1 00:00:02,900 --> 00:00:04,500 'For the last 20 years, 2 00:00:04,500 --> 00:00:07,180 'I've driven hundreds of thousands of miles 3 00:00:07,180 --> 00:00:10,460 'to uncover the history of these islands. 4 00:00:10,460 --> 00:00:13,180 'But now, it's time to do something different.' 5 00:00:14,820 --> 00:00:17,860 I'm going to turn the engine off, leave the car behind. 6 00:00:20,820 --> 00:00:22,740 Instead, I'm going to walk. 7 00:00:26,700 --> 00:00:31,820 'My walks will uncover the richest history from our finest landscapes 8 00:00:31,820 --> 00:00:34,180 'in a way that's only possible on foot. 9 00:00:39,060 --> 00:00:43,980 'This time, I'm covering a 60 mile stretch of the coast of Dorset.' 10 00:00:43,980 --> 00:00:48,580 I'm here to uncover evidence of a time when this sleepy county 11 00:00:48,580 --> 00:00:53,660 of rolling hills and winding lanes was utterly transformed. 12 00:00:53,660 --> 00:00:55,740 Because when World War Two broke out 13 00:00:55,740 --> 00:00:58,700 and the threat of a Nazi invasion was only too real, 14 00:00:58,700 --> 00:01:01,540 this was frontline Britain. 15 00:01:09,820 --> 00:01:12,220 MILITARY DRUMS 16 00:01:16,660 --> 00:01:20,140 Dorset's coastline boasts some stunning scenery. 17 00:01:20,140 --> 00:01:25,180 Lofty limestone cliffs overlook shallow bays and long beaches. 18 00:01:26,660 --> 00:01:29,620 A coastal path and a network of inland byways 19 00:01:29,620 --> 00:01:32,100 make this a paradise for walkers. 20 00:01:34,900 --> 00:01:36,620 I've planned a four day walk 21 00:01:36,620 --> 00:01:39,660 that takes in the best this coast has to offer. 22 00:01:43,580 --> 00:01:46,660 I'm starting outside the village of Abbotsbury, 23 00:01:46,660 --> 00:01:49,580 on the unique 18 mile Chesil Beach. 24 00:01:51,100 --> 00:01:55,100 I'll explore the extraordinary harbours of Weymouth and Portland 25 00:01:57,500 --> 00:02:01,740 and marvel at the strange geology of places like Durdle Door. 26 00:02:04,980 --> 00:02:08,660 I'll be watching my step as I cross the firing ranges of Lulworth... 27 00:02:11,340 --> 00:02:13,780 ..and I'll head for Studland Bay and Swanage. 28 00:02:15,140 --> 00:02:19,140 Both my final destinations had vital and secret roles to play 29 00:02:19,140 --> 00:02:21,300 in the run-up to D-Day 30 00:02:21,300 --> 00:02:24,420 and make a fitting end to my journey. 31 00:02:25,820 --> 00:02:27,500 MILITARY DRUMS 32 00:02:30,620 --> 00:02:34,900 Hidden everywhere is a rich history of defiance and courage 33 00:02:34,900 --> 00:02:37,260 exhibited during the most destructive war 34 00:02:37,260 --> 00:02:38,780 the world has ever known. 35 00:02:40,180 --> 00:02:43,420 This is a great story, from 1940 36 00:02:43,420 --> 00:02:46,900 when everyone thought the Germans were about to invade, 37 00:02:46,900 --> 00:02:51,300 through to 1944 and the D-Day landings. 38 00:02:51,300 --> 00:02:56,580 It's a series of events that have left an indelible mark in Dorset 39 00:02:56,580 --> 00:03:00,660 and nowhere more so than here on Chesil Beach. 40 00:03:05,100 --> 00:03:07,780 The beach was created by tidal currents 41 00:03:07,780 --> 00:03:11,100 that deposited shingle to form the long bar, 42 00:03:11,100 --> 00:03:14,140 which stretches from West Bay to Portland Bill. 43 00:03:20,260 --> 00:03:24,180 Walking along this beach is a bit like a workout in the gym, 44 00:03:24,180 --> 00:03:27,180 every step of the way, you're fighting these pebbles, 45 00:03:27,180 --> 00:03:29,060 which are in fact unique. 46 00:03:29,060 --> 00:03:33,260 In fact, they're so unique, that if you remove a single one of them, 47 00:03:33,260 --> 00:03:34,820 you could be in big trouble. 48 00:03:37,740 --> 00:03:39,940 'This is a world heritage site 49 00:03:39,940 --> 00:03:42,740 'and a site of special scientific interest, 50 00:03:42,740 --> 00:03:45,340 'so I'll be leaving the shingle right here.' 51 00:03:48,940 --> 00:03:50,180 'But not so long ago, 52 00:03:50,180 --> 00:03:53,780 'the beach attracted interest of a very different kind.' 53 00:03:53,780 --> 00:03:56,500 (SPEAKS IN GERMAN) 54 00:03:56,500 --> 00:03:57,860 CHEERING 55 00:03:57,860 --> 00:04:01,580 In May 1940, the Germans invaded France, 56 00:04:01,580 --> 00:04:05,220 conquering the entire country in just six weeks. 57 00:04:06,340 --> 00:04:08,100 EXPLOSION 58 00:04:11,580 --> 00:04:15,180 British forces had to be evacuated from Dunkirk 59 00:04:15,180 --> 00:04:19,260 and everyone expected a Nazi invasion of Britain within weeks. 60 00:04:26,420 --> 00:04:28,980 The long open stretches of Chesil Beach 61 00:04:28,980 --> 00:04:32,420 were a prime target for a German invasion. 62 00:04:32,420 --> 00:04:35,140 So, engineers spent the summer of 1940 63 00:04:35,140 --> 00:04:38,100 working furiously to erect defences here. 64 00:04:40,500 --> 00:04:42,460 What are these things, John? 65 00:04:42,460 --> 00:04:43,660 Anti-tank blocks. 66 00:04:43,660 --> 00:04:45,100 When were they built? 67 00:04:45,100 --> 00:04:47,100 August, 1940. 68 00:04:47,100 --> 00:04:49,340 How do these things work? 69 00:04:49,340 --> 00:04:53,860 It's simply a large chunk of concrete. 70 00:04:53,860 --> 00:04:56,860 And the tank can't climb over it, 71 00:04:56,860 --> 00:04:59,980 it can't come through the gaps here... 72 00:04:59,980 --> 00:05:02,020 so it has to stop. 73 00:05:04,620 --> 00:05:06,820 The blocks are cleverly positioned. 74 00:05:08,820 --> 00:05:11,940 Any vehicle landing between here and Portland 75 00:05:11,940 --> 00:05:16,060 is prevented from advancing inland by the lagoon behind the beach. 76 00:05:17,900 --> 00:05:21,420 So these 'Dragon's Teeth' effectively block the only exit 77 00:05:21,420 --> 00:05:23,660 from a ten mile stretch of shingle. 78 00:05:25,380 --> 00:05:28,660 And they weren't the only defences that were put in place. 79 00:05:28,660 --> 00:05:31,500 There's pillboxes behind us, 80 00:05:31,500 --> 00:05:36,460 there's medium machine gun trenches to our right 81 00:05:36,460 --> 00:05:38,300 and there's an anti-tank ditch 82 00:05:38,300 --> 00:05:40,660 running all along the bottom of the beach. 83 00:05:42,220 --> 00:05:45,220 'The defences were designed to deter infantry, 84 00:05:45,220 --> 00:05:47,060 'as well as vehicle landings.' 85 00:05:50,140 --> 00:05:52,020 So this would have been for machine guns? 86 00:05:52,020 --> 00:05:53,540 Yes, indeed. 87 00:05:53,540 --> 00:05:54,940 What would it have looked like? 88 00:05:54,940 --> 00:05:57,620 Be... no pebbles in here, 89 00:05:57,620 --> 00:06:00,300 so, you'd have a trench here and here. 90 00:06:00,300 --> 00:06:06,780 There's a platform here, the machine gun would have sat around here, 91 00:06:06,780 --> 00:06:08,340 so as low as possible. 92 00:06:08,340 --> 00:06:09,940 How many people in here? 93 00:06:09,940 --> 00:06:11,820 There would've been three people. 94 00:06:11,820 --> 00:06:13,940 How far would they have been able to defend? 95 00:06:13,940 --> 00:06:15,900 As far as the eye can see. 96 00:06:15,900 --> 00:06:17,660 The horizon of the beach, 97 00:06:17,660 --> 00:06:21,940 out to... across the fields, roughly, 90 degrees. 