In the 1930’s there were several schemes to provide protected accommodation for central government and the armed services away from Whitehall in the event of a devastating attack on central London. Several locations were proposed including sites in the West Midland and Wiltshire but as war was approaching in 1939 the government became committed to the North-West London Suburbs Scheme which included the building of three subterranean reserve war rooms for the military and the government.
The Air Ministry was to have a bomb-proof citadel at Harrow Weald (Station Z) and the Admiralty at Oxgate in the far north of Willesden. The War Office’s citadel at Kneller Hall, Twickenham, could not be protected securely enough to be bomb-proof so a third bunker was proposed at Dollis Hill which later became known as Paddock and also housed the stand-by cabinet war room.
Plan of the bunker
Standby Generator Room
Ventiltion Plant
Remains of the Operations Room
Fuel Tanks
Spiral staircase on upper level going to lower level and exit.
Blast door entrance to lower level
Goods Lift on the upper level to the lower level.
Plant Equipment
Blast Door
Ventiltion
The Air Ministry was to have a bomb-proof citadel at Harrow Weald (Station Z) and the Admiralty at Oxgate in the far north of Willesden. The War Office’s citadel at Kneller Hall, Twickenham, could not be protected securely enough to be bomb-proof so a third bunker was proposed at Dollis Hill which later became known as Paddock and also housed the stand-by cabinet war room.
Plan of the bunker
Standby Generator Room
Ventiltion Plant
Remains of the Operations Room
Fuel Tanks
Spiral staircase on upper level going to lower level and exit.
Blast door entrance to lower level
Goods Lift on the upper level to the lower level.
Plant Equipment
Blast Door
Ventiltion
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