Guest author: Robbie Cheadle ~ Churchill’s War Rooms

Posted on September 12, 2018 by Sue Vincent

Background

World War II was the first time in its history that Britain faced a concentrated threat from the air. This aerial threat necessitated some discussion about how the British government would run the impending war and from where. Initially, there was some talk of evacuating key personnel out of London and, if necessary, to the West Country. This was dismissed due to the adverse effect such a move was expected to have on public morale.

A quick survey of suitable London basements took pace in early 1938 and on 31 May the site was confirmed as the space underneath the western end of the New Public Offices. The site was close to both Downing Street and Parliament.

Over the next few months Churchill’s War Rooms were established.

In July 1940 the Battle of Britain commenced and on 29 July Churchill’s war cabinet met for the first time in the Cabinet War Room from where Britain’s defence was being coordinated.

Germany launched “the Blitz” (a consistent bombing campaign against Britain with a focus on London) on 7 September 1940. During the months of October and November most of the War Cabinets and Defence Committee meetings were held in the underground War Cabinet Rooms. The staff started to make regular use of its overnight accommodation in order to avoid bombs and spend more time at their desks at this vital time when Britain’s survival or defeat hung in the balance.

During September 1940, Churchill discovered that the site was not bomb proof and he authorised the construction of a thick concrete slab above the ceiling and an exterior apron wall at ground-floor level.

Churchill also insisted that a section of space in the War Rooms and dock be filled in with cement as it was located beneath a staircase which made it more vulnerable to attack.

As the Blitz continued, offices and private rooms were prepared in the building above the Cabinet War Rooms and in December 1940, Churchill, his wife and staff moved into to what was to become known as the No. 10 Annexe.

Despite the war, people maintained a sense of humour. Office of Works official, George Rance used to adjust the weather indicator in the main corridor of the Cabinet War Rooms. When a heavy air raid was in progress, Rance, as a joke, would post the word “Windy”.

Morale in the Cabinet War Rooms remained high throughout the war. Officers from the Map Room celebrated Christmas 1941 by racing toilet rolls along the corridors.

London suffered its last heavy air raid on 10 May 1941. The Cabinet War Rooms had survived the Blitz intact and daily life in the underground rooms fell into a routine thereafter.

Interesting stories

My husband and my visit to the Cabinet War Rooms turned up some interesting stories, as follows:

  1. One of the woman who worked in the Cabinet War Rooms had a short relationship with Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond series of books. It is said that she was the inspiration for his character Miss Moneypenny.
  2. One of the Royal Marines guarding the entrance to the War Rooms took up embroidery to pass the time.
  3. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited the Cabinet War Rooms on 12 May 1942. Their signatures are in the visitors’ book. South Africa’s president, General Jan Smuts, also visited the War Rooms and signed the visitors’ book.
  4. Churchill’s staff kept a cat called Smokey in the flat above the Cabinet War Rooms. Churchill used to let it curl up on his bed while he worked.

The most interesting story of them all to me:

It is estimated that Churchill wrote between 8 and 10 million words during his lifetime of writing articles, speeches and books. That is the equivalent of writing the entire Harry Potter series 10 times over.

While the Bombs Fell

The book I have written, together with my mother, Elsie Patricia Eaton, is about her life as a young child growing up in the small Suffolk town of Bungay, during World War II. Churchill was hugely inspirational to the British people and her father used to listen to his speeches and the news on his wireless (radio).

This is a short extract from the introduction to the book:

“In June 1942, as World War II raged, a little girl grew up in one of a row of small cottages on a street called “back lane” in a town called Bungay in East Anglia, England.

Britain had been at war with Nazi Germany since 1 September 1939, and the little girl could not remember a time when the distribution of food, coal, and clothing had not been controlled. She listened for the sound of bomber planes and air raid sirens without even realising it and even possessed her own gas mask.

She felt relieved that she didn’t have to worry about her gas mask anymore. The family’s gas masks lay forgotten in their boxes. The British Government’s anxieties about chemical warfare had not materialised.

When fitted to her face, the rubber mask felt hot and smelled bad. When she breathed in, she had to suck air through a filter designed to remove any poisonous gas.

Father said:

“When Britain declared war on Nazi Germany, the government thought the Nazi’s would drop poison gas bombs on Britain. The gas masks are to protect us.”

Her brother, Joey, asked:

“Why did the government think the Nazis would drop poison gas bombs on us?”

“During the Great War, which ended twenty years ago, both sides used poison gas. The German’s used chlorine gas and then mustard gas,” said Father.

Elsie did not understand the implications of poison gas bombs, but she saw the worry on Father’s face when he spoke about it.

Her humble home had brick walls, an upstairs, and a tiled roof. The outside foundation walls were tarred to keep the rainwater and damp out of the ground floor rooms. A single chimney served the fireplaces in the cottage.”

