The answer to that program came in the form of the construction of a bunker. The government leaders knew that such a plan might be necessary by 1936, even if it had never been done before. They figured out how to do it by 1938, and had a series of rooms ready for business that were located deep under the treasury building and reinforced to protect it from harm from above. And the area opened for business in August 1939, a mere week before the Germans crossed the Polish border to start the war.
The complex was operational for about six years. They closed it up once Japan had surrendered in August of 1945. It was not a comfortable place. Sleeping quarters needed to be provided for times when it wasn't safe to return to homes, and apparently the plumbing areas weren't too fragrant. But it served its purpose nicely.
Great Britain had other things to worry about after the war besides an old bunker, so it sat there for a while. By 1948, people started to wonder if there was some historical value in the place. Some tours were given over the next several years, but it wasn't exactly open to the public. Margaret Thatcher eventually made it a priority to turn the complex into a museum. It opened in 1984 with a ceremony that featured the Churchill family.
Hundreds of thousands turn out every year to see the facility. (It's a good idea to get tickets in advance.) One of the sights is shown here, a room for the top officials to meet and discuss strategy. Churchill stood at the head of the table.
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