How Hitler's obsession with a seaside town helped Britain win WW2

It's Britain's most iconic holiday resort but Blackpool was secretly the seaside weapon that helped the Allies win World War Two, we can reveal. This weekend on Battle of Britain Sunday we remember the RAF's remarkable success over the Luftwaffe 85 years ago in 1940, helping foil Hitler's 'Operation Sea Lion' UK invasion plan.

The victory, by those that Sir Winston Churchill famously hailed 'The Few', is a proud story of facing down evil - leading eventually to Hitler's inglorious defeat. But one missing chapter actually took place among Lancashire's golden sands as Blackpool was transformed into a town-wide RAF training hub away from Hitler's bombs and prying eyes.

In 2009 German documents revealed how Hitler earmarked Blackpool as his 'pleasure palace' and go-to holiday resort for weary Nazi troops, with a swastika flying on its Tower - so despite a Vickers factory making Wellington Bombers, the town was spared by Fuhrer's wrath.

Yet being largely ignored enabled the resort's racecourse to become 'RAF Squires Gate' and the B&Bs, promenade, Winter Gardens and cinemas designated 'RAF Blackpool' to train 834,000 service personnel to win the war.

These were not just faceless heroes either - they included Indiana Jones Hollywood film actor Denholm Elliott, TV entertainer Max Bygraves and wacky comedian Eric Sykes.

And nowhere tells this incredible story better than the Spitfire Visitor Centre at Blackpool Airport, where their original wartime 'Hangar 42' boasts four Spitfires, a Hawker Hurricane, a German Messerschmitt Bf 109e fighter - and Raven Cockpits' world's only full-size Spitfire simulator.

Stood by a Spitfires, its the centre's director John Coombes told us: "At the time of the Battle of Britain, RAF Squires Gate was becoming the largest military training establishment for the RAF not just in the UK - but in Europe.

"When we think of the Battle of Britain we focus on Kent but German raiders were coming up here too, probing our air defences.

"Places like Blackpool were also crucial to send guys for rest and recuperation during the Battle of Britain.

"Liverpool docks were highly important with the supplies from the US and RAF Blackpool played a key role in defending them.

"The German Army Wehrmacht had already earmarked Blackpool as a rest and recuperation area following what they hoped was the success of Operation Sea Lion.

"Ground crew, wireless operators, armourers, engineers - 840,000 personnel came through Blackpool, and Blackpool was redesignated 'RAF station Blackpool'.

"There was a hive of activity here. The Air Ministry took over every single bedroom in the town for the war effort."

Pointing to Hangar 42 as we chatted, John added: "This was the very first hanger to be built in May 1939. As soon as they knew the war was coming the horseracing track that was once here was hurriedly converted to RAF Squires Gate.

"It's our job now to make sure that this story about Blackpool is told for generations to come."

If you enrolled in the RAF during World War II, there was a good chance you would have exercised on Blackpool's sands.

You may also have marched down the prom, stayed in one of Blackpool's many boarding houses, been bussed to training every day, returning for a lunchtime meal, before being bussed back for more training.

Meanwhile, if you lived in some key Luftwaffe target towns and cities like Liverpool, Barrow, Manchester and Preston Docks, you would have been defended by Hurricanes or Boulton Paul Defiant night fighters from RAF Squires Gate.

Their crews scoured the Irish Sea, seeking out German bombers and scrambling to defend key assets and civilians.

RAF Squires Gate became home to the RAF's Elementary Flying School, the Navigation School, Anti-Aircraft Operations, the Reconnaissance School, the Photographic School, the Wireless and Telegraphy School, the School of Air Sea Rescue, Blind Approach Training, Transatlantic Flights, Grounds Operations Training and aircraft manufacture.

It also became home to around 20,000 Polish air crew too, following the occupation of Poland and the subsequent fall of France.

As well as its aircraft, the Spitfire Visitor Centre has an ops room to appreciate how aircraft manoeuvres were planned, an 'archaeology room' featuring a retrieved German JU88 engine and a briefing room.

Onsite historian Russell Brown, 64, explained: "Blackpool was relatively safe. The Germans did occasionally bomb it but we don't think they had any idea what was going on here.

"In WWII the RAF came to Blackpool and took over a lot of the hotels for their messes, for the officers' messes and the NCOs' messes.

"The winter gardens became this hub of it all. They had a school of technical training where they trained ground trades, fitters, air crews and thousands of wireless operators in rows learning morse code.

"They also had recruits doing their six-weeks basic training here - they would be sworn in in the winter gardens and do their square bashing on the promenade. If the tide was out they did the physical training on the beach!"

The resort's cinemas by day would show training films while Blackpool FC's Bloomfield Road football ground was used for physical training classes and lectures.

But at night the cinemas would revert to showing Hollywood movies and the Winter Garden's trestle tables would be stowed and it was used for dances again.

Russell said: "It saved the taxpayer a fortune. Three quarters of a million folks processed and trained here - all away from prying eyes. It absolutely helped the Battle of Britain because it was a safer place to train.

"Max Bygraves was posted twice to RAF Blackpool on advanced airframe fitters courses and his first performance on stage was in a theatre here. While Indiana Jones actor Denholm Elliott trained as a wireless operator here.

"His aircraft was later shot down and ditched in the sea and he spent three years in a POW camp, taking part in theatrical shows there.

"And comedian Eric Sykes trained for 16 weeks at RAF Blackpool as a wireless operator in the Winter Gardens. He recalled doing guard duty outside Blackpool's Marks & Spencer as it then housed RAF overseas kit stores.

"The Hurricanes were here to protect the north-west of England, while the Boulton Paul Defiant night fighters protected factories in Liverpool, Manchester, Barrow."

Reflecting on the incredible exhibitions at the Spitfire Visitor Centre, Russell - also a member of the Lancashire Aircraft Investigation Team of aviation archaeologists - told us: "When I was a kid, I used to have models. Now I've got full-size ones!"

The Express chatted to one couple at the Spitfire Visitor Centre who travelled from Scotland to see the extraordinary WWII planes on display.

Ex-RAF serviceman Craig Berwick and his wife Louisa, both 55, from Falkirk, told us they felt like children again seeing the aircraft they used to own as models when they were kids.

Craig said: "Watching films about the Second World War when growing up, and realising the sacrifice that people did and gave for the country this place really brings it all home.

"You can feel the atmosphere in this hangar, you can soak it up, what it must have been like for those young guys 85 years ago."

Truck driver Craig was in the RAF for nine-and-a-half years until 1998, but in that time went to Arromanches, France, for the 50th anniversary celebrations in 1994 where he met the late Princess Margaret.

He added: "It's so important we remember how brave those who protected Britain were."

* Before it closes for the season on October 28th, visit the volunteer-run Spitfire Visitor Centre: Hangar 42 between Saturday and Tuesday each week at https://spitfirevisitorcentre.co.uk/