98 00:06:29,380 --> 00:06:32,860 'The defences here aren't just on the coast.' 99 00:06:32,860 --> 00:06:36,500 My path takes me past some of the 300 pill-boxes 100 00:06:36,500 --> 00:06:39,300 that were built right across Dorset in 1940. 101 00:06:42,180 --> 00:06:46,140 Young soldiers would've spent days and nights in places like this, 102 00:06:46,140 --> 00:06:48,700 anxiously scanning the sea for the enemy. 103 00:06:48,700 --> 00:06:50,340 'It's almost unimaginable,' 104 00:06:50,340 --> 00:06:52,980 the amount of fear people must have gone through, 105 00:06:52,980 --> 00:06:54,780 especially around here. 106 00:06:54,780 --> 00:06:58,580 I can't imagine a few bits of concrete helping much. 107 00:06:58,580 --> 00:07:01,100 I mean, look at this pillbox. 108 00:07:01,100 --> 00:07:05,660 The thing that strikes me about it is how small it is. 109 00:07:05,660 --> 00:07:09,140 Can't imagine that would've stopped an invasion, can you? 110 00:07:09,140 --> 00:07:11,060 'Luckily, it didn't have to.' 111 00:07:14,420 --> 00:07:16,900 I'm heading east towards Weymouth and Portland 112 00:07:16,900 --> 00:07:18,700 with their famous harbours 113 00:07:18,700 --> 00:07:22,460 and my route brings me down to the lagoon behind Chesil Beach. 114 00:07:26,140 --> 00:07:30,260 Called The Fleet, it gets its name from the Saxon word 'Fleot', 115 00:07:30,260 --> 00:07:31,820 meaning shallow waterway. 116 00:07:32,900 --> 00:07:35,380 It was created at the end of the Ice Age, 117 00:07:35,380 --> 00:07:37,980 when rising sea levels flooded the area 118 00:07:37,980 --> 00:07:39,820 behind Chesil's shingle bar. 119 00:07:41,220 --> 00:07:45,580 Now twitchers flock here for its array of bird life, 120 00:07:45,580 --> 00:07:49,260 although in Abbotsbury, it's dominated by one breed... 121 00:07:49,260 --> 00:07:50,580 the swan. 122 00:07:52,540 --> 00:07:55,340 There's been a swannery here since medieval times, 123 00:07:55,340 --> 00:07:57,900 when local Benedictine monks set one up 124 00:07:57,900 --> 00:08:00,180 to farm the swans for their dinner table. 125 00:08:01,300 --> 00:08:04,140 'But I haven't come here to admire the wildlife.' 126 00:08:06,300 --> 00:08:09,740 'I've come to reveal The Fleet's own wartime story.' 127 00:08:11,740 --> 00:08:16,740 In late 1942, this stretch of water was turned into a test ground 128 00:08:16,740 --> 00:08:19,500 for one of the most innovative weapons of the war, 129 00:08:19,500 --> 00:08:23,140 the incredible dam-busting, bouncing bomb. 130 00:08:23,140 --> 00:08:25,300 EXPLOSIONS 131 00:08:29,260 --> 00:08:32,180 This bam-bam-bam-bam-bom-bom-bom... 132 00:08:32,180 --> 00:08:35,900 is one of the original prototypes for Barnes Wallis's 133 00:08:35,900 --> 00:08:40,420 famous bouncing bombs, which took part in the Dam Busters' raids. 134 00:08:40,420 --> 00:08:42,420 The final bombs didn't really look like that, 135 00:08:42,420 --> 00:08:44,620 they looked more like oil drums, 136 00:08:44,620 --> 00:08:47,580 but it took a lot of experimentation to get to that shape 137 00:08:47,580 --> 00:08:51,660 and a lot of the original trials took place just round the corner. 138 00:08:55,420 --> 00:08:59,340 Barnes Wallis needed a place with long stretches of open water 139 00:08:59,340 --> 00:09:03,220 to test his bouncing bombs, but it also had to be shallow enough 140 00:09:03,220 --> 00:09:06,860 so these prototypes could be easily retrieved. 141 00:09:06,860 --> 00:09:12,180 The Fleet was ideal, and for a few months in 1942 and early 1943, 142 00:09:12,180 --> 00:09:17,980 his team came here for the first ever tests of their novel weapon. 143 00:09:17,980 --> 00:09:19,060 He told us afterwards 144 00:09:19,060 --> 00:09:22,180 that they'd actually put a bullet right through his saucepan. 145 00:09:22,180 --> 00:09:24,900 'Local residents Dick Dalley and Bob Payne 146 00:09:24,900 --> 00:09:27,060 'were just boys at the time.' 147 00:09:27,060 --> 00:09:29,540 So, which direction did the planes come from? 148 00:09:29,540 --> 00:09:33,060 They came from that direction and they went right the way down, 149 00:09:33,060 --> 00:09:35,740 about half a mile down when they released their bombs. 150 00:09:35,740 --> 00:09:38,340 You can see why they would've dropped them here. 151 00:09:38,340 --> 00:09:41,180 Perfect place for a bouncing bomb. 152 00:09:41,180 --> 00:09:42,820 Yes, yeah. 153 00:09:42,820 --> 00:09:45,340 Did you have any idea what it was that was going on? 154 00:09:45,340 --> 00:09:50,300 No, the only thing we thought it could be was a type of mine 155 00:09:50,300 --> 00:09:53,700 that was going to bounce off the water and hit the side of a ship. 156 00:09:53,700 --> 00:09:55,180 I know you were only a little lad, 157 00:09:55,180 --> 00:09:57,820 but did you meet Barnes Wallis or any of his people? 158 00:09:57,820 --> 00:10:01,820 Yes, I met one of his team. He came and lodged with us. 159 00:10:01,820 --> 00:10:03,020 How did you get on with him? 160 00:10:03,020 --> 00:10:05,380 Very well. He helped me with my homework. 161 00:10:05,380 --> 00:10:07,500 I used to get ten out of ten when he helped me. 162 00:10:07,500 --> 00:10:08,860 And after he left? 163 00:10:08,860 --> 00:10:10,980 Oh, I was lucky to get three out of ten. 164 00:10:10,980 --> 00:10:13,180 ALL CHUCKLE 165 00:10:13,180 --> 00:10:17,100 It's extraordinary, isn't it, that today this is a lovely haven 166 00:10:17,100 --> 00:10:22,420 for waterfowl and sea birds, yet one of the most important experiments 167 00:10:22,420 --> 00:10:24,460 of the second world war was taking place here. 168 00:10:24,460 --> 00:10:27,020 And you were just staring at it as kids, 169 00:10:27,020 --> 00:10:28,540 not having a clue what was going on. 170 00:10:28,540 --> 00:10:29,980 No, no idea. 171 00:10:35,260 --> 00:10:38,580 Barnes Wallis' extraordinary invention saw action 172 00:10:38,580 --> 00:10:42,540 in the famous Dambuster raids of May 1943, 173 00:10:42,540 --> 00:10:45,420 which seriously undermined the industrial power 174 00:10:45,420 --> 00:10:47,660 of the German war machine. 175 00:10:47,660 --> 00:10:50,500 And the seeds of his success were sown here, 176 00:10:50,500 --> 00:10:52,140 in the waters of The Fleet. 177 00:10:56,500 --> 00:10:58,740 But that's jumping ahead in my story. 178 00:11:01,060 --> 00:11:04,900 For now, I take the path up away from The Fleet, heading east. 179 00:11:06,540 --> 00:11:07,980 Come on, don't dawdle. 180 00:11:10,820 --> 00:11:11,820 So... 181 00:11:13,180 --> 00:11:18,300 We're round about here, and I want to go all the way along there, 182 00:11:18,300 --> 00:11:23,700 down there. About three miles, I think, into Langton Herring. 183 00:11:26,020 --> 00:11:29,380 'It's what's known as a 'Doubly Thankful' village, 184 00:11:29,380 --> 00:11:32,820 'which means that all the men who left here to fight in World War One 185 00:11:32,820 --> 00:11:35,500 'and in World War Two survived. 