Appeal for information on South Holand’s Secret Army in conjunction with Lincolnshire Free Press
The British Resistance Archive, the online resource researched and compiled by the Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team (CART), a group of volunteer researchers, has today appealed to the public for more information on the secret civilian army that would have defended the local area in the event of a German invasion during the Second World War.
The British Resistance, or Auxiliary Units, as their purposely vague name referred to them, were made up of civilian volunteers who had not signed up or been called up to the regular forces as they were in reserved occupations or over or below the age brackets. They were called up across the length of the country (around 3,500 men in small groups of five to six) and were often those that knew their local area intimately, farmers, farm workers, gamekeepers etc.
They were highly trained, often at the Auxiliary Units’ HQ at Coleshill House in Wiltshire, and received the latest weapons and equipment, often before the regular forces.
As soon as invading forces entered their sector, these volunteers would immediately have headed to their underground bases (operational bases) buried beneath the British countryside (many of which are still being found in tact). From these bases the Aux Units members would come up, mainly at night, and cause as much havoc to the invading forces as possible. Destroying railway lines, transport, and where necessary ‘taking-out’ high ranking Nazi officials or collaborators. It was essentially a suicide mission and the groups were given two weeks rations (the expected life expectancy after the invading force had entered their region).
Such was the secrecy of their mission they all signed the Official Secrets Act with many going to the grave without revealing the true the extent of their wartime role. As such many families have no idea that their father or grandfather had any other role in the war other than a farmer or a member of the Home Guard.
CART is now looking for further information on the unit based in the Spalding area of Lincolnshire as Andrew Chatterton at CART explains. “We have very little information about the patrol in Spalding, all we have is surnames and initials and we would love to find out more. As these volunteers all signed the Officials Secrets Act there is relatively little information about them in the official records. We have to rely on those remaining with us to come forward, or relatives with snippets of information.
http://www.coleshillhouse.com/about-us.php
“We would love to hear from any surviving members or their relatives so we can add to knowledge and appreciation of this remarkable group of volunteers that were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country, without any hope of recognition.”
The Spalding patrol was part of No. 6 Group under Group Commander Lt W J Ground along with Donington, Weston, Holbeach, Sutton Bridgeand Gosberton. The research to date has identified the following names associated with each patrol:
Spalding
Donington
Sergeant J Sumner
Corporal A Brice
Private S Stanhope
Private G Chapman
Gosberton
Sergeant H Stokes
Corporal R Marshall
Private J P Smith
Private A Richardson
Private H Nadin
Private W Cooper
Weston
Sergeant W Dillworth
Corporal A Stuffins
Private F Saul
Private G Menship
Private F Hemmant
Holbeach
Sergeant H Mills
Corporal T Byecroft
Private E Ward
Private J Dewar
Private A Forman
Private J Hill
Other names associated with this patrol but not on the nominal roll are John Kinder and John Cheer(s).
Operational base
The first OB was located what is today the area of Kensington Close, Holbeach. This was abandoned in favour of a second OB in what is today the area of Marshfields Drive, Holbeach. Located north east of the cemetery the sites appear on contemporary maps to be open fields.
Sutton Bridge
Sergeant R Proctor
Corporal R Hill
Private R Howes
Private R Rowell
Private P Mackinder
If you do have any information please contact us on cartpress@gmail.com or call 07855 524 981.
Update from Monica llet daughter of Private Neal
Hi, I only know vague details about the Secret Army stuff. Before Mum was pregnant with me they stored some of their explosives under Mum and Dads bed in their house in Clay Lake. Dad said when he found out Mum was expecting he insisted they were stored else were. He talked about the underground bunkers in the Marshes and insisted the explosives were never removed. There’s not much else I can tell you. Unfortunately Mum died last month aged 96 but I don’t think she knew much more. He talked more about being in Egypt as all the Secret Army stuff was subject to the official secrets act.
