The Churchill War Rooms: Beneath Whitehall

Ten feet beneath the New Executive Office Buildings on Whitehall in central London lies one of the most famous subterranean command centers in military history: the Cabinet War Rooms. Constructed shortly before the outbreak of World War II, the complex became operational in August 1939.

Engineering "The Slab"

To protect the wartime cabinet from aerial bombardment during the Blitz, British military engineers installed a massive reinforced concrete slab up to 5 feet thick directly above the subterranean ceiling. Heavy steel blast doors and airlocks sealed off the War Cabinet Room, Map Room, and Churchill's underground bedroom quarters.

The Transatlantic Hotline Toilet

One of the facility's most intriguing architectural secrets was disguised as a private lavatory for Prime Minister Churchill. In reality, opening the door revealed a tiny room containing a SIGSALY encrypted telephone link directly connected to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the White House, allowing secure transatlantic strategic conferences.