Somerset

Somerset flag
Overview

The 39 Somerset Auxiliary Units Patrols can be divided into 12 Groups by lists recorded by Major Malcolm Hancock based at Coleshill House around September 1944. There were some changes in Patrols and personnel over time and the Group structure did not exist earlier in the war, but it provides a useful way to look at the Patrols.

One of the Somerset nominal roll is a simple A-Z address book. The only way to identify which Auxiliers were in what Patrol is by their home address, so where Patrols are close together there may be some question over which Patrol they were part of.

Somerset Patrols have a Memorial Tree planted at Coleshill Estate.

Headquarters

The initial Headquarters used was the Territorial Hall, Taunton. By mid-1941 it had moved to 68 Monmouth Street, Bridgewater. On 22 August 1942 it moved to Sherwood House, Goathurst, Bridgewater, Somerset. It returned to the Taunton area when Auxiliary Units took over The Lodge, Bishops Lydeard on 8th September 1943. It remained there until Somerset became part of Area 4 on 27 September 1944 with the Headquarters at East Street, Ashburton, Devon.

Intelligence Officers (IO)
Role Name Posted from Until
Intelligence Officer Captain Alan John Pitts Crick 20 Oct 1940 23 Nov 1940
Intelligence Officer Captain Ian Fenwick 23 Nov 1940 15 Sep 1942
Intelligence Officer Captain Lawrence Strangman 06 Oct 1942 25 Aug 1943
Intelligence Officer Captain John Walcot Holberton 05 Sep 1943 01 Apr 1944
Intelligence Officer Captain John Mulgrave Martin (MC) 01 Apr 1944 22 Sep 1944
Intelligence Officer Major Wilfred Welchman Harston 27 Sep 1944 03 Dec 1944
Scout sections

The was a North Somerset Scout Section and a South Somerset Scout Section. In April 1943, as part of the reduction in the regular Army component of Auxiliary Units, the Scout Sections were reduced in size. There may have been a Combined Somerset Scout Section after this, though no evidence of its existence has been found to date. In most areas during 1944 the Scout Sections were reduced to just four men to provide training support to the Home Guard Patrols.

Map of Patrol locations

Admiralty 1 (Kelston Park) Patrol

Admiralty 2 (Langridge) Patrol

Admiralty 3 (Warminster Road) Patrol

Admiralty 4 (Prior Park) Patrol

Admiralty 5 (Newton Park) Patrol

Ashbrittle Patrol

Baltonsborough Patrol

Bathampton Patrol

Blagdon Patrol

Blue Anchor Patrol

Bruton Patrol

Butleigh Patrol

Chard Patrol

Cheddar Patrol

Chew Stoke Patrol

Compton Bishop Patrol

Crewkerne Patrol

Croydon Hall Patrol

Curry Mallet Patrol

Dinder Patrol

East Coker Patrol

East Woodlands Patrol

Ebbor Gorge Patrol

Englishcombe Patrol

Great Elm Patrol

Green Ore (Wells) Patrol

Marksbury Patrol

Martock Patrol

Midsomer Norton Patrol

Nether Stowey Patrol

North Petherton Patrol

Podimore Patrol

Roadwater Patrol

Sandford Levvy Patrol

Smeatharpe Patrol

Southstoke Patrol

Spaxton Patrol

Swainswick Patrol

Taunton Patrol

Temple Cloud Patrol

Washford Patrol

Watchet Patrol

Wedmore Patrol

Wellington Patrol

Weston Patrol

Wrington Patrol

Groups and Patrols
Battalion
Pictures & documents
OB Image
Caption & credit
TNA ref WO199/3265 Particular of Sums
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Caption & credit
TNA ref WO199/3265 Io list 1942
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Caption & credit
TNA ref WO199/3265 Change of Dorset and Somerset IOs
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Caption & credit
TNA ref WO199/3265 IO List 1944
OB Image
Caption & credit
TNA ref WO199/3265 Somerset bank account
OB Image
Caption & credit
TNA ref WO199/3265 Change of IOs
OB Image
Caption & credit
Commander's shooting competition (SHC ref DD\SLI/12/2/26)