Speech opening the Cabinet War Rooms

This is a day to remember — A day to remember the men and women who lived and worked in these rooms in the sternest days of the war. — A day to remember the efforts of those in recent years who worked so hard to open them to the public. — Above all, a day to remember what these rooms mean to us: their special place in our history. [end p1]

These rooms are special — not because they are grand — not because they are lavishly equipped: far from it — but because these Spartan quarters speak across the decades to our hearts and to our memories — and because without the total dedication of the people—known and unknown—who worked here, freedom itself would have died. [end p2]

It was here that Winston Churchill and his War Cabinet met over a hundred times to direct the fight against tyranny.

It was here that the defence and intelligence staff plotted and monitored all the ebbs and flows of war.

It was in the famous map room that the latest information about operations on all fronts was collected, sifted and presented. [end p3]

It was here that Churchill spoke to Roosevelt on the Transatlantic telephone—the first hot line.

And it was here, in June, 1941, that Churchill broadcast his famous assurance to the American people:

“In these British Islands that look so small upon the map, we stand, the faithful guardians of the rights and dearest wishes of a dozen states and nations.

Whatever happens, we shall endure to the end.”

[end p4] And endure we did!

What was it about this island and this people which gave us hope and strength?

— It was not, in the end, technology.

— It was not, in the end, organisation. [end p5]

— It was a spirit of humanity: a humanity that marks our people, and prevails in the face of evil.

I treasure a story about Churchill which brings this humanity to life. Winston was in the habit of going into St. James's Park to watch the air raids.

His staff did their best to stop him; indeed one of them even hid the Prime Minister's boots. [end p6] When they were eventually produced to an infuriated Churchill, he said:

“I would have you know that, as a child, my nursemaid could never prevent me from taking a walk in the Park when I wanted to do so. And, as a man, Adolf Hitler certainly won't.”

Sometimes, however, the enemy could be more than a little tiresome. It was from the roof of this building that Churchill saw the massive bomb fall on the [end p7] Carlton Club in Pall Mall, where many conservative Members of Parliament were gathered.

He recorded:

“When I looked at the ruins next day, it seemed incredible that most of them should not have been killed. However, by what seemed a miracle, they had all crawled out of the dust smoke and rubble, and though many were injured, not a single life was lost. [end p8] When in due course these facts came to the notice of the Cabinet, our Labour colleagues remarked: ‘The devil looks after his own’.”

Churchill went on to describe how “Mr. Quintin Hogg had carried his father, a former Lord Chancellor, on his shoulders from the wreck, as Aeneas had borne his father Anchises from the ruins of Troy.” [end p9]

Many who are here today will have personal memories of those days which are equally vivid.

Now for a new generation these Rooms will bring to life this proud chapter in our history.

Churchill himself put it so well in his Parliamentary tribute to his predecessor Neville Chamberlain. [end p10] These are his words, dictated in these rooms, to his Secretary who is here today. They might have been written for us, as we tread in his footsteps through these underground corridors. “

History with its flickering lamp stumbles along the trail of the past, trying to reconstruct its scenes, to revive its echoes, and kindle with pale gleams the passion of former days. What is the worth of all this?

[end p11]

The only guide to a man is his conscience; the only shield to his memory is the rectitude and sincerity of his actions.

It is very imprudent to walk through life without this shield, because we are so often mocked by the failure of our hopes, and the upsetting of our calculations; but with this shield, however the fates may play, we march always in the ranks of honour.”

[end p12]

My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with pride in our past, and confidence in our future, that I declare these War Rooms open.