National Park chiefs are celebrating a £550,000 grant that will fund vital research into the New Forest’s role in Second World War.

Planes equipped with infra-bed survey equipment will enable the National Park Authority (NPA) to pinpoint important archaeological sites dating from the early 1940s.

On the ground, volunteers will track down untold stories from the period and shed new light on the area’s contribution to the war effort.

A Lottery Fund spokesman added: “The New Forest holds many clues to the stories of the Second World War.

“The grant will enable volunteers to provide a unique record of the area for others to learn from, enjoy and be inspired by for generations to come.”

The New Forest was a vast military camp for most of the war.

Its close proximity to the sea, plus the huge amount of cover provided by tens of thousands of trees, made it an ideal location for military commanders.

The Special Operations Executive, a secret organisation of spies and saboteurs, used the Beaulieu Estate as a training ground.

Many of the landing craft used in the D-Day landings were moored in the Beaulieu River in the run-up to the invasion.

Nearby Lepe played a crucial role in the construction of the Mulberry Harbour, which was used to supply troops once the landings were under way.

Lepe was also involved in the Pipeline Under the Ocean (PLUTO), project, which pumped petrol to advancing Allied armies in France.

The New Forest was home to 12 airfields, including the US bomber base at Stoney Cross and the fighter station at RAF Ibsley, near Ringwood.

Ibsley was also used to film The First of the Few, the 1942 movie that told how R J Mitchell designed the Spitfire.

NPA chairman Julian Johnson said: “We’re delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us this grant.

“The Second World War changed the Forest forever. The area played a vital role and it’s important that we have an accurate picture both on the ground and through people’s memories and experiences of this unprecedented period of history.”