Churchill's Secret Army - Auxiliary Units in WW2

Churchill's Secret Army - Auxiliary Units in WW2
With Andrew Chatterton
Home Front and Civilian content on WW2TV
• The Home Front
Our guest for this show is Andrew Chatterton, Press Officer with the Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team (CART). www.staybehinds.com
CART is a group of volunteer researchers who look into the Auxiliary Units and Special Duties branch, who would have made up parts of a highly secret civilian resistance force had the Germans attempted to land in the Second World War. This was the unit sometimes called "Churchill's Secret Army."
CART works with relatives to find out more about individuals, try and locate their secret underground bunkers, work out the role and targets and try to uncover the layers of secrecy that remain on much of what this top-secret force was supposed to do.
Other WW2TV Shows about Resistance activities in WW2:
The French Resistance - The Fight Against the Nazis • The French Resistance ...
The French Resistance in Normandy - Before and After DDay • The French Resistance ...
Jean Moulin - Uniting the French Resistance • Jean Moulin - Uniting ...
France and the Occupation Reconsidered - Resistance and Collaboration • France and the Occupat...
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[@TheEccentricMan]

There’s a great little booklet produced by a group from Northumberland. It mentions that the Auxiliary units would be given tasks such as placing dummy explosives on planes and equipment on local military air bases and camps as training.

[@Pam_N]

As I begin listening to this show and Paul's opening remarks, I am smiling as I reflect on Paul's tremendous efforts and hard work that he puts into his WW2TV, and all the great shows before and since this episode aired. Bravo Paul Woodadge! Congratulations! And THANK YOU!!

[@jonathanmarsh5955]

Thank you very much, gentlemen! Like you, my I introduction to all this was David Lampe's 'The Last Ditch' which I first read in 1974 or 1975. When I was a Museum Worker, Auxiliary Unit related stuff tended to be delegated down to me! Of particular interest was a scrapbook, amongst other ephemera, compiled by a local Farmer/ Patrol Leader. Also a small notebook with the daily patrol QM ammunition returns! Also, a large ring binder full of correspondence relating to the topic below. After the war, the Home Guard was briefly reformed but was eventually binned again, ostensibly for financial reasons. The then Labour government Defence Minister at the time was one Woodrow Wyatt, ironically enough! There was a public meeting held, with Woodrow Wyatt as target of honour!, on this very subject in Dover Town Hall which was packed with exHG, many of whom were former Auxiliary Unit members. This could be inferred from the content of much of the correspondence contained in the ring binder referred to above. Most of the letters were very polite and anodyne, acknowledging the invitation to come to Dover but occasionally there was more worrying content, referring to the assassination of Trade Union leaders and similar! Apparently the British AuxUnit model was later used for NATO Stay-Behinds/Gladio units.

[@oldgitsknowstuff]

Auxiliary units were also referred to in the series HEARTBEAT in a couple of episodes.

[@garethevans60]

My grandad was in group No5 Ipswich 2 patrol. There is a great museum at Parham airfield in Suffolk that’s definitely worth a look 👍

[@oldgitsknowstuff]

Humorous anecdote. A friend of mine, who 'left the building in 1988 told me that when he was 15 years old he came home from school and his Mum gave him a good hiding. Why ? I hear you ask.. She had found a Thompson sub machine gun under his bed ! She thought he had joined the Mafia. He assured her that he was a member of the local defence force. She wasn't happy....

[@m15terp]

Well done Chats - you sure do know your stuff :)

[@jonathanbending8958]

Excellent show, thank you.

[@Pam_N]

Fascinating history, excellent story telling, and great information from Andrew Chatterton.

[@WW2TV]

Many thanks!

[@matthewmoss1589]

Wonderful chat!

[@WW2TV]

Thanks

[@simonogrady2160]

The 7th day as they were called the home guard were a diversion for them to operate as much as possible. Only recognised recently they took their Berserker role to the grave. Never called into action however they would have fought to the death to cause havoc to the invaders. Balls of Brass.

[@nomadmarauder-dw9re]

People wanting another season of Downton Abbey pay attention.

[@nomadmarauder-dw9re]

Balls. Plenty of folks were probably ready to last more than 2 weeks. Nobody believes it'll happen to them...

[@oldgitsknowstuff]

Please may I recommend a film entitled...It happened here.

[@nomadmarauder-dw9re]

I've got a bargain bin DVD set called Hitler's Britain. There's a pretty good docudrama about this. Filmed on Jersey. Or one of the islands. There's a lot about German policy on those islands as well. May be on KZbin. Hell, everything's on KZbin.

[@oldgitsknowstuff]

@nomadmarauder-dw9re Thank you for acknowledging this film. It was a very low budget and contained actual German Propaganda footage in the trailer. Germans officers visiting historical London landmarks prior to their invasion of England. I showed this to a friend of mine who couldn't believe that there were German forces swanning around London in 1940. High 5s and respects.

[@oldgitsknowstuff]

I'm somewhat surprised that you've only just discovered this... All of us post war kids knew all about the auxiliaries. I was born in 1950 and by the time I was 7 years old I knew about stickeybombs, Molotov cocktails, underground caches of arms and specials going underground prior to Jerry overrunning us. Churchill motto was 'Take one with you' When these auxiliaries became activated they were given an envelope to open. It contained a list of local.people to Eliminate. One particular list had the Chief Constable at the top.

