Hoses are sprayed at the besieged house during the Sidney Street Siege. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)
On Dec. 16, 1910, a robbery attempt was reported at a jewelry store in the Stepney district of East London.
When police arrived, they found a gang of men armed with pistols, who opened fire on the unarmed officers. Three policemen were killed and two seriously wounded. As the burglars fled, one was wounded by friendly fire, and later died.
The gang, led by a man called “Peter the Painter,” were thought to be Latvian Anarchists hoping to use the stolen jewelry to fund their cause in Latvia.
On Jan. 2, an informant suggested that some of the gang members were hiding out in a house on Sidney Street.
Taking no chances, the police came with 200 heavily armed officers, overseen by none other than Home Secretary Winston Churchill. At dawn, a firefight began. With superior weaponry and a…
Source: When Winston Churchill oversaw a gun battle in the streets of London
I read a lot about this event, during the late 1960s. Churchill was there for the equivalent of a modern-day ‘photo opportunity’, and it did him no harm, in that respect. He had seen action against the Sudanese, and the Boers, so had no reason to be afraid, as he was well-protected by the troops and police.
The photos are great, and as fresh as anything. Nice to see them, Sarah.
Best wishes, Pete.
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