We are saddened to learn of the passing of Ivan Mower. Ivan broke his leg recently and passed away in hospital on 27th April. He was 97. We send our condolences to his family and friends at this time.
Ivan was a member of the Stradbroke Patrol in Suffolk along with his father Albert: www.staybehinds.com/patrol/stradbroke-patrol
The Patrol built their Operational Base themselves. Ivan recalled that the Patrol thought that they were alone, not being aware of any other Patrols.
Auxiliary Units were not only the Spirit of Resistance. Their contributions enabled regular soldiers to fight away from home soil, tested defences at home, and led to many joining the SAS. The secret radio network (Special Duties Branch) broadcast huge amounts of ‘radio noise’ in the coastal areas of the south east of England that helped build a misleading picture of a D-Day invasion coming from Kent to Calais. All this and not a word to anyone, and with little or no recognition.
We will remember them.
These excerpts from Auxilier Geoff Ratcliff of East Bergholt Patrol, Suffolk paint a vivid picture of what it was like to have been a Patrol member. Reading his full account will take 2 minutes: www.staybehinds.com/patrol/east-bergholt-patrol
” In June 1940 I became a member of the Home Guard, L.D.V. (Local Defence Volunteer) as it was first called. Soon after I was selected for what was said to be a very special job… “
“… one was left with the impression that we were really rather special, I was seventeen and cynicism was not in my vocabulary.”
” The ground sloped away to a free flowing stream some fifty yards away. This would be our water provider, in 1940 this water could be safely drunk.”
” … if they went off when you were priming plastic explosive or a hand grenade or a sticky bomb then of course the whole lot went including you. ”
” All in all we were well equipped but no mention how stocks would be replenished if it ever happened. I suppose it was assumed one would not last longer than the supplies.”
Read Geoff’s full account here
We will remember them
It is with sadness we report the passing of Auxilier, Victor Stemp.
Victor was part of the Great Bealings Patrol.
Their training was carried out by regular army soldiers based at Framlingham, including Capt Hoberton, Sgt Barry and four privates. They learnt about setting booby traps and how to move about without being seen. Victor also remembered training with grenades at GHQ Coleshill.
Our condolences to his family.
We understand that his funeral is on Tuesday at Great Bealings and his daughter has kindly arranged for any donations to be made to the BRO (British Resistance Org) Museum
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Tomorrow night at the Martlesham Heath Community Hall, Suffolk (Behind Tesco) the Martlesham Heath Aviation Society are holding a talk called “The Mobile Squad” Churchill’s Secret Army.
Auxilier Ivan Potter will be talking about his time served in the Belstead Patrol.
The talk starts at 7:30pm. Admission is £1:50 for members and £2.50 for non members. Call H King on 01473 274300 for tickets etc.
See more on Ivan’s Patrol here
Today we have added info on the Ousden Special Duties Section Control Station located at Littly Wood in Suffolk. Stations on the Inner network did not have outstations of their own but rather served the purpose of gathering (and under certain circumstances relaying) information. All these Inner network stations were in contact with one or more Control stations that were supplied with information by their own specific networks comprising a number of out and sub-outstations.
A fairly complicated set up which has been clearly explained by our researchers here
Bachelor’s Hall in Hundon, Suffolk was the first headquarters of the Special Duties Section or SDS. The top secret communication network set up to allow SDS members to report on German troop movement if we had been invaded.
The report is based primarily on information supplied by Capt Ken Ward (Royal Corps of Signals), the leader of the original TRD design team (interview 10 August 1999) and it can be read here.
An unknown Operational Base marks the end of CART’s published research for Suffolk Auxiliary Unit Patrols.
CART researchers believe they have uncovered all the known patrols in the county and now hope the public can help fill in any last pieces.
You can read the report on this OB here
Nicknamed ‘Songthrush’ the East Bergholt resistance force operated from their underground operational base situated west of East Bergholt.
The full report on these brave men can be read here
We have just added another Auxiliary Unit Patrol to the site.
Raydon patrol was also referred to as Stratford St Mary Patrol and formed part of Ipswich Group (Group No 5 Suffolk.
Sadly the OB has now collapsed but you can read the full report here
We have added the Wickham Market/Little Glemham Auxiliary Unit Patrol to the site.
The team used the codename of ‘Thrush’.
The full report by our Norfolk and Suffolk CIO’s can be seen here.