Around the Pier Head are reminders of Liverpool’s varied past memorials to the Titanic, and World War Two. While the great buildings that dominate the waterfront known as the ‘Three Graces’ are evidence of the wealth generated by Liverpool’s position as the second city of the empire. Second World War As a port Liverpool was of great importance during the Second World War and also a major target for German bombers. Liverpool was Britain’s lifeline during the Second World War, around you memorials commemorate the Merchant Navy. Nearly 2000 ships brought all the oil, half the food and most of the raw materials that the country needed for survival. The port handled at least a third of the country’s imports with an average of four convoys a week arriving, causing chaos on the Mersey.
 | | Titanic Memorial |
The river in front of you was a traffic nightmare for Harbourmasters . Instead of the steady stream of ships that was the norm in peacetime, mixed convoys of warships and merchant ships had to assemble while the bombs fell overhead. The port handled over 75 million tons of cargo between 1939 and 1945, almost 4.7 million troops passed through of whom 1.2 million were American. Britain’s gold reserves were transported from London and stored in Martin’s Bank next to the Town Hall, for speedy evacuation to Canada in case of invasion. Looking out across the river and to the left you can see the buildings of Cammel Laird shipyard. During the war the shipyard was busy turning our ships and submarines at the rate of about one every twenty days. Famous ships were built in the yard including HMS Rodney and HMS Prince of Wales. Post-war the Royal Navy’s largest ever aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal was built here. The world’s first steam powered submarine Resurgam was built in Birkenhead from the design of a Liverpool inventor Reverend George Garret. During the Second World War, Liverpool was a prime target for German bombing raids. Between July 1940 and January 1942 the Luftwaffe made sixty eight visits, more than for any other port outside London, enormous damage was caused across the city with 4000 people killed, another 4000 seriously injured and 10,000 homes completely destroyed. The worst bombing occurred during the ‘May Blitz’ of 1941. Captain Johnny Walker
 | | Hero Captain Johnny Walker Statue |
One of the greatest threats of defeat to Britain during the Second World War was the German U-Boat. Attacks on convoys were causing so many losses that the country was almost brought to its knees. Much of the Battle of the Atlantic against the U-Boat threat was fought from Liverpool. From 1941 a fortified basement in Derby House, Exchange Flags contained the headquarters of Britain’s Western Approaches Command. At the height of the war signals were passing through Derby House at the rate of 1000 a day. Behind you is a statue of Captain Johnny Walker, the greatest hero of the Battle of the Atlantic. Based at Gladstone Dock his 2nd Support Group hunted U-Boats out in the Atlantic and turned the Battle of Atlantic in Britain’s favour. Leaving port in HMS Starling, with the tune of a “Hunting We Will Go” blaring from his ships tannoy, Walker sank more U-Boats than any other Allied commander, once sinking 5 U-boats in 10 days while escorting a convoy from Gibraltor. He died on July 9th 1944 aged 48, his death attributed to exhaustion. At Captain Johnny Walker's funeral service in Liverpool Cathedral, Sir Max Horton, Commander in Charge Western Approaches said “Victory has been won, and should be won by such as he. May there never be wanting in this realm a succession of men of like spirit in discipline, imagination and valour, humble and unafraid. Not dust, nor the light weight of a stone, but all of the sea of the Western Approaches shall be his tomb.” After a procession through the streets of Liverpool, Johnny Walker was embarked on HMS Hesperus and buried in the waters of Liverpool Bay. | 
Introduction