Flight of the Invader
How an air crash investigation in Germany uncovered the story of one of the most secret spy operations of World War 2 A mysterious crash In the small hours of the 20th of March 1945, Olinde Kruse woke up from the sound of a loud crash. Startled by the sudden bang, she sat up in…
The diary of an au-pair
A look at the surprising finds inside the diary of Colette Brosse, the French au-pair who stayed at the Battle of Britain House in the 60s In September 2020, I received a communication from France. It was from a lady named Sylvie, who happened upon the website while looking for traces of her mother’s presence…
The Airship Journey Across London
One of the first controlled flights in the history of aviation landed at a field in Eastcote, NW London
A walk with Miles Gillman
A walk through Ruislip Woods, revealing new stories, artifacts and locations related to the Battle of Britain House
A new audio tour, and some thoughts about the de-evolution of leisure
Between October 2020 and March 2021, I developed an audio tour about the history of the Battle of Britain House in Rusilip Woods with the help of Voicemap, a GPS driven audio guide app. The tour costs £5 / $6.99 per device, and you can pick it up here. I am delighted to share this…
Globetrotter : the World of Meyer F. Kline
This is the story of Meyer F. Kline, one of the world’s most travelled men of the 20s and the 30s, and former resident at the Franklin Mansion at Ruislip Woods, Middlesex, UK.
CHISEL : The life and death of Kurt Gruber
Miner, Communist, OSS Agent : the short life of the Free German who trained in Ruislip during WW2 A cold wind sweeps over the vast war cemetery at Neuville-en-Condroz outside Liege. Snow twirls, teeth rattle and hearts groan in the vast field where 5300 young men are buried. Many of them are men who fell…
Conservation, health, and safety at Ruislip Woods
A Visitor’s Guide Earlier today, I had the pleasure of exchanging correspondence with Mr Richard Hutton, Woodland Officer with the Borough of Hillingdon. I have contacted Mr Hutton with a view to find out more about the former mansion site’s accessibility and other best practices, as well as discuss the possibility of signposting the location…
“Overrated” : Historic fact and fiction in the age of social media
The sensational title of a BBC News article about the role of Bletchley Park’s codebreakers has taken social media by storm. What’s that all about? The headline ‘Bletchley Park’s contribution to WW2 ‘over-rated’ flashed across my screen earlier today, bringing a large part of my understanding of WW2 down like a house of cards. For…
Battle of Britain House and the Secret War
Secret agent training, the TOOL Missions, and Cold War mistrust : The latest revelations about the Battle of Britain House in Ruislip Woods. Abandoned signs of past existence always fascinated me. First the excitement of discovery, then the mystery, and ultimately the revelation that comes with meticulous research. Suddenly, out of a tiny part, comes…
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Battle of Britain House 