186 00:11:37,300 --> 00:11:39,100 'So if you're looking for a memorial 187 00:11:39,100 --> 00:11:43,420 'commemorating Langton Herring's War dead, you won't find one.' 188 00:11:43,420 --> 00:11:47,820 And extraordinarily, there are just 14 villages in the whole country 189 00:11:47,820 --> 00:11:49,900 that can make that claim to fame. 190 00:11:56,100 --> 00:11:57,820 That's where I'm heading. 191 00:11:57,820 --> 00:12:00,980 That's Portland, with Weymouth round the corner. 192 00:12:00,980 --> 00:12:06,540 And can you see there's a line of clouds... just over there? 193 00:12:06,540 --> 00:12:08,940 I reckon that's a front and I'm not convinced 194 00:12:08,940 --> 00:12:12,420 that I'll get to Weymouth without getting drenched. 195 00:12:14,620 --> 00:12:16,740 In the summer of 1940, 196 00:12:16,740 --> 00:12:20,620 the people of Dorset had a lot more to worry about than dodgy weather. 197 00:12:23,460 --> 00:12:27,140 Just across the water, on Sunday 30th June, 198 00:12:27,140 --> 00:12:31,300 the Nazis invaded the Channel Islands. 199 00:12:31,300 --> 00:12:32,580 On the very same day, 200 00:12:32,580 --> 00:12:36,260 German bombers launched some of the first attacks on Britain. 201 00:12:40,940 --> 00:12:45,700 And if I'd been in Weymouth that fateful Sunday back in 1940, 202 00:12:45,700 --> 00:12:50,140 I wouldn't have been looking for a hotel for the night, 203 00:12:50,140 --> 00:12:53,780 I'd have been looking for shelter from German bombs. 204 00:12:53,780 --> 00:12:55,300 EXPLOSIONS 205 00:13:06,708 --> 00:13:08,628 I'm on the second day of my journey 206 00:13:08,628 --> 00:13:11,628 discovering how World War II played out 207 00:13:11,628 --> 00:13:15,028 along what is today a rather wet Dorset coast. 208 00:13:16,908 --> 00:13:21,508 Today, 12 miles in, I've reached the towns of Weymouth and Portland. 209 00:13:21,508 --> 00:13:25,028 They sit either side of a huge harbour, and in 1940 210 00:13:25,028 --> 00:13:29,748 it was home to one of the Royal Navy's biggest south-coast bases. 211 00:13:33,948 --> 00:13:36,868 Overlooking the harbour on the Weymouth side, 212 00:13:36,868 --> 00:13:39,908 Nothe Fort was originally built in Victorian times, 213 00:13:39,908 --> 00:13:43,028 when the threat came from the French, not the Germans. 214 00:13:44,948 --> 00:13:47,708 Now it's a museum, but it doesn't take long 215 00:13:47,708 --> 00:13:51,628 to realise it played a crucial role in World War II as well. 216 00:13:53,068 --> 00:13:55,828 I don't think this is Victorian - do you? 217 00:13:55,828 --> 00:14:00,268 And there are other examples of the very hasty refurb that they did - 218 00:14:00,268 --> 00:14:03,108 over there, and over there. 219 00:14:08,068 --> 00:14:10,348 In early 1940, Nothe Fort was rigged 220 00:14:10,348 --> 00:14:13,188 with anti-aircraft guns and searchlights, 221 00:14:13,188 --> 00:14:15,388 because now the coastal defences 222 00:14:15,388 --> 00:14:18,548 had to cope with the threat of attack from the air 223 00:14:18,548 --> 00:14:19,748 as well as the sea. 224 00:14:23,108 --> 00:14:25,388 That's a pretty chunky piece of equipment, isn't it? 225 00:14:25,388 --> 00:14:27,388 Hang on, I'll just get a bit closer to it. 226 00:14:27,388 --> 00:14:29,188 Shouldn't really do this. 227 00:14:29,188 --> 00:14:33,428 They've actually had searchlights here since the year 1910 - 228 00:14:33,428 --> 00:14:38,028 although that one was put in very swiftly in 1940 229 00:14:38,028 --> 00:14:41,308 by the British company General Electric. 230 00:14:41,308 --> 00:14:44,108 I'm sure it worked much better than its predecessor, 231 00:14:44,108 --> 00:14:46,948 but I wonder if one of the reasons for swapping it 232 00:14:46,948 --> 00:14:50,468 was because the previous one was made by Siemens of Germany. 233 00:14:53,588 --> 00:14:57,548 The defences at Nothe Fort would soon be tested in action. 234 00:14:57,548 --> 00:15:00,028 Within days of the fall of France, 235 00:15:00,028 --> 00:15:04,148 Hitler's attention was focused across the Channel to Britain. 236 00:15:04,148 --> 00:15:09,788 The strategically important Portland Harbour was a prime target. 237 00:15:09,788 --> 00:15:13,588 It was home to a significant number of Britain's warships, 238 00:15:13,588 --> 00:15:14,908 but it was vulnerable. 239 00:15:16,588 --> 00:15:21,268 And on June 30th 1940, German bombers attacked. 240 00:15:21,268 --> 00:15:24,508 It was to be just the first of a series of raids 241 00:15:24,508 --> 00:15:29,828 designed to cripple the Royal Navy ahead of a German seaborne invasion. 242 00:15:38,788 --> 00:15:40,508 I've come to Portland 243 00:15:40,508 --> 00:15:44,188 to meet someone who experienced those bombing raids at first hand. 244 00:15:45,868 --> 00:15:47,588 Hello, Poppy. Nice to see you. 245 00:15:47,588 --> 00:15:48,628 And you. 246 00:15:48,628 --> 00:15:49,748 Are you going to show me where your house was? 247 00:15:49,748 --> 00:15:50,908 Yes, yes. 248 00:15:50,908 --> 00:15:53,268 This was the street you used to live in when you were a little girl? 249 00:15:53,268 --> 00:15:54,308 Yes. 250 00:15:54,308 --> 00:15:56,388 'Poppy Butcher grew up here 251 00:15:56,388 --> 00:15:59,988 'and has vivid memories of that summer of 1940.' 252 00:16:00,988 --> 00:16:02,268 And this one's your house? 253 00:16:02,268 --> 00:16:06,588 Yes, that's where I lived. I was born there, 11th November 1928. 254 00:16:06,588 --> 00:16:08,788 I've got a picture of me taken outside the house. 255 00:16:08,788 --> 00:16:09,828 Yeah. Oh. 256 00:16:11,468 --> 00:16:13,428 Must have been a great little street for people to play. 257 00:16:13,428 --> 00:16:14,668 Yes, it was lovely. 258 00:16:14,668 --> 00:16:16,468 Lots of children, we had a great fun. 259 00:16:16,468 --> 00:16:18,308 Do you remember when the bombs started falling? 260 00:16:18,308 --> 00:16:19,428 Yes, I do. 261 00:16:19,428 --> 00:16:22,788 It was on a Sunday, on 30th of June 1940. 262 00:16:22,788 --> 00:16:24,548 It was the first air raid we had 263 00:16:24,548 --> 00:16:27,508 and I think it was the first air raid in England. 264 00:16:27,508 --> 00:16:30,468 The planes came over and they flew very low 265 00:16:30,468 --> 00:16:32,788 and they started dropping bombs. 266 00:16:32,788 --> 00:16:36,228 You could hear them whistling down. We would lay on the ground. 267 00:16:36,228 --> 00:16:37,948 You must have been terrified? 268 00:16:37,948 --> 00:16:42,908 Oh, I think we probably were, but we... It was exciting as well. 269 00:16:42,908 --> 00:16:45,788 So it's... I think when you're younger, 270 00:16:45,788 --> 00:16:48,548 you know, you don't feel fear of things. 271 00:16:49,948 --> 00:16:54,428 'Portland was bombed five more times in the following two weeks.' 272 00:16:54,428 --> 00:16:57,068 The following Thursday, on the 4th of July, 273 00:16:57,068 --> 00:16:59,868 there was a very heavy air raid on the dockyard. 274 00:16:59,868 --> 00:17:01,548 They bombed the Foylebank. 275 00:17:03,148 --> 00:17:05,668 HMS Foylebank was a former merchant ship 276 00:17:05,668 --> 00:17:08,628 that had been fitted with anti-aircraft guns. 277 00:17:09,868 --> 00:17:13,028 She was deployed to protect the harbour from attack, 278 00:17:13,028 --> 00:17:17,268 an assignment that made her a prime target for incoming German aircraft. 