Winston Churchill in Bangalore, India in 1898. He is wearing a colonial pattern helmet.

Sir Winston Churchill wore many hats in his life. He was a writer, scholar, soldier, politician, painter and above all English gentleman. Winston as he was often known by friend and foe alike was a Victorian soldier of the Queen, a First World War Lord of the Admiralty and, of course, during the Second World War the Prime Minister.

His most famous hat was his Bowker, but he also sported a Homburg hat as often, and as a soldier wore visor caps and in France in World War I a steel helmet. But of course we remember Mr. Churchill in many a sun helmet!

Churchill the soldier saw action in India, the Sudan and South Africa during the Anglo-Boer War. He served as Lt. Colonel, Officer Commanding, of the 6th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers on the Western Front in France in 1916, and of course served as First Lord of the Admiralty during WWI and at the outbreak of World War II, to which the Board of the Admiralty sent a signal to the Fleet: “Winston is back.”

Actor Simon Ward (left) playing “Young Winston” in the 1972 movie, with Sir John Mills as Horatio Herbert Kitchener.

The real “Young” Winston in his field uniform in the Sudan in 1898. He was attached to the 21st Lancers and is seen here wearing the Wolseley helmet.

Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister, visiting El Alamein, Egypt in August 1942

Mr. Churchill no doubt looking as much to the past as to the future in his trip to Egypt during World War II. He is wearing a Bombay Bowler pattern helmet.

Peter Suciu