A WHOLE Oxfordshire village will turn back the clocks to the 1940s for one day to celebrate its secret wartime link.

The National Trust village of Coleshill, near Faringdon, is inviting people to join its special street party on Sunday, September 20 and learn how it secretly trained 3,000 resistance fighters.

At the outset of the Second World War, British Intelligence was tasked with creating a secret army of the country’s last defence in the event of enemy invasion, and chose to create a secret training base at Coleshill House.

The stately home, which burned down in 1952, became the training ground for more than 3,000 Auxiliers recruited from around the country.

They were taught unarmed combat, how to use explosives to blow up bridges and vehicles, live in the field, travel silently in the dark and kill with a knife.

This month’s family recreation day from 10am to 5pm will see wartime re-enactors giving firing demonstrations and displays and there will be talks about 1940s life.

The visitor services manager for Buscot and Coleshill, Sue Hicks, said: “This day commemorates and celebrates the work of Churchill’s underground army of resistance fighters, trained in Coleshill.

“About 3,000 Auxiliers were trained in spy techniques in Coleshill’s bunkers and even local villagers didn’t know they were there. We hope everyone will get into the spirit by coming dressed in 1940s style clothes. We’ll be awarding prizes for the best dressed visitors”

Vintage cars and military vehicles will be on display and Coleshill’s original and replica Second World War bunkers will be opened to the public.

A photographic exhibition of Coleshill in the 1940s will be hosted at the community shop and there will be demonstrations of cooking on rations at Coleshill Organics.

The trust’s maintenance team will also give demonstrations and opportunities to have a go at traditional building skills such as dry stone-walling and in the countryside yard old and new tractors will be on display.

In the Old Carpenter’s Yard, there will be a street party atmosphere with performances from the Highworth Warneford Big Band, folk group The Southern Harmony and Bampton Traditional Morris Dancers.

Admission costs £4 for adults and £2 for children.