Saved: War huts used to unlock enemy secrets

SECOND World War huts which were used to decipher messages sent by the Germans have been restored thanks to donations from the owner of Fawley Court.

Floorboards and the external wood decking from military intelligence huts in the grounds of Fawley Court, off Marlow Road, have been used to keep the historic Huts 3 and 6 at Bletchley Park true to their wartime origins.

During the war, the two huts were used to decipher, translate and process encrypted radio messages sent by the German army and air force.

The huts at both Bletchley Park and Fawley Court were only put up as temporary structures and would have expected to be taken down after the war. However, because of the critical role played by the Enigma code breakers and military intelligence during the war, they have remained as lasting reminders of the efforts of those who worked there.

As a result of decades of weather damage, Huts 3 and 6 were in a poor condition.

However, they have now been restored thanks to Aida Hersham, who owns Fawley Court, and £8million of Heritage lottery funding.

Mrs Hersham has also donated windows and gutters from the huts to the Brooking Collection, which charts the evolution of Britain’s constructional elements from the past 500 years.

The huts at Fawley Court, which was known as STS 54a during the war, also have an interesting backstory.

The house was requisitioned for use by the Special Operations Executive, which used it as a wireless training centre.

Members of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry were employed as radio operators and taught the decoding methods and how to operate base stations.

Readers may remember that Mrs Hersham pledged to spend the rest of her life restoring Fawley Court when she purchased the mansion for an estimated £13million three years ago.

I am happy to report that work is well under way and the house is a hive of activity — but there is still a very long way to go.