[@WW2TV]

Who do you mean when you say "you've" me? Andrew? The viewers?

[@oldgitsknowstuff]

@@WW2TV I apologise if I've caused any upset. When I say 'You've as in 3rd person plural.....it refers to whoever, anonymous and nobody specific. I don't know you or the other chap called Andrew ? Anyway, what I was attempting to say was that as kids, our parents, more our grandparents gave us much information about wartime stuff that might not have been officially available I the 1950s. EG. My Dear old Mum was a Battle of Britain and London Blitz veteran, and she was also a member of the Royal Observer Corps and postwar..the Civil Defence unit. Shame they've been disbanded especially in these times. She knew all about how to treat radiation victims and how to dispose of dead bodies so they don't stink up the place. Our Mum's and Dad's never told us about the nitty-gritty details of WW2, neither was this subject on the school curriculum. Reason being....everybody and his dog was involved. The 'Auxiliaries' were known about in the 50s, and the 60s albeit unofficially. There's an episode of 'Heartbeat ' that portrays someone who had access to an underground secret bunker which was fully equipped with everything a guerilla fighter needs to create murder and mayhem. What I stated about the 'People to do' list is apparently true and correct. Many people in this country in 1940 had a handy revolver in which they had 1 round to blow out their brains, and that was just the civil population, usually Wives and sweethearts. No..I'm not kidding. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance to you. History becomes blurred as time goes by and although the participants have departed and joined the end of the column they passed on much info to their kids, who are now in their 70s. Anyway, as I said, take a look at the crappy Black and white film called 'It happened here' High 5s for your production by the way.

[@andychatterton9715]

@@oldgitsknowstuff They have been known about for years - never officially recognised and new information coming out all of the time. The Aux Units/Special Duties Branch and more recently the post-occupation civilian defence called Section VII (run by SIS) are all secret in the sense that we know little about the specifics. The more we research the more we find out. Also most of the population have absolutely no idea at all - and perceive Britain's defence as Dad's Army. Lots more information to discover even if the notion of the Aux Units has been known about before.

[@oldgitsknowstuff]

@@andychatterton9715 Of course, and I respect the fact that your are enlightening the viewers about events that occurred a long time ago, within living memory (first generation history). My knowledge is from direct contact with those involved....You are having the benefit of previously secret records being made available after their time limit has expired. Is this a fair assumption ? I'm not knocking or attempting to undermine your research or your presentation, I'm pleased that someone is actually researching stuff that went on during WW2. Please let me know if I can help. My respects to you. May God bless Her Majesty.

[@oldgitsknowstuff]

@@andychatterton9715 . Another History fun fact... On September 8th 1940...my dear old Mum (God rest her soul) Was...After hearing the codeword 'CROMWELL'.. was hiding at the back of a garden shed with her boyfriend armed with a swordstick awaiting the imminent arrival of the Jerry Fallschimjagar both descending in gliders and from parachutes....disguised as Catholic Nuns....! You could not make this up. This is true and correct, this actually happened. Your thoughts please....

[@hainmacsheoinin1747]

At 38 minutes the photo has my family's grandad, 2nd right crouched down. Peter mcdougall aka The Duke due to his resemblance to john wayne. From leven fife

[@WW2TV]

Brilliant, thanks for sharing

[@andychatterton9715]

Thanks Hain. The Patrol picture is of the Warsash Patrol in Hampshire. We don’t have Peter’s name down associated with the Patrol. In fact I can’t find a McDougall in our records at all. It would be great if You could send further info to me. Many thanks, Andrew

[@hainmacsheoinin1747]

Hi. Apparantly tthtas what we got told. That no mention of him. But we all know it's him. He had 12 kids and a lot of grandkids. Couple uncles told stories of him going down south. And cleaning a belt.and other stuff. But that is him in photo. All the cousins think so too. As soon as we seen photo it was clear as day

[@andychatterton9715]

@@hainmacsheoinin1747 interesting. Thanks so much. Well do some digging and see what we can find out.

[@thegreatdominion949]

Apparently there weren't any detachments of this "secret army" in the Channel Islands. I wonder why not. The latter would seem to be the most logical location to position such troops given the much higher probability of a German invasion there.

[@funfox8133]

The Auxunits organisation weren't formed until after the Channel Islands were occupied.

[@thegreatdominion949]

@@funfox8133 While there were probably no fully trained personnel in this organization at the time of the German landings on the Channel Islands, I assume members of this force could have been inserted by sea or air at a later date in the same manner as SOE agents into occupied countries if conditions on the ground had allowed for it. The fact that there was no significant armed resistance among the residents of the islands and the British government discouraged such activities for fear of mass reprisals against its citizens is probably foremost among the reasons why not.

[@alistairclarke6726]

What an enlightening documentary. I hope you could find some time in the future to do a Sealion week. This just reinforces the notion that Britain would never have just rolled over to any German invasion. Cracker boys!

[@nomadmarauder-dw9re]

I just went to You Tube. My docudrama Hitler's Britain is on it. Not mine ss a creator but owner. Found in a DVD graveyard. Bargai Bin.