( CNN ) '' I have nothing to offer but blood , toil , tears and sweat , '' Winston Churchill once told the British House of Commons . A UK auction house is taking the former prime minister 's words literally . Duke 's auction house has announced it will auction a vial of Churchill 's blood , taken during a hospital stay in 1962 , three years before his death . Churchill had fallen out of bed and fractured a hip , necessitating a multiweek stay at Middlesex Hospital . The blood was drawn by nursing student Patricia Fitzgibbon , according to the auction house . The sample was never used and the hospital was set to dispose of it when Fitzgibbon asked to keep it . Before her death , Fitzgibbon gave the vial to a friend , who has decided to sell it . `` This is probably the first time that such a personal piece of Churchill 's history has been offered on the open market , '' Duke 's said . `` This year marks the 50th anniversary of Churchill 's death -- the blood is a poignant reminder of an injury which marked the beginning of the end for Churchill , and as such we expect there to be great interest in it . '' Churchill died in 1965 at age 90 . The iconic British leader is best known for his leadership of Britain during World War II . The blood will go up for auction on March 12 in Dorchester , England , along with a signed declaration from Fitzgibbon attesting to its origins . CNN 's Sam Stringer contributed to this report .
Blood reportedly taken from the former British prime minister will be auctioned on March 12 . Duke 's auction house says the blood was taken during a hospital stay in 1962 . Nurse drew the blood and kept it after the hospital was going to dispose of it .