Churchill’s War Room

When a new European war no longer could be ruled out, the British authorities decided in 1938 to build an underground war cabinet (War room) under the british treasury in central London. Here it was intended in the event of war that the British government should be placed. The cabinet was completed in August 1939 and was equipped with private (sleeping) rooms for cabinet members, meeting rooms, kitchens, dining rooms. Churchill’s wife, Clementine, had her own bedroom. In the map room, Churchill could follow the war development. Churchill held 115 cabinet meetings in the War room, the last on March 28, 1945. There was also a special room where Churchill had a direct line to the American president, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Churchill rarely spent the night in the War room, but his bedroom was equipped with radio equipment so that he could hold radio speeches if necessary. Only on four occasions did he speak to the British people from his bedroom. After Japan surrendered in August 1945 the war room was discontinued.