Dick and the vital art of deception
BERKHAMSTED-born Dick Clarke played a vital role in the build up to D-Day, but like so many others, was unaware of the significance of his actions at the time.

The former Berkhamsted School pupil was 23 years' old in 1944 and had been keen to volunteer at the start of the war.
Having been originally posted to Yorkshire as an instructor at a transport dept, Dick was posted to Kent as a temporary Captain.
His task after arriving in Kent was to arrange for sections of troops to be sent on ‘craft' course. “It was all so secret I really didn't know what I was doing,” said Dick: “I didn't even know what a craft course was!”
It emerged that these ‘craft' course were aimed at teaching troops how to create an imitation wooden army.
This fascinating episode of the D-Day story is often forgotten, but if it wasn't for men like Dick Clarke arranging an incredible act of deception, events may have unfolded very differently on June 6 1944.
Dover harbour in Kent slowly began to fill up with replica landing craft and tanks. All were placed intentionally in the sights of the Germans across the channel.
“We began to broadcast made-up, theoretical troop movements on the radio, hoping the Germans would listen in,” said Dick: “As soon as we heard a German voice come over the radio we would switch off, as if we didn't want them to hear. It threw them right off!”
The plan was to try and convince German commanders that the invasion was to be at Calais, rather than Normandy. As D-Day grew closer, the tension around the HQ in Kent, where many of the top Allied generals were based, began to increase.
Then, one morning in early June, Dick and rest of his division received orders to paint white stars on the phoney invasion fleet.
The white star was the symbol put on all Allied attack craft to ensure there was no confusion over which side a vehicle belonged.
By painting the stars allied commanders hoped the Germans would get the impression that this was the genuine invasion force and an attack was imminent.
Meanwhile, the real invasion force was gathering around Southampton. RAF reconnaissance planes photographed the coast of France from the skies to see whether the deception had been effective.
The plan worked perfectly. Just days before D-Day German General Rommel ordered concentrations of German troops to be moved away from Normandy and up to the French coast near Calais.
Dick's efforts had been a success. Not only would the Normandy landings be a surprise to the Germans, but also much of their defences would be concentrated several hundred miles away.
Dick vividly remembers the morning of D-Day. “The General came into the office with the keys to the safe and took out the orders. The atmosphere around the HQ was electric.”
But Dick and many of those in his division also felt frustrated. “We were all a bit annoyed we weren't going to be part of the actual invasion,” said Dick: “But we felt proud that hopefully we had made a difference and helped our troops land successfully.”