Most Secret

The Hidden History of Orford Ness

Following the fall of France and evacuation of the Allied forces from Dunkirk in 1940, Britain was on the brink of defeat. As the Battle of Britain began, the brave pilots of Fighter Command had one secret weapon in their armory. That weapon was radar and it was conceived, invented, and tested by Watson-Watt and his team of boffins at Orford Ness. Indeed many of the inventions that won both the First and Second World Wars including the first use of parachutes, Zeppelin-destroying ammunition, bouncing bombs, rockets, bombsights, and missiles were created and tested there. From primitive experiments on bombs and aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War, through to revolutionary Sputnik-detectors and top-secret project COBRA MIST, isolated Orford Ness played a leading role in winning the three great wars of the 20th century: the First, Second, and Cold. Hidden away on the remote Suffolk coastline, many of its secrets remained buried until it was taken over by the National Trust in 1995. Author, Paddy Heazell's extensive research into previously classified documents has revealed how scientists and armed forces worked together to develop and test decisive weapons that changed history. Historically more important than Bletchley Park, only now can its secrets can be told.