Most Secret War

by R.V. Jones

the Bruneval raid made people speculate about the possibility that the Germans might plan a retaliation, and where better than on Swanage? Apprehension increased when we discovered that a German parachute company had moved into position near Cherbourg, although there was no indication of what its intentions were. The news of this move leaked down to T.R.E., and I saw my opportunity. I was due to visit the Establishment, anyway, to see how the investigation of the Bruneval equipment was going, and so Hugh Smith and I drove down to Swanage. We said nothing about the possibility of a German retaliation, but merely carried our tin hats everywhere and had revolvers ostentatiously strapped to our belts. We also contrived to give the impression of nervousness and an anxiety to get back to London as soon as possible. The next we heard was that T.R.E. was moving in a hurry to Malvern where, as the Royal Radar Establishment, it still is.