Studland and its surrounding heathland is a hugely complex historic landscape. For hundreds of years military forces have used the area to train for war, yet this project will focus on one of the most well know aspects of its history, that which took place during the Second World War. Regular training was conducted during the interwar era by both the Regular and Territorial Army, including three notable, yet primitive by today’s standards, combined arms exercises. The foreshore and inland was defended in 1940-1942 against a possible Germany invasion, and this has left a highly visible impact on the landscape today.
By far the most well-known, yet also perhaps least understood aspect of Studland’s history is the period between 1942-1945 when the heathland and bay was used to train troops for operations overseas, including Operation Overlord. Military training has continued after the end of hostilities up to the present day, yet it is the wartime training which has caused the most significant impact on the landscape.
My book will address all these topics in a comprehensive manner, yet that is not the main aim of this website. Because Studland has been used so extensively and for so many purposes by the military in recent history, it will come as no surprise to many that certain structures and events have been misinterpreted by both popular and academic works. On this website I intend to publish a series of short articles to address some of the most common misconceptions about Studland during the Second World War and to investigate in detail some of the well-known surviving buildings. These articles are intended to be presented in an accessible format which can be understood by a wide audience, while at the same time maintaining a high standard of research.