Feb 122020
 

Sunday 1st March at 10 am

Meeting point:

Fitzpain Road, West Parley, Ferndown, Dorset. Between numbers 60 and 62.

Welcome speech, talk from CART, unveiling of memorial plaque and refreshments.

Please pass this on to anyone else who you may know who would like to attend.

The rediscovered Ferndown O.B. was excavated last year by CART. With support from the local council, part of the bunker will be permanently viewable.

Jul 082019
 

C.A.R.T. enjoyed another warm welcome and warm weather at the Steam & Vintage Show near Weymouth last weekend.

In between cups of tea and home made cake, we met plenty of great people with stories to share and some good leads for us to follow.

We met the land owner of a known Operational Patrol bunker in East Devon, and have been given permission to investigate the site further.

We chatted with one lady who, as a school girl was involved with a local history project. She was expecting a Home Guard interview from a Chickerell resident. He promptly told her that he wasn’t in the Home Guard and was an Auxilier in the local patrol, and what he was up to during the war ! He wife (who was apparently making tea in the kitchen) listened agog as it turned out she did not know, and in fact it was the first time the Auxilier had told anyone !

Local community radio station (https://keep106.com/) based in Dorchester invited us for a ‘Don’t tell them your name Pike’ interview about Auxiliary Units. The interview is scheduled to go out on the 17th of July.

We were delighted to be able to exhibit an item from Auxilier, the late ‘Bob Millard’ who did so much for C.A.R.T.

A couple of good leads also came up for possible bunkers, especially for an SD bunker that as far as we know, has not been previously recorded – watch this space…

All in all, a thoroughly good weekend.

Jun 302019
 

CART will be returning to this fantastic event with our ‘multi-award-winning’ display, relaxed chat and plenty of info about Churchill’s Auxiliary Units and what they would have done if Hitler had invaded in 1940. Some members of the Auxiliary Units went on to join the SAS and were dropped into France for D-Day…

https://chickerellsteamshow.uk/attractions/

Apr 212019
 

CART continued to excavate the O.B. at Ferndown, Dorset at the weekend. Locals were welcomed and very interested.

Finds included glazed ceramic ventilation pipes stamped with STOTAM, and the identification of the water-pipe (from the previously unearthed water-tank) coming into the bunker through the entrance-shaft wall.

CART Dorset (Dr. Will Ward) gave a talk about Aux Units and this Patrol bunker. ‘Bodge’ Wareham brought some of his ‘toys’ along, and we even had a visit from the Home Guard bomb disposal !

‘Bodge’ and his ‘toys’…
Jun 192018
 

Thanks to all those who stopped by the CART display at the excellent Haselbury Mill WW2 event near Crewkerne on Father’s Day. It was a great day with lots of interest and lots of leads in the South West and also Worcestershire.

From our Devon researcher, Nina: “Though the weather could have been warmer it was a busy show and well attended. We talked to a lot of people about Auxiliary Units, many hearing about them for the first time. We were also given an amazing 10 leads on OB sites in Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Worcestershire. Going to be a busy rest of year hunting for those ! Many thanks gents. Chips were great too !”

May 202018
 

France 1944 – Operation Bulbasket was largely an ex-Aux Units Operation, with some ex-desert SAS, and a few other new recruits.
Dorset, Norfolk and Scotland Aux Units provided the bulk of the men.

A small group from the local Royal British Legion  Poitou-Charentes branch in France are recreating the cycle ride undertaken by Lt Tomos Stephens as part of Op Bulbasket in 1944. Disguised as a Frenchman and riding a pre-war pushbike, he rode from Sazas near Montromillion to the railway marshalling yard at Chatellerault to gather information about fuel tankers stored there. It was a 120km (75 mile) round trip in a single day, an incredible feat. The intelligence was supplied to the RAF who bombed the fuel stored at the railway yard, significantly slowing the 2nd SS Das Reich Panzer Division who lacked enough fuel for their move north towards Normandy. Sadly Lt Stephens was shot after capture, having given himself up so a young maquisard could escape, hoping that his uniform would mean he would become a prisoner, whereas the Maquis were always executed. That young man witnessed Lt Stephens death from his hiding place (and recorded this a few years ago – the story differing from that given by the Bulbasket survivors who were told third hand he had been beaten to death). Lt Stephens was buried in a family vault in nearby Verriéres.

The ride is on Sunday June 10th 2018. You can help by sponsoring them through their JustGiving page. This branch funded the erection of memorials at the St Sauvant and Verriéres sites in recent years. They also provide the standard bearers for ceremonies at Rom and Verriéres each year.

See previous CART thread on Bulbasket: http://blog.coleshillhouse.com/remembering-the-auxiliers-lost-on-operation-bulbasket

Apr 162018
 

We was there. Lots of folk in 1940’s garb. Lots of bacon rolls, banter and even the odd Mulberry Harbour caisson or two. Thanks to those interested in learning about Churchill’s Secret Army. Thank you Portland !

Mar 282018
 

CART will be at the Castletown D-Day Centre, Portland, Dorset (DT5 1DB), on Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th April, 2018. This is part of their Living History weekend, a very ‘hands on’ experience. Includes military vehicles, weapons displays and much more..   http://www.castletownddaycentre.com/

This is a new fixture and one that we hope will become a regular event. Pop by & say hi.