Issue 44 winter 24 - Journal - Page 64
Britain’s most secret
home reveals exclusive
first look of WWII tunnels
De Vere Latimer Estate in collaboration with author and historian, Dr Helen Fry, has unveiled a short
new film called ‘What lies Beneath.’ The film, for the first time ever, explores the cellars at Latimer
House which played a significant role in World War II.
Following a multi-million-pound refurbishment project,
Latimer House is now a luxury hotel known as De Vere
Latimer Estate, and it was one of the most important espionage sites during the Second World War. During
WWII, the property played an integral part in British history as it housed high-ranking prisoners of War, captured
German U-boat submarine crews and Luftwaffe pilots,
who were inadvertently revealing secrets of great military
importance whilst being held in the stately home.
Author and Historian, Dr Helen Fry, commented: “What
happened at De Vere Latimer Estate during World War
II is now recognised as significant as the Enigma code
breaking at Bletchley Park. Exclusively gaining access to
the underground cellars and showcasing just how much
of a major part Latimer House played in World War II has
been tremendously fascinating. I really do believe that it’s
now the time the property and its history receive the
recognition it deserves.”
Thousands of German prisoners of war were sent to
Latimer House and many were transported to the underground cellars throughout the night. It was run by British
intelligence and in particular, a spymaster called Colonel
Thomas Kendrick, who devised a master plan to befriend
the German Generals and most importantly, spy on the
German prisoners of all ranks.
Ross Blezard, General Manager at De Vere Latimer
Estate, commented: “We’re delighted to be the custodians
of such an important property, and we can’t thank Dr
Helen Fry enough for unveiling even more of the remarkable history of De Vere Latimer Estate. By investing in the
refurbishment of Latimer House and transforming it into
a luxury mansion house hotel, we have preserved the extraordinary history of the property for guests to experience
for years to come.”
During the war, in original cells underneath Latimer
House and in a special building (‘the spider’) in the
grounds of the estate, Kendrick had planted hidden microphones which were all linked to the M Room where
the secret listeners were based. Kendrick needed fluent
German speakers, so he recruited German Jews who had
fled Nazi Germany and they became the secret listeners.
The listeners recorded thousands of snippets of information which proved to be extremely valuable in the war
effort.
The premiere of the film was hosted at De Vere Latimer
Estate on Thursday 18th July. Dr Helen Fry was in attendance and answered questions from the crowd about
Latimer Estate’s involvement in the Second World War.
The evening was celebrated with dignitaries including His
Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, The
Countess and Earl of Howe.
Below, De Vere Latimer Estate
