Wanborough Manor facts for kids
Wanborough Manor is a very old house in Wanborough, England. It was built during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. This special house sits on a hill called the Hog's Back, near the town of Guildford. During World War II, the manor house was used for a secret purpose. It became a training school for secret agents, known as Special Training School 5 (STS5). After the war, it became a private home again.
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History of Wanborough Manor
Early Years: 1500s to 1945
The main part of Wanborough Manor was built in the 1500s. It was later made much bigger by builders working for Thomas Dalmahoy. He was a Member of Parliament for Guildford in the 1600s. Through his marriage, he also owned another large house and park in Guildford called The Friary.
Many important people have lived at or visited Wanborough Manor. Sir Algernon West, who was a top assistant to Prime Minister William Gladstone, lived here. Even Queen Victoria visited the house and planted a tree in its gardens! Sir Algernon also helped make sure the Wanborough railway station was built nearby.
Famous leaders like Otto von Bismarck from Germany also visited the manor. Prime Minister Gladstone even held important government meetings here. Later, H. H. Asquith, who also became a Prime Minister, rented the house before he took office.
Secret Wartime Training at Wanborough Manor
During World War II, Wanborough Manor became a secret training center. It was run by the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a special British organization. This training center, called STS5, was led by Major Roger de Wesselow.
The first group of SOE trainees arrived in February 1941. They continued training here until March 1943. The main goal at Wanborough was to find out who was suitable for secret undercover work. It also gave them their first lessons.
After initial interviews in London, recruits came to Wanborough Manor for three or four weeks. Here, they learned important skills for secret agents. This included unarmed combat and how to silently deal with enemies. They also received special clothes and fake identity papers. Agents learned about what was happening in France and improved their French language skills.
A young writer named Noreen Riols helped with the training. She had been a student at the French School in London. She helped teach and check the skills of the new agents.
If agents passed the training at Wanborough, they moved on to learn more. They would go to places like Arisaig House in Scotland to train with weapons and explosives. Some agents, like radio operators, went for even more specialized training. Finally, they would learn how to parachute from planes.
Peter Churchill, a famous SOE agent, wrote about his training at Wanborough. He learned how to use firearms, carry out sabotage with explosives, read maps, and communicate using Morse code.
Many agents from Wanborough Manor went to France for secret missions. About 400 British agents were sent to France by the SOE's 'F' Section. Around 130 of these agents trained at Wanborough. Sadly, 50 of them never returned, including 12 brave women.
You can still find signs of the secret training at the manor today. There is a wall with bullet holes and places where explosives were tested.
Brave SOE Agents Trained at Wanborough Manor
Many courageous individuals trained at Wanborough Manor. Here is a list of some of them:
- Noël Burdeyron
- Peter Churchill
- Yvonne Cormeau
- Benjamin Cowburn
- Noor Inayat Khan
- Peggy Knight
- Bob Maloubier
- Harry Peulevé
- Diana Rowden
- Pierre de Vomécourt
- Violet Szabo
- Francois Michel William Reeve
- Jack Evans
- Tony Brooks
Wanborough Church Memorial Plaque
Inside Wanborough Church, there is a special plaque. It remembers the agents who trained at Wanborough Manor and lost their lives during the war. One of these agents was Diana Rowden. She trained at Wanborough and worked secretly in France. She was captured and sadly died in 1943. There is another memorial for her at Tilford Church.
