The Cabinet War Rooms
Already within the 1920s and 1930s British strategists dealt with the questions of the future aerial warfare and the consequences resulting from it for the leadership of the country. They came to the conclusion to build bombproof installations. The cellar which had to be built strongly enough to house such a bunker was the New Public Offices. Here at the Great George Street, located between Parliament and Downing Street, the office of the Prime Minister, are the War Cabinet Rooms.
The construction started August 27, 1938 conducted by General Sir Hastings Ismay (later Lord), and were completed one week prior to the outbreak of war on August 27, 1939. The most important members of the government the Chief of Staffs of Army, Air force and Navy and a large communication unit were then accommodated here. From here Churchill and his strategists worked on the suppression of Nazi Germany for six long years. The lights went out only on August 16 after the surrender of Japan.
Already in 1948 it was decided to maintain these rooms which were left untouched since, as a historic feature. There was a visit possibility at times after that but the broad public forgot the premises quite fast. Only Margret Thatcher recognized the notional value of the War Cabinet Rooms and ordered the opening for the public in 1981.
For three years the IWM and government delegates worked on processing history and the restoration of the rooms into the original state. In 2004 then a Churchill Museum was put into place, which opened on February 11, 2005, the 40th anniversary of Churchills death. Over 13 million Pounds Sterling were invested in this to honour one of the greatest statesmen of the English history.
This exhibition deals with the complete era of Churchill. More than 150 original exhibits are to be seen. From the baby rattle up to the pistol which he carried during the Boer war from, school reports up to the trench periscope of World War I., unique collection not to be missed by history enthusiast.