India, May 9 -- Samuel Leeds lost £3.5 million on the Ribbesford House Estate. He also restored a piece of British wartime history, passed it to someone with the vision to finish the job, and says he would do it all again.

When Samuel Leeds purchased Ribbesford House Estate near Bewdley, Worcestershire, he knew he was buying more than a building.

The Grade II* listed country house, which dates back centuries and has its own Wikipedia page, served a remarkable role during the Second World War. Charles de Gaulle visited multiple times. Winston Churchill walked the grounds. And approximately 200 Free French soldiers, men who had escaped occupied France to continue fighting alongside the Allies, trained there during the war. Most of th...