A FASCINATING illustrated talk, about some of the secret operations which happened in the New Forest during the Second World War, was given to Verwood Historical Society by Gareth Owen of the National Park Authority.

Gareth focused on the prisoner of war camp near Brockenhurst. This camp first housed captured Italian men, when it functioned as an open prison, but after D-Day the Italians were moved elsewhere and it was occupied by German prisoners.

We were shown the footprint of the camp and pictures of it as painted by the inmates. Many of the prisoners stayed on after the war.

There are many other places of interest in the forest including a range where barrel bombs were dropped to test and develop the weapon.

Before D-Day the whole forest was alive with men and vehicles preparing for embarkation.

The next meeting of the society will be a talk by Derek Fones when he will consider the Origins of Words and Sayings.

The meeting will be held in the Parish Centre, off Manor Road, Verwood at 7.30pm on Tuesday, October 21.

The talk will be followed by the annual general meeting of the society.