Churchill War Rooms in London

The Churchill bunkers (or war rooms) were where the brains of the war hung out in London. They were not too far from the prime minister's above ground office on 10 Downing Street.  Much of the planning and tracking of WWII happened here below ground.  Many people worked here - from cabinet members to office workers. Each had their own job to do and worked independently from others. Each person was a cog in a great big wheel. There was much secrecy in this line of work. You were not necessarily aware of what work your office mate or others there were doing. You certainly could not tell your family what you were doing. A recording in the museum cited one lady who told her family she was working "in an office". That is all she could say. 

There were sleeping quarters down below for the administrative staff. Many times people would stay there overnight in a large room. It was not very quiet or comfortable. If you were a higher up, you had your own sleeping quarters/room down in the bunkers. 

The whole complex was a combination of meeting rooms, private offices and sleeping quarters.

Here I will show you photos of some of the displays and rooms.

The cabinet members' meeting room.

The sign indicating the weather and visibility above ground.

Churchill's principal private secretary's room. You had to get past her to get to him!

Sign indicating meaning of alarm signals

Mr. Churchill's secret telephone room.

An example of a worker's "undercover" job

Mrs. Churchill 

The vulnerability of the bunkers to bomb blasts was well known to Mr. Churchill. He made some structural improvements to the building, but knew it was not totally bomb proof.

Churchill's private detectives were like his bodyguards. Their quarters were close to his.

The Prime Minister's dining room down in the bunkers.

Mrs. Churchill's downstairs bedroom. She did not stay there often.

Another meeting room for important officials. Notice all the maps on the walls.

The Prime Minister's kitchen. Somehow I don't think he was doing the cooking in that tiny kitchen!

The BBC broadcasting room where official anouncements were recorded that were put on the air.

The switchboard operator's room.

An important General Ismay's room (an advisor to Mr. Churchill).

Pins showing location of troops. In map room.

Locations of convoys (where various ships were). Also in map room.

The map room where all troop and ship movements were tracked. Note all the telephones in the room.

Churchill's bedroom/office. He did not sleep here much. He preferred his bed at home.

Maps,maps everywhere (even in Mr. Prime Minister's bedroom)!

When not hanging out in the bunker, Mr. Churchill lived above ground at #10 Downing St. (below - the grey building) or at his flat that was annexed on to the bunker building.

This is a very interesting museum. There is an admission charge, but well worth paying. It can be a little claustrophobic down there if there are a lot of visitors.