Dinder Patrol

County Group
Somerset Group 11 - Wells
Locality

Dinder is a small village 2½ miles west of Shepton Mallet, and 2 miles east of Wells in Somerset.

Patrol members
Name Occupation Posted from Until
Sergeant Fred Joseph Shatwell

Schoolmaster Assistant Head

 24 Jun 1940 03 Dec 1944
Private Charles Henry Clark

Dairy farmer

 03 Jun 1940 03 Dec 1944
Private Sydney F. Down

Assisting father dairy farmer

 14 Jun 1940 03 Dec 1944
Private Dennis Reginald Dyke

Farmer

 16 Mar 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private Horace Padfield Godfrey

Poultry farmer

 06 Jun 1940 03 Dec 1944
Private Percival Harry Hull

Estate carpenter

 03 Jun 1940 03 Dec 1944
Private Clifford Reginald Taylor

Dairy farmer assisting father

 07 Jun 1940 03 Dec 1944
Operational Base (OB)

It is recalled the Patrol had two OBs. Horace Godfrey recalled the Patrol initially made use of a split in the rock of Foster Yeoman's Quarry on the south side of Dulcote Hill. A natural cave system was enlarged by blasting. Dennis Dyke knew about it but it was replaced by a more conventional OB in Lyatt Wood by the time he joined in 1942.

The OB in Lyatt Wood was started to be built by the Patrol but finished by the regular army. They dug up a fir tree, buried a "Nissen hut" then replanted the fir tree. The main chamber was split into two and they made bunk beds of wire netting with a wooden frame. The entrance was a trap door that then had a two step drop down entrance. They stored food and explosives there. It appears the OB had wooden flooring and in the centre of the main chamber floor is some form of sump to allow for drainage.

Patrol & OB pictures
Somerset Dinder OB sump
Somerset Dinder OB sump
Somerset Dinder OB sump outlined
Somerset Dinder OB sump outlined
Somerset Dinder OB step into outlined
Somerset Dinder OB step into outlined
Somerset Dinder OB exit
Somerset Dinder OB exit - jacket is above entrance
Somerset Dinder OB exit
Somerset Dinder OB exit
Somerset Dinder OB entrance - jacket is above exit
Somerset Dinder OB entrance - jacket is above exit
Somerset Dinder OB main chamber from entrance looking towards exit
Somerset Dinder OB main chamber from entrance looking towards exit
Somerset Dinder OB main chamber from entrance looking towards exit left side
Somerset Dinder OB main chamber from entrance looking towards exit left side
Somerset Dinder OB main chamber from entrance looking towards exit right side
Somerset Dinder OB main chamber from entrance looking towards exit right side
Somerset Dinder OB main chamber from entrance looking towards exit
Somerset Dinder OB main chamber from entrance looking towards exit
OB Status
Collapsed with some visible remains
OB accessibility
This OB is on private land. Please do not be tempted to trespass to see it
Location

Dinder Patrol

Other information

Lieutenant Edward Harrison was a geography teacher and assistant Headmaster at Wells Cathedral School and seems to have recruited quite a few ex-pupils into the Patrols under his command.

The Patrols of Group 11 under Lieutenant Harrison: Dinder Patrol, Green Ore (Wells) Patrol, Ebbor Patrol and Butleigh Patrol met at The Bekynton Cafe in Wells on Friday 15th December 1945 for a reunion meal. The men enjoyed steamed cod and parsley sauce with peas and Brussels sprouts. Pudding was damson pie and custard and they were each presented with a letter of thanks from the Commander in Chief Home Forces, General Sir Harold Franklyn.

They met again on Thursday 19th December 1946 at Wickenden's Restaurant where the Wells Journal openly calls them Aux Units.

References

TNA ref WO199/3390 & WO199/3391

Hancock data held at B.R.A

1939 Register

Wells stand down menu

Don Brown and his research for Defence of Britain Project who was able to interview Horace Godfrey and Dennis Dyke.

Lady Showering

Chris Perry