279 00:17:20,708 --> 00:17:25,868 In the raid on the 4th July 1940, the Foylebank was bombed and sank, 280 00:17:25,868 --> 00:17:27,828 with 72 casualties. 281 00:17:30,588 --> 00:17:33,788 And they weren't the only ones in the firing line. 282 00:17:33,788 --> 00:17:37,868 Poppy's father, a dock worker, was in the harbour that day. 283 00:17:39,268 --> 00:17:43,108 They were building a tunnel to put the oil tanks, 284 00:17:43,108 --> 00:17:47,948 and when the siren went they all ran into the tunnel. 285 00:17:47,948 --> 00:17:51,228 And then the all-clear came, and they all came out, 286 00:17:51,228 --> 00:17:54,268 and a lone plane came over and killed 14 of them. 287 00:17:54,268 --> 00:17:56,468 Sadly, my father was killed on that day. 288 00:17:56,468 --> 00:17:57,268 Sad. 289 00:17:57,268 --> 00:17:58,748 Yes, yes, very sad. 290 00:18:08,708 --> 00:18:11,988 One of the other casualties was sailor Jack Mantle - 291 00:18:11,988 --> 00:18:14,828 a gunner on board HMS Foylebank. 292 00:18:16,828 --> 00:18:21,508 His grave is in the Royal Navy Cemetery overlooking the harbour. 293 00:18:21,508 --> 00:18:23,908 And because of his bravery that day, 294 00:18:23,908 --> 00:18:27,028 he was one of the first servicemen in the war 295 00:18:27,028 --> 00:18:29,828 to be awarded the Victoria Cross. 296 00:18:33,428 --> 00:18:36,828 Possibly not the nicest section of this walk - 297 00:18:36,828 --> 00:18:39,548 but even on a rubbish day like today, 298 00:18:39,548 --> 00:18:42,588 still a pretty amazing view from the top. 299 00:18:44,548 --> 00:18:47,788 Jack Mantle was 23 when the attack happened 300 00:18:47,788 --> 00:18:52,828 and is laid to rest alongside some of his colleagues from the ship. 301 00:18:56,788 --> 00:19:00,908 There's somebody off the Foylebank there, 302 00:19:00,908 --> 00:19:04,028 and one there, one there, one there. 303 00:19:04,028 --> 00:19:07,868 Foylebank, Foylebank. So many of them. 304 00:19:07,868 --> 00:19:11,908 This is it - J F Mantle, Jack Mantle VC - 305 00:19:11,908 --> 00:19:14,188 he won the Victoria Cross, 306 00:19:14,188 --> 00:19:18,788 and this is his citation. 307 00:19:18,788 --> 00:19:22,868 "Leading Seaman Jack Mantle was in charge of the Starboard pom-pom gun 308 00:19:22,868 --> 00:19:26,508 "when HMS Foylebank was attacked by enemy aircraft 309 00:19:26,508 --> 00:19:29,108 "on 4th of July 1940." 310 00:19:31,308 --> 00:19:35,508 "Early in the action, his left leg was shattered by a bomb, 311 00:19:35,508 --> 00:19:39,628 "but he stood fast at his gun and went on firing. 312 00:19:39,628 --> 00:19:43,188 "Between his bursts of fire he had time to reflect 313 00:19:43,188 --> 00:19:47,308 "on the grievous injuries of which he was soon to die, 314 00:19:47,308 --> 00:19:51,108 "but his great courage bore him up till the end of the fight, 315 00:19:51,108 --> 00:19:55,228 "when he fell by the gun he had so valiantly served." 316 00:19:57,308 --> 00:19:59,868 And he was 23 years of age. 317 00:20:14,548 --> 00:20:18,788 As I leave Weymouth, the sun has finally broken through. 318 00:20:18,788 --> 00:20:22,548 And I can for a moment imagine how the darkness lifted 319 00:20:22,548 --> 00:20:26,188 from the lives of the people here in September 1940. 320 00:20:27,468 --> 00:20:30,948 The Germans had repeatedly bombed the area that July and August, 321 00:20:30,948 --> 00:20:32,508 but then, in late summer, 322 00:20:32,508 --> 00:20:36,588 they switched their attention to big cities like London. 323 00:20:39,148 --> 00:20:40,948 Weymouth was spared. 324 00:20:43,748 --> 00:20:48,468 And today, as I leave the surprisingly intact Georgian streets behind, 325 00:20:48,468 --> 00:20:51,508 I can appreciate a different kind of air display. 326 00:20:53,188 --> 00:20:54,948 Can you see that flock of terns? 327 00:20:56,588 --> 00:20:59,588 They're fishing in there and every time one gets one, 328 00:20:59,588 --> 00:21:03,668 it flies over the other side of the road with one in its mouth - 329 00:21:03,668 --> 00:21:08,348 there's a bird reserve over there - and presumably feeds its chicks. 330 00:21:08,348 --> 00:21:11,388 It's lovely. Really nice. 331 00:21:18,308 --> 00:21:19,988 I've another four miles to go, 332 00:21:19,988 --> 00:21:24,228 around the bay to Osmington Mills where there's rather a good pub. 333 00:21:25,868 --> 00:21:28,308 But it's time to enjoy the countryside 334 00:21:28,308 --> 00:21:31,228 and I can make a good pace under the clear skies. 335 00:21:31,228 --> 00:21:33,588 Which is good, 336 00:21:33,588 --> 00:21:37,588 because the next stage of my journey is going to be very different. 337 00:21:38,668 --> 00:21:42,428 I'll be going underground in search of mysterious hidden bunkers. 338 00:21:43,988 --> 00:21:46,348 But that's for the morning. 339 00:21:56,728 --> 00:21:59,928 'It's the third day of my quest for the hidden remnants 340 00:21:59,928 --> 00:22:02,768 'of the Second World War along the Dorset coast 341 00:22:02,768 --> 00:22:05,488 'and I've just over six miles to do today.' 342 00:22:05,488 --> 00:22:07,728 As you can see, I've ordered the full English. 343 00:22:07,728 --> 00:22:10,408 I never know whether that's a good idea when you're walking 344 00:22:10,408 --> 00:22:12,928 because you're burning the calories slowly all day 345 00:22:12,928 --> 00:22:16,328 or whether it's stupid because it just makes you slow and sluggish. 346 00:22:16,328 --> 00:22:18,688 But we'll find out, won't we? 347 00:22:18,688 --> 00:22:22,608 Oh, and by the way, the weather forecast couldn't be worse. 348 00:22:24,368 --> 00:22:27,888 'My route will take me over the hills to Ringstead Bay, 349 00:22:27,888 --> 00:22:30,008 'where I'm going to find out how this area 350 00:22:30,008 --> 00:22:33,568 'played its part at the height of the Battle of Britain. 351 00:22:33,568 --> 00:22:35,808 'Then a wonderful stretch of coast 352 00:22:35,808 --> 00:22:39,808 'before my next overnight stop in Lulworth Cove.' 353 00:22:41,288 --> 00:22:45,168 'As soon as I leave the pub, it's clear the forecast was about right.' 354 00:22:47,928 --> 00:22:52,168 'The coastal path here is quite a challenge to the walker 355 00:22:52,168 --> 00:22:54,008 'so it's just as well that this morning 356 00:22:54,008 --> 00:22:55,688 'I need to keep my eyes on the ground, 357 00:22:55,688 --> 00:22:59,608 'where I'm looking for traces of a cutting edge wartime technology.' 358 00:23:01,288 --> 00:23:03,008 That's a bit unusual, isn't it? 359 00:23:03,008 --> 00:23:06,048 A great square of concrete in the middle of the path. 360 00:23:06,048 --> 00:23:10,488 It's got to be World War II, hasn't it, overlooking the sea there? 361 00:23:10,488 --> 00:23:13,608 'It's the first sign that I've entered a part of the coast 362 00:23:13,608 --> 00:23:17,328 'absolutely crucial to the defence of Britain in 1940.' 363 00:23:20,528 --> 00:23:24,288 'I've met up with pilot and historian Graham Matthews.' 