Churchill War Rooms London

 

#Churchill_WarRooms_London

Winston Churchill (1874-1965) rallied the British people during World War 11 from the brink of defeat to victory
With Franklin D Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin  he shaped the the Allied strategy to defeat Adolf Hitler and Nazism during those times
He remained Prime Minister until 1955 when ill health forced his resignation

Originally known as the Cabinet War Rooms it was built in 1938 as underground complex beneath the Whitehall Building in London
It served as the nerve center for the British Government and its military during World War 11

During the Blitz and the German V weapon attacks the Churchill War Cabinet met 115 times plus
the Prime Minister would end up making four speeches to the citizens of England from this bunker under the streets of the city

The War Rooms had a secure transatlantic phone line known as SIGSALY (top secret voice scrambling system that would encrypt the calls)
The lines went to the United States and also with other Allied Countries which demonstrated the global  cooperation of this war effort

The Map Room was constantly staffed by officers from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force
 It would chart in detail the advances of the German Forces into Russia and other battlefronts, then their gradual retreat as the Allied Forces started to reverse the fortunes of war

At its peak during the conflict the War Rooms housed over 500 staff members who would work around the clock, have a nap and then continue their duties
But despite the demanding schedule folks would sometimes leave the bunker, visit the local cafe or go to a movie theatre just to get their minds into a happier place

The switchboard operators plus typists would have to spend days and nights underground so 
to alleviate the health problems (associated with all the time being without daylight)
the staff would stand (with just minimal clothes) in front of a sunlamp for some therapeutic relief

Here is an odd fact; all the phones on Churchills desk would light up ( known as a Beauty Chorus) but not ring as he did not like excessive noise
 plus Remington typewriters were imported because of its low sound capabilities

The primary chef for Winston Churchill was Georgina Landemare 
She managed to create meals using rationed ingredients, local produce or even utilizing any gifts sent for the war effort by other countries 
Churchill so valued the dedication and skill in the kitchen he thanked Ms. Landemare on his VE Day speech for her service during the war

Espionage activity in England was rampant with both British and German intelligence agencies engaging in covert operations

Some of the most notable was a group called The Cambridge Five who were Soviet Agents embedded within the British Government passing on sensitive information to USSR for decades about British and American operations
Also the Germans would send English speaking spies (Code Name Operation Lena) to gather formation plus to sabotage infrastructures within the United Kingdom

During these times clothing was heavily rationed aimed at conserving resources for the war effort which was known as austerity regulations

1) Clothing Coupons; civilians were issued coupons and to be used when buying any clothing items
2) Rationing Restrictions; hems and belts were limited to two inches in width plus garments were restricted in having only one pocket
3) Extras; any cuffs, ruffles, pleats were not allowed
4) Materials; people were asked to buy or make with only cotton or rayon 
5) Repurposing; to mend and patch existing clothes you owned

The Churchill Rooms were no longer needed after the war ended in 1945

Then in the 1970s the Imperial War Museums took over the site and in 1984 they opened it to the general public
 Thus now you can explore the original rooms where alot of of historical decisions were made and to understand the conditions / sacrifices people endured who worked underground during those times