Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum

Below are a few photographs from the Cabinet War Rooms from which Churchill conducted the War while London was under constant bombardment by the Germans.  One of the real differences in Paris and London is the degree to which large portions of the latter was destroyed by bombs and the degree to which the former was spared because it surrendered.  Even many of the monuments and buildings that are still standing suffered damages during the bombings.  We were able to see damage at both Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral.

Taking good pictures was difficult in this museum because of the dim atmospheric lighting.

The Cabinet Room

The arched back wooden chair in the center was the place from which Churchill conducted cabinet meetings.

The weather above street level was posted daily on this board for the numerous people who never left the bunker.  Good to know, I suppose.

The converted broom closet from which Churchill spoke with the American President.

Jordan's Tired Feet

A handwritten document related to D-Day

A To-Do List

The door to Number 10 Downing Street from Churchill's stint as Prime Minister during the War.

Churchill's Dining Room

A doodle of Hitler on one of the wall sized maps in the Map Room.

Three meals a day were prepared in this small kitchen

A cross-section of the concrete slab poured over the entire bunker to guard against the 250 kg bombs that were regularly raining down on London

The key door where keys to all rooms in the bunker were kept.

After the bunker was occupied, security determined that this space beneath a staircase provided the only vulnerability from a falling bomb.  So, they filled it with concrete.  This passageway was excavated in preparing the museum.

Evidently, everyone smoked.  This device is an automatic cigarette/cigar lighter.  You pressed the button on the right and a coil glowed on the left from which you could light your cigarette.

Churchill's bedroom in the bunker.  Evidently he spent only three nights in the bunker, though he did frequently take naps here.  Naps were scheduled from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. daily.