364 00:23:24,288 --> 00:23:27,008 We had a very large radar station here, 365 00:23:27,008 --> 00:23:29,528 which we're walking up towards one of the bunkers now. 366 00:23:29,528 --> 00:23:31,088 But the part that you just passed, 367 00:23:31,088 --> 00:23:33,688 that probably would have been the receiver aerial base. 368 00:23:33,688 --> 00:23:35,688 There were a couple of very large masts there, 369 00:23:35,688 --> 00:23:39,568 round about 240 feet high, with some bunkers hidden in the woods 370 00:23:39,568 --> 00:23:43,328 and also some other ancillary buildings to do with the equipment. 371 00:23:44,968 --> 00:23:48,768 'Radar uses bursts of high frequency radio waves, 372 00:23:48,768 --> 00:23:52,568 'transmitted from a mast, to detect aircraft. 373 00:23:52,568 --> 00:23:56,248 'The signal bounced back to receiver stations allows operators 374 00:23:56,248 --> 00:23:59,688 'to work out the aircraft's height, speed and direction.' 375 00:24:01,368 --> 00:24:04,208 It was developed just before the war. 376 00:24:04,208 --> 00:24:08,608 The RAF needed some form of system to give early warning of any 377 00:24:08,608 --> 00:24:12,048 approaching German bombers or fighters. 378 00:24:12,048 --> 00:24:15,448 It was used very effectively during the Battle of Britain. 379 00:24:17,688 --> 00:24:20,128 'Between July and September 1940, 380 00:24:20,128 --> 00:24:23,448 'the Luftwaffe and RAF fought for air supremacy 381 00:24:23,448 --> 00:24:25,168 'over southern England.' 382 00:24:26,808 --> 00:24:30,568 'The Germans needed control of the skies if they were going to invade, 383 00:24:30,568 --> 00:24:34,728 'so the whole future of the war hung in the balance. 384 00:24:34,728 --> 00:24:37,408 'Radar gave the Brits a fighting chance 385 00:24:37,408 --> 00:24:40,248 'and the western end of the detection network 386 00:24:40,248 --> 00:24:42,488 'was based on the Dorset coast.' 387 00:24:42,488 --> 00:24:44,648 So where is it that you're taking me? 388 00:24:44,648 --> 00:24:47,048 Just up here about another couple of hundred metres, 389 00:24:47,048 --> 00:24:52,128 we've got one of the transmitter bunkers which is still intact. 390 00:24:52,128 --> 00:24:55,888 'The transmitter bunkers were key parts of the radar chain.' 391 00:24:56,888 --> 00:24:58,968 'And although it's difficult to find, 392 00:24:58,968 --> 00:25:02,088 'the one here at Ringstead is still open to the public.' 393 00:25:08,688 --> 00:25:09,968 Cor, it is big, isn't it? 394 00:25:14,088 --> 00:25:17,688 You have to remember, 70 years ago, when the war was on, 395 00:25:17,688 --> 00:25:20,968 we didn't have computers and small microchips, 396 00:25:20,968 --> 00:25:23,568 we're dealing with valves and big units 397 00:25:23,568 --> 00:25:27,528 so that's basically... We needed a space to put all that equipment in. 398 00:25:30,448 --> 00:25:32,608 'The equipment needed for this primitive 399 00:25:32,608 --> 00:25:36,208 'but vital technology was so large, 400 00:25:36,208 --> 00:25:40,168 'there would only have been room for four operators in here at most.' 401 00:25:40,168 --> 00:25:41,648 Is that a ventilation shaft? 402 00:25:41,648 --> 00:25:44,808 Yeah, because you've got to remember, when the RAF personnel 403 00:25:44,808 --> 00:25:47,768 were in here working, this would have been a sealed environment. 404 00:25:47,768 --> 00:25:48,808 Yeah. 405 00:25:50,328 --> 00:25:54,048 'During the Battle of Britain, stations like this were frantically 406 00:25:54,048 --> 00:25:58,248 'feeding back information on enemy plane movements to Fighter Command.' 407 00:26:02,648 --> 00:26:07,448 'Thanks to their work, RAF fighters broke up repeated German attacks...' 408 00:26:13,808 --> 00:26:16,408 '..and on September 15th 1940, 409 00:26:16,408 --> 00:26:21,168 'they claimed an incredible 185 Luftwaffe planes.' 410 00:26:22,168 --> 00:26:24,448 'It proved a turning point. 411 00:26:24,448 --> 00:26:27,248 'The Nazis shelved their plans to invade 412 00:26:27,248 --> 00:26:29,288 'and Britain could breathe again.' 413 00:26:33,888 --> 00:26:37,048 'Back in 1940, radar masts would have been dotted 414 00:26:37,048 --> 00:26:40,528 'all along the coast, from Dorset to the Orkneys. 415 00:26:40,528 --> 00:26:43,688 'This cutting-edge technology would continue to play its part 416 00:26:43,688 --> 00:26:47,088 'as the Allies turned their energies from defence to attack.' 417 00:26:49,768 --> 00:26:52,488 'But for the moment, I can take a break from the war. 418 00:26:52,488 --> 00:26:55,488 'And, luckily for me, the sun has come out to light up 419 00:26:55,488 --> 00:26:57,968 'one of the most impressive parts of my walk.' 420 00:27:10,368 --> 00:27:13,008 That's Durdle Door down there. 421 00:27:13,008 --> 00:27:16,968 It's an enormous sea arch that's been created as the limestone's 422 00:27:16,968 --> 00:27:18,928 eroded over millions of years. 423 00:27:18,928 --> 00:27:21,768 But it's a weird name, isn't it, Durdle Door? 424 00:27:21,768 --> 00:27:24,528 The Door is pretty straightforward - D-O-O-R. 425 00:27:24,528 --> 00:27:30,008 But the Durdle is probably from an ancient Saxon word meaning open. 426 00:27:30,008 --> 00:27:32,008 So it just means open door. 427 00:27:35,848 --> 00:27:38,168 'Durdle Door isn't the only geological highlight 428 00:27:38,168 --> 00:27:39,448 'along this stretch.' 429 00:27:41,968 --> 00:27:45,048 'The horseshoe shape of Lulworth Cove, just over the hill, 430 00:27:45,048 --> 00:27:47,928 'has been created over millions of years 431 00:27:47,928 --> 00:27:50,248 'as the sea has eroded the hard rocks 432 00:27:50,248 --> 00:27:54,288 'at the mouth of the cove much more slowly than the softer ones behind.' 433 00:27:56,648 --> 00:28:00,288 'And the erosion has revealed a form of buckled rock strata 434 00:28:00,288 --> 00:28:02,968 'so unique, it's got a name of its own.' 435 00:28:04,088 --> 00:28:08,648 That's Lulworth Cove down there and you see that stratification? 436 00:28:08,648 --> 00:28:10,688 That is called Lulworth Crumple. 437 00:28:12,688 --> 00:28:15,688 Sounds like a very nice Dorset cake to me. 438 00:28:18,368 --> 00:28:20,368 'Maybe that's because being here 439 00:28:20,368 --> 00:28:23,568 'brings back happy memories of childhood holidays.' 440 00:28:30,688 --> 00:28:33,448 We always used to come here when I was a kid, 441 00:28:33,448 --> 00:28:37,008 with my mum and dad, and there was a flask of tea, of course, 442 00:28:37,008 --> 00:28:38,528 and a packet of biscuits. 443 00:28:40,808 --> 00:28:42,968 And it was always a sunny day, wasn't it? 444 00:28:55,928 --> 00:28:58,768 'I think I'll take my memories to bed. 445 00:28:58,768 --> 00:29:02,368 'Lulworth feels like a good place to stop for the night. 446 00:29:02,368 --> 00:29:06,848 'Ahead of me tomorrow is some of the most dangerous land in Britain.' 447 00:29:17,848 --> 00:29:21,448 'It's another wet summer's morning as I head off 448 00:29:21,448 --> 00:29:23,728 'and, what's more, it doesn't take long 449 00:29:23,728 --> 00:29:25,608 'before I find my route blocked.' 