James B. Conroy and the January 1943 Casablanca Conference

The Sir Winston Churchill Society of Ottawa has been privileged to celebrate Sir Winston Churchill’s birthday (November 30th) at the British High Commissioner’s Residence on many occasions since 2011.

Our previous guest speakers at those birthday celebrations have been Churchill Archives Centre Director Allen Packwood (2011), Churchill’s granddaughter Celia Sandys (2013), New York City Churchill bookseller Barry Singer (2014), Churchill’s Cuba Years author Hal Klepak (2015), Clementine Churchill biographer Sonia Purnell (2016), Churchill historian and quotations master Richard Langworth (2018) and, having skipped the pandemic years, Jennie Churchill-Sarah Delano Roosevelt biographer Charlotte Gray (2023). What a grand list of Churchill experts!

In the Churchill world, 2024 has been a special year for many reasons. In the first place, it marks the 150th year since the birth of baby Winston Leonard Spencer to Jennie Jerome Churchill and Lord Randolph Churchill at Blenheim Palace.

This November our guest speaker was award-winning historian. James B. Conroy, author of The Devils Will Get No Rest, the story of Churchill’s and Roosevelt’s structuring of the Casablanca Conference in January 1943, which led to the planning of the final Allied victory in the Second World War.

The joyful celebration of this landmark birthday was hosted by the Deputy High Commissioner, David Prodger, at the Residence. And in the presence of the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Hon. Greg Fergus, and the Karsh portrait of Winston Churchill (borrowed from Library and Archives Canada).

SWCSO President Ron Cohen, Vice-President Charlotte Gray, and Directors Andrew Cohen and Ian Smillie all spoke, introduced or thanked Sir Winston and Jim Conroy.

Jim Conroy knew his subject inside out. He spoke without a note and everyone followed his explanation of the events with ease, aided of course with the Karsh photographic portrait overseeing the evening.

Sir Winston Churchill Society of Ottawa attendees “filled the house” to overflowing and it is fair to observe that they had an absolutely splendid time.

Jim Conroy had splendid, pertinent, illustrative displays underscoring the events leading up to the Casablanca Conference and the meetings themselves. Following his talk, he patiently signed copies of his book for the SWCSO members.