World War II – 1939 to 1945
Hartley Wintney found itself once again in the thick of a war effort. It was home to Viscount Alanbrooke who was the foremost military adviser to Winston Churchill from 1941 and headed up the army.
Alanbrookes’s war diaries talk of difficult times including in his relationship with Churchill. They also mention how he refreshed his spirits at the weekend watching the birds at Hunter’s Hill off Thackam’s Lane, his wartime home. Later he lived at Ferney Close also on Thackam’s Lane and you can find his simple country grave in St Mary’s Church Yard.
Few photographs exist of the village during the war period as photography was discouraged for security reasons. Buildings and land were commandeered for the war effort. The WI Hut became a NAAFI providing goods and canteen services to the troops. Appleton Hall was built as a decontamination centre for gas injuries, thankfully never used and Victoria Hall was a Red Cross centre. There’s no sign today of the numerous tanks parked on the Oak Common while in transit to the front.
Some war efforts did change the landscape permanently. The remains of a tank winching ramp used for testing can be seen on Hazeley Heath and a recently restored Pill Box can be found at Phoenix Green. Pill Boxes were gun positions built at intervals across the country as the last line of defence in case of invasion.
The RAF had a station at Hartfordbridge which later became RAF Blackbushe. Fortunately, for Hartley Wintney, the runways were not quite long enough for the airport to be considered for the second London Airport, that honour going to Gatwick.
Another RAF connection for Hartley Wintney is that Douglas Bader, made famous in the film “Reach for the Sky” learned to walk again on his artificial legs at the home of his rugby playing friend Adrian Stoop. The Stoop family lived at The Grange. Rugby fans will recognise the name Stoop from Adrian’s connections with the development of Twickenham the home of English Rugby.
In 1945 the village supported 9 grocers, 7 milkmen, 3 butchers, 2 tailors, 4 general stores, 3 post offices, 8 pubs, a chemist, a hardware store and a dairy. Its population had grown to 2300 to 2500 people