A GRANDFATHER'S old war story has helped unearth a top secret Second World War operation at Hughenden Manor that the authorities tried to cover up.

Victor Gregory, 83, from Borehamwood, Herfordshire, held vital clues in helping the National Trust to discover that the property was used during World War II to produce maps for the RAF's major bombing campaigns.

Hughenden Manor was the true location of a secret intelligence base code-named Hillside, and is believed to be at the very top of Hitler's hit list.

At an event on Monday, April 23, called Top Secret Hughenden, the property's secrets were formally revealed to the public.

The revelations first emerged after a chance meeting between Mr Gregory and Jessie Binns, the community learning officer at Hughenden Manor.

Mr Gregory, who worked at the secret base, had been asked by his grandson about what he had done during the war. He decided to take him to High Wycombe to show him where he had been stationed and the mystery unfolded.

The research showed that the map makers helped with Dam Buster raids and also with an attempt to assassinate Hitler at his bunker at Berchtesgaden.

Mr Gregory told the Free Press he was stunned when he found out he'd be working on producing a map of Hitler's mountain retreat.

He said: "The amount of information we had on him was incredible. We almost new the hairs on the back of his neck.

"He thought he was safe there, but if he'd known the work we were doing he wouldn't have been so keen to take his morning walks."

Top Secret Hughenden also meant that Mr Gregory, who was 19 when he was posted to High Wycombe, was reunited with Kathyln Hudson, 85, of West Wycombe, whom he had not seen for 60 years.

Mr Gregory said: "It was quite emotional really because I remember her as a 21-year-old glamorous WAAF officer and it was a bit of a shock to see her now."

By the end of the day Mr Gregory was a little tired because of the huge interest there was in his story.

He added: "I thought it was a fantastic day. I have to take my hat off to the National Trust because I was quite staggered with the amount of media interest there was."