450 00:29:28,848 --> 00:29:31,048 I'm in one of the loveliest parts of the country 451 00:29:31,048 --> 00:29:33,088 and suddenly there's all these signs saying, 452 00:29:33,088 --> 00:29:36,848 "Danger, danger. Go away or basically, we'll blow you up." 453 00:29:38,368 --> 00:29:42,128 I'm on the edge of the Lulworth Firing Ranges - one of the few 454 00:29:42,128 --> 00:29:45,208 'spots in Britain where the Army trains with live ammunition.' 455 00:29:46,728 --> 00:29:48,008 Hello, David. 456 00:29:48,008 --> 00:29:48,848 Hello. Welcome to Lulworth. 457 00:29:48,848 --> 00:29:50,848 Thank you very much. Thank you. 458 00:29:50,848 --> 00:29:52,408 'Fortunately, David Willey, 459 00:29:52,408 --> 00:29:55,208 'curator of the nearby Tank Museum at Bovington, 460 00:29:55,208 --> 00:29:56,888 'is here to guide me through.' 461 00:29:59,568 --> 00:30:02,608 'The ranges are only open to the public on specific days, 462 00:30:02,608 --> 00:30:04,768 'generally at the weekend, 463 00:30:04,768 --> 00:30:08,488 'and I've had to get special permission to walk through today.' 464 00:30:08,488 --> 00:30:10,248 What are these yellow markers? 465 00:30:10,248 --> 00:30:13,368 The idea here is that the range wardens come along 466 00:30:13,368 --> 00:30:15,728 and they keep an area clear on the paths, 467 00:30:15,728 --> 00:30:17,448 so after they've been firing 468 00:30:17,448 --> 00:30:20,768 they check all the time to make sure there's no ordnance 469 00:30:20,768 --> 00:30:24,448 lying around, no empty shell cases, no unexploded bombs. 470 00:30:25,608 --> 00:30:28,928 'Although all sorts of weapons are used here, the ranges were 471 00:30:28,928 --> 00:30:30,888 'developed for one in particular.' 472 00:30:32,128 --> 00:30:34,848 This is a training area for tanks. 473 00:30:34,848 --> 00:30:37,648 If you look into the distance, you can see the gunnery school. 474 00:30:37,648 --> 00:30:40,288 They train the guys there to fire the guns. 475 00:30:40,288 --> 00:30:43,768 And up on the ridge there, you can see there's some concrete pads. 476 00:30:43,768 --> 00:30:47,688 That's where they park the tanks up and they fire down the valley 477 00:30:47,688 --> 00:30:50,528 towards targets just below the cliff here. 478 00:30:50,528 --> 00:30:52,088 And the idea there is, 479 00:30:52,088 --> 00:30:54,688 if they miss the target, the rounds go in the hill 480 00:30:54,688 --> 00:30:58,008 or, if they hit the target and they bounce off, they go into the sea. 481 00:30:58,008 --> 00:30:59,648 The guns are so powerful, 482 00:30:59,648 --> 00:31:03,048 they actually have a twelve mile exclusion zone out to sea. 483 00:31:03,048 --> 00:31:04,248 Incredible. 484 00:31:08,008 --> 00:31:12,408 'It's not immediately obvious that the ranges have a long history 485 00:31:12,408 --> 00:31:15,048 'but tanks were a key weapon on the battlefields 486 00:31:15,048 --> 00:31:17,288 'of the Second World War 487 00:31:17,288 --> 00:31:21,328 'and, by 1943, these ranges were jam-packed with vehicles 488 00:31:21,328 --> 00:31:24,448 'and soldiers preparing for the invasion of France.' 489 00:31:26,928 --> 00:31:30,248 Everyone is down here training, ready for the D-day landings. 490 00:31:32,728 --> 00:31:37,128 Lots of armoured soldiers here at Lulworth firing the guns 491 00:31:37,128 --> 00:31:40,888 and, of course, the rest of Dorset is basically an armed encampment. 492 00:31:40,888 --> 00:31:44,848 You've got lots of units here, under canvas or in wooden huts, 493 00:31:44,848 --> 00:31:47,568 waiting for June of 1944. 494 00:31:48,848 --> 00:31:52,008 'Today, the ranges are littered with relatively modern 495 00:31:52,008 --> 00:31:55,248 'armoured vehicles, which are used for target practice.' 496 00:31:56,848 --> 00:31:59,848 'And amazingly, if you know what you're looking for, there's 497 00:31:59,848 --> 00:32:03,568 'also evidence of a military culture from thousands of years ago.' 498 00:32:04,888 --> 00:32:06,288 Is that what I think it is? 499 00:32:06,288 --> 00:32:09,288 Yeah. This is the edge of an Iron Age hill fort here. 500 00:32:09,288 --> 00:32:13,208 We've just walked through the ramparts and there at the end, 501 00:32:13,208 --> 00:32:15,848 built on the edge of it, a Second World War observation post. 502 00:32:15,848 --> 00:32:18,408 Yeah, it's bizarre, isn't it? Once human beings decide 503 00:32:18,408 --> 00:32:20,568 that somewhere is a good defensive outpost, 504 00:32:20,568 --> 00:32:22,368 it can stay like that for millennia. 505 00:32:22,368 --> 00:32:23,408 Absolutely. 506 00:32:27,968 --> 00:32:31,408 'Reminders of World War II continue to litter my route 507 00:32:31,408 --> 00:32:33,928 'and I'm heading to St Aldhelm's Head 508 00:32:33,928 --> 00:32:35,608 'to see one in particular.' 509 00:32:51,288 --> 00:32:55,408 'This headland owes its name to a Saxon Bishop of Sherborne 510 00:32:55,408 --> 00:32:58,328 'and it boasts a really unusual Norman church.' 511 00:33:01,768 --> 00:33:05,088 I'm not much of a one for cathedrals and great big churches. 512 00:33:05,088 --> 00:33:08,048 Too often, they seem to me to be overblown 513 00:33:08,048 --> 00:33:11,928 like great big ideological, "Look at me" statements in the landscape. 514 00:33:11,928 --> 00:33:16,168 But this little chapel to St Aldhelm is the complete opposite. 515 00:33:16,168 --> 00:33:21,888 It's 800 years old, it's beautiful architecture, very delicate. 516 00:33:21,888 --> 00:33:25,248 Dignified, I think. But that's not what I've come here to see. 517 00:33:28,968 --> 00:33:32,448 'Just along from the church is another structure - 518 00:33:32,448 --> 00:33:35,008 'this one dedicated to some of the backroom heroes 519 00:33:35,008 --> 00:33:36,768 'of the Second World War.' 520 00:33:42,128 --> 00:33:45,368 This monument is dedicated to the men and women who worked 521 00:33:45,368 --> 00:33:48,528 so hard during the dark days of World War II 522 00:33:48,528 --> 00:33:51,568 to push radar technology to its limits. 523 00:33:51,568 --> 00:33:55,208 And by so doing, they gave us the edge over the Germans 524 00:33:55,208 --> 00:33:58,608 and ultimately helped us to win the war. 525 00:33:58,608 --> 00:34:01,528 It's rather nice, isn't it? 526 00:34:01,528 --> 00:34:05,368 'The monument is here because the nearby village of Worth Matravers 527 00:34:05,368 --> 00:34:09,408 'was home to a top secret radar research station during the war.' 528 00:34:16,208 --> 00:34:18,568 I nearly squashed a chicken then. 529 00:34:18,568 --> 00:34:22,688 '95-year-old Dr Bill Penley is one of the few scientists 530 00:34:22,688 --> 00:34:25,928 'who worked there who is still alive today.' 531 00:34:25,928 --> 00:34:28,688 Bill, what was your involvement in the development of radar? 532 00:34:28,688 --> 00:34:30,128 Cheers. Thanks a lot. 533 00:34:30,128 --> 00:34:32,888 We were based here at Worth Matravers, 534 00:34:32,888 --> 00:34:39,048 near the CH station, which was the end of the chain of radar stations 535 00:34:39,048 --> 00:34:42,848 which had been erected before the start of the war. 536 00:34:42,848 --> 00:34:48,528 And I was put straight away onto the transmitter development side 537 00:34:48,528 --> 00:34:55,288 because my PhD was a good lead into designing transmitters for radar. 