Purchase While the Bombs Fell

TSL Publications     Lulu

What was it like for children growing up in rural Suffolk during World War 2?

Elsie and her family live in a small double-storey cottage in Bungay, Suffolk. Every night she lies awake listening anxiously for the sound of the German bomber planes. Often they come and the air raid siren sounds signalling that the family must leave their beds and venture out to the air raid shelter in the garden.

Despite the war raging across the English channel, daily life continues with its highlights, such as Christmas and the traditional Boxing Day fox hunt, and its wary moments when Elsie learns the stories of Jack Frost and the ghostly and terrifying Black Shuck that haunts the coastline and countryside of East Anglia.

Includes some authentic World War 2 recipes.

About the author

Robbie Cheadle was born in London in the United Kingdom. Her father died when she was three months old and her mother immigrated to South Africa with her tiny baby girl. Robbie has lived in Johannesburg, George and Cape Town in South Africa and attended fourteen different schools. This gave her lots of opportunities to meet new people and learn lots of social skills as she was frequently “the new girl”.

Robbie is a qualified Chartered Accountant and specialises in corporate finance with a specific interest in listed entities and stock markets. Robbie has written a number of publications on listing equities and debt instruments in Africa and foreign direct investment into Africa.

Robbie is married to Terence Cheadle and they have two lovely boys, Gregory and Michael. Michael (aged 11) is the co-author of the Sir Chocolate series of books and attends school in Johannesburg. Gregory (aged 14) is an avid reader and assists Robbie and Michael with filming and editing their YouTube videos and editing their books.

Find and follow Robbie

Robbie’s Inspiration Blog      Goodreads    Facebook    YouTube

Amazon author page   Twitter: @bakeandwrite

Books by Robbie and Michael Cheadle

The Sir Chocolate books are a delightful marriage of story, verse and cookery

… a perfect recipe for sharing with children.  Silly Willy goes to Cape Town tells the adventures of two very different brothers…and includes five party cake ideas.

You can purchase the Sir Chocolate books from:

Amazon  Lulu.com    TSL Books

or you can buy them in South Africa directly from the authors by emailing Robbie Cheadle at sirchoc@outlook.com.

Robbie also writes as Roberta Eaton

Roberta Writes Blog     Twitter    Facebook

Robbie writes: My interest in English history and the research for my recent book, While the Bombs Fell, written with my mother, Elsie Patricia Eaton, and published under my married name of Robbie Cheadle, sparked an interest in, and further historical research into, the various ghosts that are said to haunt the town of Bungay in East Anglia. The people who are purported to now be ghosts lived in a far greater range of time periods than I had researched previously. While the Bombs Fell is about life for an English farming family living in Bungay during World War II and covers the historical time period from 1939 to 1944 (the book ends just after D-Day and book 2 will feature the end of the war). Some of the ghosts of Bungay originate from the 12th century.

I had an idea for another book that would feature the ghosts I had discovered and researched. This book idea included an introduction that I think of, now that it is finished, as a Canterbury Tales of Bungay ghosts. It includes fictionalised accounts of the stories of each of the ghosts featured in the story. Each story required extensive research into the particular time period including food, drink and clothing from that ghosts particular time period.

I was advised by various other writers that I should separate my new supernatural and horror stories from my children’s books for marketing purposes. This separation has resulted in my new blog, called Roberta Writes, together with a separate email address and twitter account. I am using this separate profile for sharing my thoughts on, and discoveries about, historical characters and events that feature in the new book, Nemesis, or that just interest me. I am also sharing some of my more cynical poetry about modern life and current world events. Nemesis will be published under my maiden name of Roberta Eaton and, I am hoping, it will be the first of a number of supernatural books based on real historical events.”

Tell me a story!

If you are a writer, artist or photographer…If you have a poem, story or memoirs to share… If you have a book to promote, a character to introduce, an exhibition or event to publicise… If you have advice for writers, artists or bloggers…

If you would like to be my guest, please read the guidelines and get in touch!

About Sue Vincent

Sue Vincent was a Yorkshire born writer, esoteric teacher and a Director of The Silent Eye. She was immersed in the Mysteries all her life. Sue maintained a popular blog and is co-author of The Mystical Hexagram with Dr G.M.Vasey. Sue lived in Buckinghamshire, having been stranded there due to an accident with a blindfold, a pin and a map. She had a lasting love-affair with the landscape of Albion, the hidden country of the heart. Sue  passed into spirit at the end of March 2021.
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68 Responses to Guest author: Robbie Cheadle ~ Churchill’s War Rooms

  1. willowdot21 says:
    September 12, 2018 at 17:12

    A great post 💜💜

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  3. mariacatalinaegan says:
    September 12, 2018 at 17:40

    Great post. Fascinating reblogged everywhere.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  4. Ritu says:
    September 12, 2018 at 18:38

    Great post Robbie with so much interesting info 😍

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  5. Darlene says:
    September 12, 2018 at 18:45

    Very interesting, Robbie.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  6. Mike says:
    September 12, 2018 at 18:51

    Sounds like Churchill and his staff Kept Calm and Carried On!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  7. robbiesinspiration says:
    September 12, 2018 at 19:45

    Thank you so much for hosting me with this post and extract from my new book, Sue.

