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Has anyone thought of using the events of the Sidney Street Siege (1911) as a POD?

The siege started as an attempt to arrest a gang of Latvian criminals responsible for killing 4 policemen. They were heavily armed and as the siege continued Winston Churchill heard about it and - in his role as Home Secretary - rushed to the scene. This later caused him a lot of embarassment - he was accused of playing up to the cameras and interfering with the operation itself. The siege - by this time involved hundreds of policemen and several companies of Scots Guards - ended when the house caught fire, killing the criminals. Shortly before this, Churchill had apparently suggested a plan of attack involving artillery and men advancing behind a large metal shield!

Two PODs spring to mind:

* Churchill gets shot by a stray bullet - this will have drastic effects on Britain's entry and involvement in the First World War.
* Churchill can't help himself and starts issuing orders - there is no fire, and something goes disasterously wrong as his plan is followed. Churchill is forced to resign. Earlier 'wilderness years', but would he ever recover from it?



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