Battle of the Atlantic
Broadcaster Peter Sissons reveals how a secret command bunker in the heart of Liverpool played a key role in winning The Battle of the Atlantic. He also hears untold stories of heroism and tragedy from veterans of the Battle, as Liverpool commemorates the 70th anniversary.
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Battle of the Atlantic
Duration: 01:30
Looking back at the Battle of the Atlantic
Broadcaster Peter Sissons returns to his home city of Liverpool to reflect on the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic.
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Peter talks to survivors of what was the longest continuous military campaign in the Second World War claiming the lives of around 30,000 merchant seamen and seeing the loss of 5,000 cargo vessels.
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More than 30,000 allied sailors and airmen were also killed in their attempts to protect the convoys.
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Peter says in the film: "Sunday marks the 70th anniversary of victory in the Battle of the Atlantic and Liverpool is hosting a day of national commemoration.听
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"This will be the last official occasion those who lived through those dark days will gather to remember.
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"Many are now in their nineties and too old to travel. Many of their stories remain forgotten or unknown and lost in history.
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"On Merseyside 10,000 local men volunteered to join the Merchant Navy.听
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"It was a perilous task.听Life expectancy was lower than the armed forces, and your pay stopped if your ship was sunk.
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"Many were just teenagers seeing sights that still haunt them to this day鈥�"
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As well as hearing from survivors, Sissons visits a vital battle command centre hidden deep below the bustle of Liverpool City Centre.
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He also tells the story of Captain Johnnie Walker who led the sinking of several German U-boats during the war and is honoured with a statue at Liverpool's Pier Head.
Churchill's Liverpool hotline
The Western Approaches Combined Headquarters used to be the most secret place in Britain.
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This vital command centre with 400 staff, hidden below the streets of Liverpool city centre, played a vital role in the Battle of the Atlantic.
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When Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited Liverpool in 1941, he had his own private hotline and secret telephone box enabling him to stay in touch with the government.
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It was here with its reinforced ceilings and three foot thick walls that Churchill said the Battle of the Atlantic was won.
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on the 蜜芽传媒 News website.
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Peter Sissons |
| Producer | Peter Trollope |
| Director | Peter Trollope |
| Executive Producer | Tony Parker |
