Darkest Hour - Is Churchillian Thinking Still Relevant Today?

Sgt Nikki Briscoe, CTS

Station News

Personnel from Central Training School (CTS) embarked on a journey through time to gain insight into Sir

Winston Churchill’s mindset with a visit to the Churchill

War Rooms in London.

This Force Development opportunity allowed us to look at how Sir Winston Churchill’s career developed through the years, from his time in the military all the way through to becoming one of the most well-known and memorable politicians in the Western world.

We learnt about how he used the power of speech and the English language to capture the emotions and hearts of the British people whilst leading them to victory.

Personnel conducted research whilst exploring the War Rooms and delivered stands on Churchill’s famous speeches, his impact and influence in the Middle East and his likely views on modern conflicts in Afghanistan and Ukraine.

We learnt many interesting facts, such as the development of the Cabinet War Rooms by the installation of a massive layer of concrete known as 'the Slab'. Up to 5 feet (1.5 metres) thick, the Slab was progressively extended and by spring 1941 the increased protection had enabled the Cabinet War Rooms to expand to three times their original size. While the usage of many of the War Rooms' individual rooms changed over the course of the war, the facility also included dormitories for staff, private bedrooms for military officers and senior ministers, and rooms for typists or telephone switchboard operators. During its operational life two of the Cabinet War

Rooms were of particular importance. Once operational, the facility's Map Room was in constant use and staffed around the clock by officers of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force. These officers were responsible for producing a daily intelligence summary for the King, Prime Minister, and the military Chiefs of Staff. of France, which began on 10 May 1940, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's war cabinet met at the War Rooms only once, in October 1939. Following Winston

Churchill's appointment as Prime Minister, Churchill visited the Cabinet Room in May 1940 and declared: 'This is the room from which I will direct the war'. In total 115 Cabinet meetings were held at the Cabinet War Rooms, the last on 28 March 1945, when the German V-weapon bombing campaign came to an end.

Overall, we had an educational and enjoyable day. If you haven’t booked an FD Day for your section, we highly recommend engaging

with Force Development and Training Flight or following the step-by-step guide on the left-hand side of their SharePoint page.

Sgt Iliesa caught off guard. A memorable quote from the Museum. Wg Cdr Poole.

Map Room.

Flt Lt Skilling.

CTS personnel outside the War Rooms.