The first Patrol Leader was Ernest William "Bill" Spencer, who bred award winning chickens at Hiskeys Farm, with Charles Frostick as his assistant and later business partner. Spencer had served through the whole of the First World War, including with the Army of Occupation in Germany. It is believed he suffered from mustard gas and maybe other injuries as he had a nurse attend to his ailments for the rest of his life.
When Frostick left the Patrol to join the Army in 1942, it seems that Spencer stood down as Patrol Sergeant as he had lost his help on the farm and no longer had as much time. The nominal roll records that he reverted to the rank of Private but remained in the Patrol.
He retired to Matlock, Derbyshire. He never married and thus had no issue.
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mistley Patrol | Patrol Leader | Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
Pedigree poultry breeder
Frostick Family archive
TNA ref WO199/3389
1939 Register