538 00:34:55,288 --> 00:34:58,328 What improvements were made to radar while you were here? 539 00:34:58,328 --> 00:35:04,808 I was involved in developing the Chain Home Low, CHL, stations 540 00:35:04,808 --> 00:35:06,848 to detect low-flying aircraft 541 00:35:06,848 --> 00:35:13,168 that came in under the detection level of the main stations. 542 00:35:13,168 --> 00:35:16,368 Was it here that they developed that circular thing 543 00:35:16,368 --> 00:35:18,248 with the beam and the blips? 544 00:35:18,248 --> 00:35:21,768 That development of what's called the Planned Position Indicator 545 00:35:21,768 --> 00:35:27,168 or PPI, which is what people think of as radar these days, 546 00:35:27,168 --> 00:35:29,968 was actually first tried down here 547 00:35:29,968 --> 00:35:35,328 and I had the job of fixing up this radar in order to put 548 00:35:35,328 --> 00:35:37,768 the signals into this equipment 549 00:35:37,768 --> 00:35:40,888 so that it could be displayed on the tube. 550 00:35:40,888 --> 00:35:45,208 'The research station at Worth employed 2,000 people and their 551 00:35:45,208 --> 00:35:48,168 'innovations included specialised radar units 552 00:35:48,168 --> 00:35:50,808 'for use in night-fighter aircraft - 553 00:35:50,808 --> 00:35:56,168 'a development that ensured Allied air supremacy 24/7.' 554 00:35:57,208 --> 00:36:00,368 It was an amazing thing for a young chap like myself 555 00:36:00,368 --> 00:36:04,088 to come down with a team where we had top priority 556 00:36:04,088 --> 00:36:07,368 and whatever we said we wanted, we could have, really. 557 00:36:07,368 --> 00:36:09,248 It was absolutely amazing. 558 00:36:09,248 --> 00:36:12,928 How significant to the war effort was the work that was done here? 559 00:36:12,928 --> 00:36:17,048 I think without radar, we'd have lost the war almost straight away. 560 00:36:18,488 --> 00:36:21,608 'But we didn't. And the war ground on... 561 00:36:23,328 --> 00:36:27,688 '..until, by 1944, the Nazis were, at last, losing.' 562 00:36:29,488 --> 00:36:33,088 'Dorset would have its part to play in the invasion 563 00:36:33,088 --> 00:36:35,408 'that would bring about their final defeat. 564 00:36:35,408 --> 00:36:37,528 'That's what I'll be investigating tomorrow.' 565 00:36:50,404 --> 00:36:54,764 I'm on the final leg of my 60 mile walk across Dorset. 566 00:36:56,284 --> 00:37:00,084 From Worth Matravers, I'm cutting across the Isle of Purbeck 567 00:37:00,084 --> 00:37:02,324 to reach Studland Bay. 568 00:37:02,324 --> 00:37:04,884 In the spring of 1944, the long, 569 00:37:04,884 --> 00:37:07,924 flat beaches of this bay played a key role 570 00:37:07,924 --> 00:37:12,444 as the Allies were preparing to invade Nazi occupied France. 571 00:37:14,204 --> 00:37:16,244 D-Day was looming. 572 00:37:19,084 --> 00:37:23,964 And the evidence of Studland's wartime role remains open to the public even today. 573 00:37:27,124 --> 00:37:29,404 Well, I've seen a few pillboxes along the way 574 00:37:29,404 --> 00:37:31,724 but this one's the mother of them all. 575 00:37:36,084 --> 00:37:38,724 But it's not just the size that's so striking. 576 00:37:38,724 --> 00:37:42,804 It's so long and narrow, I can't imagine a gun being sited here, 577 00:37:42,804 --> 00:37:44,364 so what was it for? 578 00:37:46,524 --> 00:37:47,764 Hey, John. 579 00:37:47,764 --> 00:37:48,204 Hello. 580 00:37:48,204 --> 00:37:49,684 Good to see you, mate. 581 00:37:49,684 --> 00:37:53,644 'Hopefully World War Two historian, John Pearson, can fill me in.' 582 00:37:53,644 --> 00:37:56,124 That is a bizarre-looking thing, isn't it? 583 00:37:56,124 --> 00:37:59,564 It's like a huge, concrete mouth organ. 584 00:37:59,564 --> 00:38:02,644 It's an observation point that was built specifically 585 00:38:02,644 --> 00:38:06,764 so that you could watch rehearsals for D-Day in the bay here. 586 00:38:06,764 --> 00:38:10,244 High-ranking officers would watch and also VIPs. 587 00:38:10,244 --> 00:38:14,524 On one occasion there was Churchill, King George VI, Eisenhower 588 00:38:14,524 --> 00:38:16,804 and Montgomery were all here on the same day. 589 00:38:16,804 --> 00:38:18,644 Why is it stepped like that? 590 00:38:18,644 --> 00:38:21,604 That's for safety reasons, so that any shrapnel or bullets would 591 00:38:21,604 --> 00:38:24,884 actually be bounced off as opposed to skidded into the vision slot. 592 00:38:24,884 --> 00:38:27,324 So they were really protecting them, weren't they? 593 00:38:27,324 --> 00:38:29,924 Oh, yeah. I believe it's more than a yard thick, the concrete. 594 00:38:29,924 --> 00:38:31,564 Can we have a look inside Fort Henry? 595 00:38:31,564 --> 00:38:32,924 Yes, sure. 596 00:38:32,924 --> 00:38:35,724 I don't think I've ever seen a structure like this before. 597 00:38:37,924 --> 00:38:41,564 Huh. Extraordinary place, isn't it? 598 00:38:41,564 --> 00:38:42,004 Yeah. 599 00:38:42,004 --> 00:38:44,564 Just for the function of viewing, nothing else? 600 00:38:44,564 --> 00:38:46,204 No, nothing else. Perfect view. 601 00:38:46,204 --> 00:38:47,404 It is a great view. 602 00:38:52,044 --> 00:38:55,604 What Churchill, Eisenhower, King George, and Montgomery came 603 00:38:55,604 --> 00:38:59,124 to see here was the biggest dress rehearsal for D-Day. 604 00:39:02,164 --> 00:39:06,524 Studland Bay was chosen for its similarity to the beaches 605 00:39:06,524 --> 00:39:10,684 of Normandy and in April 1944 thousands of British troops 606 00:39:10,684 --> 00:39:13,084 landed here in Operation Smash, 607 00:39:13,084 --> 00:39:16,804 the largest of all the training exercises for the invasion. 608 00:39:18,604 --> 00:39:21,444 Of most interest to the visiting VIPs 609 00:39:21,444 --> 00:39:23,964 was the use of amphibious tanks. 610 00:39:23,964 --> 00:39:27,804 Specially designed for the invasion, they were regarded as vital 611 00:39:27,804 --> 00:39:31,404 if troops were to successfully fight their way off the beaches. 612 00:39:32,924 --> 00:39:35,884 But it was only now, just weeks before D-Day, 613 00:39:35,884 --> 00:39:39,764 that they were first ready to test them in a full-scale exercise. 614 00:39:40,844 --> 00:39:44,084 'A canvas screen is attached around the body of the tank. 615 00:39:44,084 --> 00:39:46,404 'And that is held up by compressed air. 616 00:39:46,404 --> 00:39:49,284 'And then the tank floats with the tank actually hanging 617 00:39:49,284 --> 00:39:52,404 'below the water surface, and all you can see is a rim of canvas 618 00:39:52,404 --> 00:39:54,764 'with the frame above the surface.' 619 00:39:54,764 --> 00:39:56,484 Sounds a very dangerous thing to do. 620 00:39:56,484 --> 00:39:59,404 I certainly wouldn't want to be involved in it myself. 621 00:40:00,844 --> 00:40:03,684 In theory, the operation of amphibious tanks was 622 00:40:03,684 --> 00:40:07,604 straightforward, but in practice the sea is unpredictable 623 00:40:07,604 --> 00:40:09,684 and accidents were bound to happen. 