Tour Details
We start at Bignor Manor, where our guide Gillian Halcrow will look at the training of the SOE agents, especially in Arisaig in the Highlands of Scotland. Here the famous ‘Heavenly Twins’; Major Willian Fairbairn and Captain Eric Sykes taught their unconventional techniques which they called ‘Murder Made Easy’. Gillian’s father, ‘Van’ was the first explosives trainer there and was to train the Czech soldiers who were to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich in Operation Anthropoid.
Then we drive to Tangmere for a guided tour of the museum with one of the museum’s curators. Special emphasis will be placed on the SOE exhibition within the museum.
This tour will be followed by a pub lunch at the local popular Gribble Inn.
In the afternoon, Gillian will talk about agents such as Forest Yeo-Thomas who escaped from Buchenwald concentration camp. Nancy Wake, agent who was to become the most highly decorated woman of WWII. Noor Inayat Khan who was a radio operator in Paris, was captured and suffered horrendously. Joseph Gabcik and Jan Kubis, Operation Anthropoid, the Czech soldiers my father trained in Arisaig. The heroes of Telemark, the Grouse and Gunnerside teams who destroyed the Heavy Water factory. Finally, Violette Szabo, the youngest agent murdered in Ravensbruck with two fellow female agents at her side.
Cost per person £75
which includes; entry to the museum, lights refreshments in the morning and afternoon. The price does not include lunch at the Gribble Inn.
Approximate duration of tour: from 10.00 to 16.00.
