World War 2

Forgotten village in Wiltshire was evacuated in 1943 for US troops to train ahead of World War II, and residents were never allowed to return home

Just a stone’s throw from the ancient monument of Stonehenge, and roughly an hour from Bath, lies a hidden village frozen in time.

The abandoned village of Imber in Wiltshire stands devoid of inhabitants, its buildings crumbling into decay. This once-bustling parish on Salisbury Plain now remains eerily silent, cut off from civilisation and accessible to visitors for only a handful of days each year.

Similar to several other communities nationwide, Imber’s residents were forcibly removed from their properties in 1943 as war loomed. They received just 47 days’ warning before their village was requisitioned to provide training facilities for American forces preparing for the Second World War.

Locals are believed to have assumed they would reclaim their homes following the conflict’s conclusion, but permission to return was never granted. Salisbury Plain subsequently evolved into Britain’s most extensive military training facility, now spanning more than 94,000 acres.

History

Whilst evidence suggests a modest community existed at Imber from as far back as 967 AD, with documentation indicating habitation in the Domesday Book of 1086, the village housed over 150 inhabitants when evacuation occurred.

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During the 14th century, its population peaked at approximately 250 residents, declining to roughly 152 by the 1940s, and following the conflict, the village mourned 28 of its men who had been in service.

A correspondence sent to a resident, providing brief notice of evacuation, read: “Arising out of the decision that increased training facilities are to be made available in the Imber area, I regret to inform you that it is necessary to evacuate the major part of the Department’s Imber Estate, including your dwelling.”

Despite protests from villagers, their efforts proved unsuccessful, and authorities determined even years after the conflict that the terrain remained invaluable for military purposes and too hazardous for civilian habitation.

Initially, however, many people were prepared to leave, viewing it as their patriotic responsibility and wanting to support those serving on the battlefield.

Numerous structures within the settlement sustained damage from explosions during and following the conflict, as well as from military exercises, and subsequently deteriorated further due to exposure to the elements. Even had former inhabitants been permitted to return, the properties would have been uninhabitable.

Battle for the village

In 1961, following years of separation and discontent, over 2,000 individuals gathered to campaign for the villagers’ return. This triggered a public inquiry, though it ultimately ruled in support of Imber’s ongoing military utilisation.

It wasn’t until the 1970s that certain evidence finally emerged, resulting in an agreement permitting villagers to return, but by that point it was considerably too late.

It was subsequently determined that the church could be preserved and would welcome worshippers on the Saturday nearest to St Giles’ Day each year for residents and locals to gather. This tradition continues to this day.

Present Day

Whilst the remainder of the parish has fallen into decline, neglected and forgotten, St Giles’ church in Imber stands preserved as it always has been, safeguarded by the Diocese of Salisbury.

The church achieved Grade I listed status in 1987 and remains a meaningful site for those wishing to commemorate the village and its formerly thriving community.

Annually around St Giles’ Day, a service takes place which draws former inhabitants alongside soldiers who trained in the village and other members of the public. A further service occurs on the Saturday preceding Christmas, a custom established in 2009.

The Ministry of Defence must permit public entry to the village on these occasions, which are now restricted to merely three times annually. Honouring the village’s heritage, ImberVillage.co.uk commemorates the lives of former inhabitants and enables their stories and recollections to be preserved.

The film The Eagle Had Landed stars Michael Caine, Robert Duvall and Donald Sutherland, and is a hit with movie fans who praised it as ‘not your typical boring war movie’

A war film hailed by movie fans as ‘powerful’ and ‘wonderful’ is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.

The film The Eagle Had Landed stars Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, Donald Sutherland and Jean Marsh, and has become a huge hit with movie fans.

Based on the 1975 novel The Eagle Has Landed by Jack Higgins, the movie follows a German intelligence officer Max Radl in 1943 as he plots to kidnap Winston Churchill during a visit to a small English village. Colonel Kurt Steiner leads a team of disguised paratroopers, aided by Irish agent Liam Devlin. The mission, initially successful, is jeopardised when a soldier’s uniform is revealed during a rescue act, bringing in American forces.

Released in 1977, the film might not have won over critics or earned any Academy Awards but it did earn the affection of fans who have praised it. The film ratings website Rotten Tomatoes is packed with positive reviews, all contributing to the film’s 71 percent rating.

One review said: “Its a brilliant lazy afternoon war film packed with actors you recognise and a wonderful performance from Larry Hagman.”

Another wrote: “Watched the film for the first time recently. It was better than I thought. Great cast and moves quickly.”

A third posted: “This is as much a thriller as a ‘war movie’. It has great characters, a wonderful soundtrack and has an authentic vibe throughout. Suspect negative reviews are from gamers. This film requires thought and attention to fully enjoy. The book is Higgins best and is a really enjoyable read.”

