it is a fitting reminder of my time in the Marines during World War Two and I am very grateful. I do get called a hero, but it is a word that’s over-used these days, even by my own family.”
We feel honoured that our 2021 Masterpiece Silver 5oz Poppy Coin has been gifted to Jim and what a fitting tribute that it’s one of our most historically fascinating pieces to have ever been released.
Our partnership, held since 2004, continues with the Royal British Legion who provide financial, social, and emotional support to members and veterans of the UK Armed Forces, their families and dependents.