THEY were a shadowy force that operated deep in enemy territory and their survival depended on skills learned in the heart of the New Forest.

The covert agents of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) were sent to the Beaulieu estate to complete their training at what was called the "finishing school''.

Now this top secret Second World War operation has been researched by a group of Southampton University students fascinated by the role Beaulieu played in this secret army.

One of the students, Sarah Lynch who lives at Hythe close to where so much of the training took place was especially interested in what happened at Beaulieu.

"Beaulieu was of significant importance to the SOE, because it was here that the agents fine-tuned how to live a clandestine existence in an occupied country,'' said Sarah who joined Lisa Hickman, Sarah Kay, Carl Cozens, Ryan Critchfield, Christopher Kelly and Sarah Beale on the research.

"The emphasis of the training was on how to look ordinary. They did not want people to stand out in a crowd, but be indistinguishable from others in the community they were sent to infiltrate.

"The schools at Beaulieu witnessed a whole range of activities in the six years from 1940 that the SOE was in existence.

"An estimated 3,000 agents passed through the finishing schools on the estate and many risked their lives to go into an occupied country to undermine the Nazi war machine and prevent Hitler from achieving his goals. They were successful in their missions, because of the training they receive from schools like Beaulieu.''

The Beaulieu finishing schools were located in 11 houses spread across the estate. And the distance between them was large enough for one group of agents not to know another group was there.

The agents that trained in these houses were sent out to a variety of countries across Europe, including occupied France.

Training could last up to three weeks and the syllabus was comprehensive. All aspects of a person's life had to be covered and the cover stories they had been given had to be checked here. They would not have another chance.

"The instructors had to make sure an agent knew their story inside out or they could potentially be compromised when they went into an occupied territory,'' said Sarah.

The instructors included Kim Philby, later to be unmasked as a soviet agent, William 'Bill' Sykes, a silent killing expert and Donald 'Killer' Green, an accountant who specialised in lock and safe breaking.

Among the skills they acquired were how to live off the land, using a variety of weaponry and explosives, codes, ciphers, how to pass messages, propaganda, disguise and criminal activity among others. Training was followed by practical exercises in a variety of locations.

An exhibition highlighting the role of the SOE and its local connections is now part of the display at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu.

Lord Montagu said of 'Secret Army': "It has long been my wish to mount a permanent exhibition to highlight the valuable part Beaulieu played in the training of this secret army of agents and to honour the men and women who played such an important part in turning the tide of the Second World War.

"As a teenage boy at Eton, the secrets of these training establishments were kept from everyone, including me, so I am delighted that the story of these covert activities on my estate can now be revealed."