“A powerful beginning, great build-up, an interesting side-story to keep us interested and great finishing action sequences make for a World War II movie that is well worth seeing,” said a fourth.

A fifth added: “A neat little WWII spy thriller. Caine and Duvall are great, and Pleasence and Sutherland ham it up in an agreeable fashion.

“It’s not attempting to reinvent the genre, but it goes about its business with confidence (the steady hand of veteran director Sturges is felt in this regard), and it’s unique in that it presents the story (fairly exclusively) from the point-of-view of the ‘enemy.'”

Another highlighted the star cast as it said: “Michael Caine and Robert Duvall are two of my favorite actors of all time and yet somehow, Donald Sutherland totally steals the show. Awesome story out of the WW2 era. Not your typical boring war movie either.”

“Well made little war film based on the novel by Jack Higgins. Last film directed by Sturges is not as good as “The Great Escape” or “Magnificant Seven” but its not bad. Duval, Sutherland, Caine and Wiliams all do well while Hagman acts like he’s in a different movie entirely,” said another.

Another simply wrote: “One of the best action war movies.”

The Eagle Has Landed is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

In her exploration of so-called “banned” locations Ellie Whitby set out to investigate an island in northwest Scotland, renowned for its disturbing past, and where access was strictly prohibited

A brave YouTuber has explored a remote Scottish island that was once erased from maps, but what she found was terrifying. Last year, Ellie Whitby, who runs the EllieMarieTV channel on YouTube, ventured to a mysterious island off northwest Scotland with a notoriously dark history as part of a video investigating so-called “banned” locations.

Ellie and a companion drove to Gruinard Island, also known as “Anthrax Island”, a sinister moniker it acquired after scientists contaminated the land whilst carrying out secret biological weapons experiments during World War II.

Anthrax is a potentially fatal infectious disease typically caused by the Bacillus anthracis bacterium. Following these experiments, Gruinard Island was deemed far too hazardous for both livestock and people.

The island’s grim history didn’t deter Ellie, who acknowledged it was “very scary”, but was determined to speak with local inhabitants about the site and, courageously, hoped to persuade someone to take her across to the island.

She explained: “So, we’re in the local town and see if there’s anyone willing to take me out to Anthrax Island, and I want to know their opinions on this. What do they think about this massive, secret government cover-up that happened a mile off their shores?”

Ellie proceeded to interview local residents, one of whom confirmed that the government kept the island under wraps, while another alleged that the tests resulted in the death of sheep on the mainland.

She ultimately discovered a kayaker called Will, who was willing to ferry Ellie across to the island. She remarked: “It was time to be one of very few people to ever step foot on an island hidden from the entire world and see if any of the conspiracies are true.”

Setting off across the water, she quipped: “I literally never used to leave my room out of fear of germs, and now I’m going all the way to an Anthrax Island. I think my therapist would be proud of me or, actually, very concerned.”

Ultimately, they landed on the island near a cave system, but Ellie seemed to have a change of heart. Once she determined there were no “nuclear bunkers”, she declared that she wasn’t “stupid enough” to remain any longer.

Back in 1942, then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill, concerned that Nazi Germany had developed a biological weapon, instructed scientists to investigate ways of weaponising the lethal bacterial infection, the BBC reports.

Located in Gruinard Bay, the 522-acre island served as a testing ground; residents in nearby settlements were unaware of these experiments, but rumours reportedly started to circulate once livestock began dying.

In a 2022 documentary, The Mystery of Anthrax Island, Edward Spiers, emeritus professor at the University of Leeds, stated: “The aim was to test whether the anthrax would survive an explosion in the field. They didn’t know that, and then would it remain virulent thereafter.

“Eighty-odd sheep were tethered at various stages downwind of the likely explosion. The explosion was done by remote control. It isn’t a great bang, a draught of highly potent spores moving down on the wind and causing infection and death wherever it goes.”

This led to devastating consequences, as the sheep rapidly developed symptoms and died; their bodies were then incinerated or buried under debris.

The covert trials lasted until 1943, but the impact of the experiments would be long-lasting. The highly resistant anthrax can reportedly remain in the soil for decades, and access to the island became strictly prohibited.

As reported by Lethbridge News, Gruinard Island was even erased from some maps due to fears that terrorist groups “would travel to the island to procure samples” of the deadly bacteria.

Deemed a success, the scientists concluded their work and returned to Porton Down, a secretive government facility in Wiltshire where research into diseases and chemical weapons is conducted.

Churchill’s proposed biological weapon was never used, and a militant group known as the Dark Harvest Commando of the Scottish Citizen Army (DHC) sought action from the government to decontaminate the island.

One of their strategies involved leaving a bucket of contaminated soil outside Porton Down. Years later, efforts were made to cleanse the island, which seemingly proved successful.

In 1990, the UK government officially announced that the island was free from anthrax, bringing a 48-year quarantine period to a close.