The site high on the cliffs at Bruneval was the scene of the daring raid codenamed Operation Biting, the mission by British paratroopers to capture parts from Hitler’s advanced radar systems on the night of February 28, 1942.
Led by Major John Frost - later to lead his men into Arnhem - the company dismantled the Wurzburg radar located just past the remains of the villa near the coast.
Once the radar components were secured the company had to fight their way through German reinforcements to the beach area below the cliffs to the west of the position where they were extracted by landing craft back to Portsmouth, England.
Of the 120 men who parachuted in, three lost their lives in the raid, six were injured, and three were captured. Major Frost was awarded a Military Cross for his leadership of the raid.
The parts recovered helped the Allies to understand, confuse, and defeat the German radar systems, which proved vital for D-Day operations in 1944.
The site featured a range of radar systems including Coastwatcher, Freya, and Wurzburg types and were surrounded by anti-aircraft positions.
On the opposite cliffs there’s a fitting memorial to all those who took part in this game-changing raid.