Call for secret wartime heroes to be honoured with permanent memorial in Leighton Buzzard

Leighton Buzzard MP Alex Mayer joined mayor David Bligh, LB First Chair Gennaro Borrelli and All Saints’ vicar, the Rev David MacGeoch, to mark the start of the campaign.

The vicar has suggested that a commemorative plaque could be installed on the church wall by the war memorial

Leighton Buzzard was selected as a central hub for Britain's covert military operations, just before the onset of the Second World War. The town’s strategic location made it an ideal location, with no military presence to draw attention and close proximity to key transportation and communication lines.

Thousands of personnel, many from the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, were stationed at a top-secret RAF site near Stanbridge, known as Q Central during the war. They played a vital role in coordinating military operations including the Battle of Britain and D-Day, crucial in the path to VE Day.

At the height of the war, Q Central hosted some of the most sensitive operations, including the largest telephone exchange in the world at the time. Over 1,000 teleprinters communicated with all branches of the armed forces, sending vital wartime messages across the globe.

Speaking in the House of Commons during a special VE Day debate, Ms Mayer said it was vital to ensure the wartime contributions of those at Q Central that were “carried out in the shadows” are now “brought into the light.”

Much of Q Central’s work remained classified until the 2010s with Ms Mayer crediting local historian Paul Brown, the author of "The Secrets of Q Central: How Leighton Buzzard Shortened the Second World War", for helping to bring the story into the public eye.

Mr Brown said: "Most people have no idea this base ever existed and the 5,000 dedicated service men and women, mostly women, who served there have nothing to commemorate their dedicated service, working day and night to keep vital communications going for all our services throughout the war. A plaque to pay tribute to their service is long overdue."

LB First chair, Gennaro Borrelli, added: "What better to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day than having a plaque which remembers the hugely important and significant role that our town, Leighton Buzzard, played in the Second World War, all of which remained classified top secret for decades and revealed brilliantly in Paul Brown's book The Secrets of Q Central, which was the town's code name.

"This great recognition will help raise the town's profile and add an important part to its colourful heritage which will no doubt attract some visitors given the proximity to Bletchley Park."

Alex Mayer MP said: “The women and men of Q Central were the backbone of Britain’s wartime communications. Their work helped bring peace to Europe. Their service deserves a place in Bedfordshire’s, and the nation’s, collective memory. That’s why we need a permanent memorial here.”

More details about the campaign are available here.

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