Secret Hurley station essential to winning Second World War to be honoured in ceremony

A village anniversary event marking 75 years since D-Day will focus on a signals station which was integral to the war effort.

Hurley was home to Station Victor during the Second World War, which was a secret installation run by the US Office of Strategic Services (OSS) – an intelligence service and the precursor to the CIA.

It was an essential communication link between spies in Nazi-occupied Europe and Allied command after it was established in 1943 and was essential in the build up to D-Day.

Agents would send vital information about enemy movements, often using discrete devices for the era – such as wireless sets that could fit into suitcases – and Station Victor would relay messages to London.

To mark the site’s importance to the war effort, a commemoration featuring relatives of people who served in the OSS from the US and France will be held, presided over by Charles T Pinck, president of the OSS Society. It has been organised by the Hurley History Society.

Phil Mullins, who has written a book about Station Victor and helped organise the event, said: “After the war, the OSS was disbanded and Station Victor became a forgotten secret.

“No one knew who or what the OSS was or what role Station Victor ever played.

“By unveiling a commemorative plaque marking the site of its headquarters this will not only honour the accomplishments achieved by this organisation, but will inform and educate the local community and the frequent visitors to this popular village.

“It also recalls the bravery and ideals of the men and women spying for the Allies in order to free their country of occupation, risking torture and execution if discovered.”

Station Victor was headquartered in Hurley Manor House – off the High Street - while its signals office and receiving site was based in Honey Lane. The transmitter was based in Bisham.

In the build up to the Allied invasion of Normandy, the UK, US and France hatched the Sussex Plan, using Hurley to relay vital information about Germany military targets, V1 and V2 rocket sites and other important intelligence.

“This became the most involved and successful secret intelligence operation mounted by the OSS during the European theatre of operations,” Phil said.

Spies parachuted into occupied France would spy on German forces and report back their positions.

Station Victor would listen on a specific frequency at an exact time to record the messages, decode them and then send them to the OSS message centre in London.

Allied air power then bombed the German formations, hampering their mobility and making them less effective in resisting the invasion.

The station continued to operate into 1945, as the Allies pushed into Nazi Germany, communicating with spies there until May.

 “As a direct result of this information handled through Hurley, Allied casualties were reduced and it helped shorten the war,” Phil said.

Today, the manor headquarters remains but the receiving post and transmitter in Bisham have gone.

To mark the station’s importance in winning the war, The Olde Bell Hotel – just next to the manor - will welcome visitors to an exhibition which has wartime items, a display of 1940s home front memorabilia and historic military vehicles. That will start at 3pm on Tuesday, June 4.

A variety of museums will be displaying at the event and Sonia Purnell, journalist and author of A Woman of No Importance’ – the story of WWII spy Virginia Hall – will be signing books.

A hog roast will take place at 4.30pm and Mr Pinck will unveil a plaque dedicated to the station at 7.30pm.

For more details, visit www.stationvictor.co.uk

Phil’s book, OSS Station Victor: Hurley’s Secret War, is available for purchase online.