    Like

    Reply
  8. OIKOS™-Redaktion says:
    September 12, 2018 at 19:49

    Very interesting info, Robbie! Thank you for bringing important things from the history back. Michael

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  9. Susan Scott says:
    September 12, 2018 at 20:24

    Thanks Sue for guesting Robbie. I enjoyed the excerpts from her and her mother’s book.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. Mary Smith says:
    September 12, 2018 at 21:43

    Great post. I enjoyed the stories from the War Room and Robbie’s (and her mum’s) book sounds fascinating.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  11. robbiesinspiration says:
    September 13, 2018 at 12:06

    Reblogged this on Robbie's inspiration and commented:
    I was over at Sue Vincent’s lovely blog yesterday with a post about Churchill’s War Rooms and an extract from While the Bombs
    Fell. Thank you for hosting me, Sue.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  12. drewdog2060drewdog2060 says:
    September 13, 2018 at 12:23

    Reblogged this on newauthoronline and commented:
    They don’t make them like Churchill anymore, unfortunately. I very much enjoyed reading this post. Kevin

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  13. Teagan R. Geneviene says:
    September 13, 2018 at 13:14

    Hi Robbie and Sue. This is a fun post. Those metrics about Churchill’s writing are astonishing.
    Robbie, I love that you included recipes of the era in your book. That’s a lovely touch. Hugs!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  14. thoughtsnlifeblog says:
    September 13, 2018 at 17:45

    Lovely… you have a wide range of interests

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  15. Jennie says:
    September 14, 2018 at 00:52

    My goodness, I ate up every word of this book review and interview. Robbie is one of the best, and I can’t wait to read this book!! Robbie, will it be available on Amazon?

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  16. Tandy | Lavender and Lime says:
    September 14, 2018 at 04:52

    My mother in law was one of the people who drew relief maps for the map room. She was an artist and that was her war effort job.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  17. Norah says:
    September 14, 2018 at 11:12

    What a fascinating post with so much history. I think When the Bombs Fell will be a very interesting read.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  18. dgkaye says:
    September 15, 2018 at 01:12

    Fabulous post Robbie. Loved the tidbits about the Churchill’s war room. I bought this book and look forward to reading it as WWII nonfiction and historical fiction are 2 of my favorite genres to read. ❤

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  19. Jack Eason says:
    September 15, 2018 at 07:30

    Reblogged this on Have We Had Help? and commented:
    A little something from Robbie via Sue 😉

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  20. olganm says:
    September 15, 2018 at 09:11

    I’ve read some historical books and compilations on the subject, but nothing beats a personal account. Thanks, Robbie and thanks to your mother and good luck with the book. It is very important that these events are never forgotten.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  21. balroop2013 says:
    September 15, 2018 at 20:34

    Interesting! Thanks for sharing ladies. Robbie, your book sounds as compelling as these facts about war. I would read it soon.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  22. Book Club Mom says:
    September 16, 2018 at 01:43

    Hi Sue! Great to learn more about Robbie, as we have recently found each other’s blogs. I enjoy reading about other people’s experiences during World War II, as my American parents, their friends, and my aunts and uncles were all involved in the war in various ways. It’s great, Robbie, that you and your mom worked together on her story. You’re a busy lady!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  23. watchingthedaisies says:
    September 16, 2018 at 14:11

    I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post Robbie. Lots of interesting snippets. Churchill was a very prolific writer indeed. 🌼

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  24. Teri Polen says:
    September 17, 2018 at 13:20

    I like that tidbit about the inspiration for Miss Moneypenny. Fascinating stuff, Robbie.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  25. Stevie Turner says:
    September 18, 2018 at 08:51

    Reblogged this on Stevie Turner and commented:
    We visited the Cabinet War Rooms last year. Fascinating place! Great post, thanks Robbie and Sue.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  26. Vashti Q says:
    September 18, 2018 at 16:25

    Fascinating information in the beginning and introduction to your book, While the Bombs Fell. I will definitely add it to my TBR list. I am so excited about your supernatural and horror blog and book! Those genres are right up my alley. Congratulations on your new book and I wish you all the best on your future projects. 😀 xx

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

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