The Western Approaches Museum in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, is a museum chronicling the work of

Western Approaches Command Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches was the commander of a major operational command of the Royal Navy during World War II. The admiral commanding, and his forces, sometimes informally known as 'Western Approaches Command,' were responsibl ...

around

Atlantic convoys A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

, combating the U-boat menace and the

Battle of the Atlantic The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, covering a major part of the naval history of World War II. At its core was the Allied naval blockade ...

. Set in the restored former Second World War command centre responsible for coordinating the effort, the museum consists of re-opened rooms housing artefacts from when the command centre was in active use. The museum includes a tour that covers the Central Operations room, cypher room, a 1940s street scene,

NAAFI The Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI ) is a company created by the British government on 9 December 1920 to run recreational establishments needed by the British Armed Forces, and to sell goods to servicemen and their families. It runs c ...

canteen and community classroom facility. It also contains the original Gaumont Kalee Dragon projector which

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

used to watch secret war footage. Since September 2017, the museum has been run by a social enterprise group, Big Heritage. Since taking over, Big Heritage has undertaken a restoration of the site, unearthing artefacts and parts of the facility that had been closed off since the 1960s. The museum now hosts a special exhibition entitles "The Arctic Convoys - A Shared History" and an exhibition dedicated to the women of the WRNS (Women's Royal Naval Service). Entry price to the museum includes 12 months of unlimited returns and there are concessions available. Children under the age of 16 are free. Regular holiday activities and events are available and are normally included in the admission cost.

References

External links

Western Approaches
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liverpool History museums in Merseyside Local museums in Merseyside Museums in Liverpool