Underneath Liverpool city centre is a room that was key to the Allies winning WWII.
From 1941, Derby House on Rumford Street was the headquarters of the Western Approaches Command Centre, which controlled the defences of British shipping during the Battle of the Atlantic. The longest continuous battle of WWII, the Battle of the Atlantic saw the Allied and Axis powers fight for control of the ocean.
Throughout the war, the Allies worked to secure Britain's merchant shipping, bringing vital goods in and out of the country. As Britain's main transatlantic convoy port, Liverpool had a crucial role, receiving 1,285 convoys during the war.
