Footsteps of WWII · Britain
Western Approaches HQ, Liverpool
Headquarters · Feb 1941 – 1945
The story
Western Approaches Command, responsible for protecting convoys in the Atlantic, moved from Plymouth to a reinforced basement under Derby House in Liverpool on 7 February 1941. RAF Coastal Command's No. 15 Group moved in alongside, so ships and aircraft were directed from one room. Admiral Sir Percy Noble commanded from February 1941, followed by Admiral Sir Max Horton from November 1942, who led the escort groups through the decisive convoy battles of spring 1943. In the same building the Western Approaches Tactical Unit under Captain Gilbert Roberts, staffed largely by Wrens, wargamed U-boat tactics on the floor and devised countermeasures for escort captains.
What to look for
The main operations room with its two-storey wall map of the Atlantic and convoy plots, the commander's office overlooking it, the teleprinter and cipher rooms, and the reconstructed tactical unit with its floor gaming board.
Plan your visit
Open daily 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:00. Adult about £16.50; tickets online or on the day, no time slots. Cashless. Check the website before you go.
Things change, so check opening times before you travel.
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