624 00:40:13,444 --> 00:40:16,364 On one of the exercises here, six tanks were sunk 625 00:40:16,364 --> 00:40:17,724 because of the bad weather. 626 00:40:17,724 --> 00:40:21,964 And six men drowned and the stone here commemorates their loss. 627 00:40:21,964 --> 00:40:25,724 You think their sacrifice was quite significant, don't you? 628 00:40:25,724 --> 00:40:27,884 Without the lessons from this exercise, 629 00:40:27,884 --> 00:40:29,684 D-Day could have been a disaster. 630 00:40:31,804 --> 00:40:35,284 While these exercises taught troops how to sail tanks 631 00:40:35,284 --> 00:40:37,084 on to the Normandy beaches, 632 00:40:37,084 --> 00:40:40,244 the actual assault would still rely on infantry. 633 00:40:41,964 --> 00:40:46,004 And the nearby town of Swanage would host some of the men who would 634 00:40:46,004 --> 00:40:49,924 lead the attack on the beaches of France - the American 1st Division. 635 00:41:00,484 --> 00:41:04,284 My walk just happens to coincide with the return of the GIs. 636 00:41:06,644 --> 00:41:09,244 They've come back to mark a special occasion. 637 00:41:19,404 --> 00:41:23,044 The guest of honour is Wes Mullen. 638 00:41:23,044 --> 00:41:24,924 He was stationed here in the war 639 00:41:24,924 --> 00:41:28,204 and 68 years later, he's returned to unveil a plaque 640 00:41:28,204 --> 00:41:30,204 commemorating the strong ties 641 00:41:30,204 --> 00:41:32,884 between the GIs and the people of Swanage. 642 00:41:36,924 --> 00:41:39,724 Do you remember this spectacular view? 643 00:41:39,724 --> 00:41:46,044 No. I remember the Channel, but we didn't pay attention as young kids. 644 00:41:46,044 --> 00:41:48,244 We did not pay attention and we should have. 645 00:41:48,244 --> 00:41:49,724 You were here for how long? 646 00:41:49,724 --> 00:41:50,444 Nine months. 647 00:41:50,444 --> 00:41:52,604 Nine months and you didn't notice the view. 648 00:41:52,604 --> 00:41:55,124 We ate right in this building right here in front of us 649 00:41:55,124 --> 00:41:57,284 and never thought about looking out the window! 650 00:41:57,284 --> 00:41:58,644 Cos you're an 18 year-old! 651 00:41:58,644 --> 00:42:01,564 I guess. Too dumb, too stupid or something to look out 652 00:42:01,564 --> 00:42:03,204 and see what was around me. 653 00:42:03,204 --> 00:42:04,604 So what were you doing? 654 00:42:04,604 --> 00:42:06,484 We were here for the invasion. 655 00:42:06,484 --> 00:42:06,964 Yeah. 656 00:42:06,964 --> 00:42:08,484 We were here for that purpose 657 00:42:08,484 --> 00:42:11,004 and we were supposed to be sort of in hiding. 658 00:42:11,004 --> 00:42:15,084 We were not to make too much noise, not to be seen too much, 659 00:42:15,084 --> 00:42:18,564 because they were trying, I guess, to trick the Germans into thinking 660 00:42:18,564 --> 00:42:22,204 that we were going down further, around Calais instead of here. 661 00:42:22,204 --> 00:42:23,764 And apparently it worked. 662 00:42:23,764 --> 00:42:25,604 I love the way you say 'Calaise'. 663 00:42:25,604 --> 00:42:27,724 That's what we call Calais, isn't it? 664 00:42:27,724 --> 00:42:29,924 Calais? I'm close. 665 00:42:29,924 --> 00:42:31,164 So what did you do? 666 00:42:31,164 --> 00:42:33,284 We played cards a lot, we played cards, 667 00:42:33,284 --> 00:42:37,684 we walked into town often, and movies in town, we... 668 00:42:39,204 --> 00:42:40,324 ..went to dances. 669 00:42:45,564 --> 00:42:46,804 We danced with all the girls. 670 00:42:46,804 --> 00:42:48,724 They were very nice, all good-looking girls 671 00:42:48,724 --> 00:42:50,844 but their mothers were sitting up in the balcony 672 00:42:50,844 --> 00:42:53,004 and when the dance was over, we'd run for the door 673 00:42:53,004 --> 00:42:56,244 and the girls would run for the door but their mothers were there first! 674 00:42:58,644 --> 00:43:03,004 During the first half of 1944, the American soldiers played 675 00:43:03,004 --> 00:43:04,724 and partied in Swanage 676 00:43:04,724 --> 00:43:08,324 and the war must have seemed a million miles away. 677 00:43:10,244 --> 00:43:12,044 But then the partying stopped. 678 00:43:16,964 --> 00:43:20,364 Wes and his comrades were loaded onto boats 679 00:43:20,364 --> 00:43:24,884 and on 6th June, D-Day itself, they landed on the most heavily 680 00:43:24,884 --> 00:43:27,604 defended of all the landing beaches - Omaha. 681 00:44:03,364 --> 00:44:06,604 We landed about noon time. We were very fortunate. 682 00:44:06,604 --> 00:44:08,684 We drew straws, who was going to go, 683 00:44:08,684 --> 00:44:11,164 and it was the 16th first, 18th and then us. 684 00:44:11,164 --> 00:44:13,284 We were, we were the lucky ones. 685 00:44:13,284 --> 00:44:15,644 Did that make much of a difference to the casualty rate? 686 00:44:15,644 --> 00:44:17,844 Terrific, tremendous difference. 687 00:44:17,844 --> 00:44:22,404 The original regiment, the 16th regiment, lost 90% of their men. 688 00:44:24,204 --> 00:44:28,484 The 18th went in and lost about 75%, 689 00:44:28,484 --> 00:44:31,564 and we went in, I don't know what the whole regiment lost, 690 00:44:31,564 --> 00:44:34,964 we didn't lose, as far as I know in combat, actually none. 691 00:44:38,884 --> 00:44:43,404 The Americans on Omaha suffered around 2,000 casualties that day. 692 00:44:45,244 --> 00:44:49,164 And many of Wes's comrades would fall in the fierce fighting that followed. 693 00:44:50,484 --> 00:44:52,324 Maybe a month, two months later, 694 00:44:52,324 --> 00:44:54,844 most of the rest of these fellows were all killed. 695 00:44:54,844 --> 00:44:56,684 You were incredibly lucky. 696 00:44:56,684 --> 00:45:00,684 Most definitely, absolutely, and I'd say that's all it is. 697 00:45:02,724 --> 00:45:06,084 # BUGLE PLAYS LAST POST 698 00:45:11,604 --> 00:45:15,524 We honour all the American soldiers 699 00:45:15,524 --> 00:45:18,324 who set out from Swanage, 700 00:45:18,324 --> 00:45:20,524 but who did not return. 701 00:45:43,884 --> 00:45:49,084 The ceremony is a fitting end to my walk through Dorset's World War II history. 702 00:45:54,164 --> 00:45:57,564 I've seen how the four years between 1940 and 1944 703 00:45:57,564 --> 00:46:01,724 have left an indelible mark on the landscape of this county. 704 00:46:04,484 --> 00:46:07,644 It's been a fascinating, intriguing and, at times, 705 00:46:07,644 --> 00:46:09,324 deeply moving experience. 706 00:46:12,844 --> 00:46:16,164 And even though time has obscured some of that history, 707 00:46:16,164 --> 00:46:20,004 many people down here are determined to ensure it's not forgotten. 708 00:46:22,244 --> 00:46:25,204 And that's been my experience throughout this walk. 709 00:46:25,204 --> 00:46:29,364 Little groups of people illuminating parts of the story 710 00:46:29,364 --> 00:46:33,284 so that future generations will understand that a great war 711 00:46:33,284 --> 00:46:35,684 played out on these very beaches. 712 00:46:39,564 --> 00:46:42,164 If you want to follow in my footsteps, 713 00:46:42,164 --> 00:46:46,884 you can download a guide to my walk from...