WWII Chart Makers in Somerset

By Adrian Webb

Churchill’s Secret Chart Makers – The Road to D-Day and Beyond

The scale and secrecy of the preparations for the Invasion of France during the Second World War are well documented. On D-Day, ships delayed by storms finally sailed from British ports in tight formation, carrying thousands of men towards the Normandy coast.

Their success depended on the detailed charts produced by the Navy’s Hydrographic Department. Based primarily in Taunton and Bath, these teams worked in strict secrecy in buildings known simply as “the Admiralty”. From these quiet Somerset locations came one of the war’s most vital contributions.

In total, an astonishing thirty million charts and diagrams were produced and supplied to 4,969 vessels from fourteen Allied nations, supporting operations throughout the war and playing a crucial role in the success of D-Day.

This remarkable and little-known story is revealed in local historian Dr Adrian Webb’s new book, Churchill’s Secret Chart Makers: The Road to D-Day and Beyond in Somerset, 1939–1945.

Drawing on extensive research and interviews with former wartime staff, this fully illustrated hardback edition runs to 272 pages and brings to light the extraordinary work carried out in Somerset during the war.

The entry price is £3.50 for Thomas Poole Library charity members and £4.50 for non-members.

Book price: £25