Bekesbourne Patrol

A.K.A. (nickname)
Mint
Locality

Bekesbourne village lies 3 miles south east of Canterbury.

Patrol members
Name Occupation Posted from Until
Sergeant John Herbert Mount

Farmer

29 Aug 1941 03 Dec 1944
Private William Charles Foster

Farm labourer

02 Mar 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private Frederick George Marsh

Farm lorry driver

23 Dec 1941 03 Dec 1944
Private William Harold Morgan

General labourer

18 Feb 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private Frederick William Tompsett

Poultry salesman

02 Jun 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private Sydney Rowland Tompsett

Farm labourer, tractor driver & general engineer

24 Jul 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private Henry Wetherelt Twyman

Farmer

22 Nov 1942 03 Dec 1944
Operational Base (OB)

The OB was a corrugated iron shelter buried in Farthings Wood, near to Woolton Farm, the home of John Mount, and was built by Canadian Engineers. The entrance looked like a nut tree but amongst the stool was a knot. When this was pulled, the entrance cover slid away, leading to steps. The entrance passage was at 90° so that a grenade thrown in would hit a wall and not enter the living area. The Patrol slept there two nights a week to get used to it. They had stores and ammunition for two weeks. Heating was by an oil stove. One night it was left on when the men went home. When they returned black smoke was pouring out of the chimney hole. John Mount went down to turn it off and came out coughing and choking.

OB Status
Location not known
Location

Bekesbourne Patrol

Training

Bill Foster; "We were sent to Swindon for special training with explosives and encouraged to experiment. We blew off wheels or put time pencils into petrol tanks. As a test of our skills we infiltrated the AA unit at Adisham. We were not very popular as all leave was cancelled for the troops for letting us get in."

Fred Tompsett was approached by John Mount: “We went to The Garth for training. Peter Fleming was as mad as a hatter. I was excused Coleshill because I was a poultry expert and was needed to manage the brooder house. I had a Lee Enfield .22 sniper rifle. I learnt to run, drop and shoot.”

Weapons and Equipment

Bill Foster; "We were given a revolver, a dagger and a suicide pill. We also had a tommy gun and plenty of explosives."

Other information

The Patrol members were named to researcher Adrian Westwood by Bill Foster. Two others mentioned by Fred Tompsett were Monty Sellers (Policeman) and George Gardner, these are not recorded on the nominal roll.

References

TNA ref WO199/3391 and WO199/3390

Hancock data held at B.R.A

Phil Evans

Adrian Westwood