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Monday, 30 June 2025
Politics

Winston Churchill’s race to secure penicillin before D-Day found in notes

Winston Churchill’s race to secure penicillin before D-Day found in notes

Getty Image A Black-And-White Photo of Winston Churchill as Prime Minister of the British War 1941Getty images

Prime Minister Winston Churchill expressed disappointment on slow progress to protect antibiotic penicillin

Winston has come to light in documents viewed by BBC News to treat D-Days required by D-Day in time to achieve churchill’s penicillin.

Official papers revealed by the National Archives reflect the Prime Minister’s frustration and concern on slow progress, which was then seen as a new “Wonder Drug”.

The BBC was shown papers before the anniversary of Normandi Landing on 6 June 1944.

Even after a few months of D-Day, the Prime Minister of the war called “very disappointing” efforts “very disappointing” despite being “British discovery” and noticed the fact that the US was “far ahead”.

Churchill's disgruntled type compared to America noted the Production Minister about the lack of Penicillin of the UK

The Prime Minister expresses disappointment that UK is behind America when it comes to Penicillin

Penicillin was discovered in London in 1928 by Professor Alexander Fleming. Despite efforts to produce a useful drug from bacterial-killing mold, this World War was not achieved from the beginning of two.

But an Oxford team of scientists led by Howard Flori first carried out successful tests. With large -scale production difficult in the UK, he took his research to the United States, where pharmaceutical companies expanded production.

Prior to the development of penicillin, blood poisoning can also follow minor lesions, in which no cure is available. Therefore, with anticipation of further huge military efforts, the supply of drug was seen as necessary.

A note from Churchill is scattered in a red pen, which reads: "Good good press on report soon"Churchill's signatures are below the note

A representative of Churchill’s supply to the Ministry who wrote to him to tell him that the department was trying to find a way to get a penicillin immediately.

In early 1944, the Prime Minister was complaining to his ministers about the inability to produce Britain on the scale of Britain. He was scattered in red ink in a report of a supply, stating that Americans were producing more quantities: “I regret that we can’t produce much”.

Later in the year, in response to an explanation from the authorities, he said: “Your report on Penicillin shows that we are only to get one-tenth part of the expected output this year, very disappointing.”

On another report, he instructs: “Proposes me to supply more abundant than Great Britain”.

A report by the Royal College of Physicians, on which Churchill has scattered the red pen: I have more abundant supply supply from Great Britain.",

In less than a fortnight from D-Day, health officials can report that adequate supply was obtained, which is the highest from the US, but only for wars for casualties.

The modern record specialist of National Archives, Dr. Jesmi Carlson said: “Files give a glimpse in the extraordinary levels of preparation made before D-Day landing.

“Only six weeks ago, penicillin will allow it to play a major role in improving the results for the injured service personnel in action that is just reaching our coasts.”

But now what has been seen earlier as true antibiotics will not be fully available to the general public until 1946.

In the same files, a telegram shows a doctor of cornwall, who was treating a 10 -year -old child in 1944, arguing with the authorities for The Medicine: “No Hope without penicillin”.

A telegram from a cornwall informari for a 10 -year -old child for penicillin, a telegram, for a cornwall informari for Sir Francis Fraser, who was suffering from pneumococcal peritonitis, which stated that without drug

10 -year -old telegram requesting penicillin

The argument was rejected, with the supply that it was said only for military use.

A handwritten pencil note from Sir Francis Fraser, which reads: "Penicillin is not yet available"

Sir Francis Fraser’s response to Telegram

With antibiotics, now part of everyday life (and is of course very widely used), documents seen by the BBC put new lights on immediate efforts by Churchill and others, which first to save life during the struggle to free northern Europe to free sufficiently to secure a drug.

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