CART Auxiliary Unit Research

A.K.A. (nickname)

Abednigo

County Group

Locality

Leominster is a market town 12 miles north of Hereford and 7 miles south of Ludlow in Shropshire.

Patrol members

Name	Occupation	Posted from	Until
Sergeant Richard Edward Holford	Poultry farmer	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Corporal Geoffrey Herbert Chambers	Auctioneer	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private Robert Thomas Harold Brooks	Motor mechanic	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private Neston Dana Ord Capper	Farmer	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private Frank James Hancorn	Farmer	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private John Henry Arthur Hawkins	School master	Unknown	1942
Private William Edward Watkin Rogers	Farm manager	Unknown	Unknown
Private Geoffrey Probert Thomas	Farmer	Unknown	03 Dec 1944

Operational Base (OB)

The OB remains are in the edge of Wellington Wood on the flank of Dinmore Hill.

Only some small sections of corrugated iron remain but the outline depression of the OB can clearly be made out. It appears, from the remains, the layout is an entrance chamber measuring 7 foot around leads to a short tunnel. There is then a small T junction with a short (3 foot) blind tunnel to the right, which could have been used as a store. The main tunnel leads 9 foot to the left opening into what is most likely the main chamber which still has some corrugated iron in situ. This is approximately 12 foot square. At the far end of this chamber is a dog legged, 3 foot wide tunnel which runs for around 12 foot before petering out. This is most likely the escape tunnel though would have been of little use unless disguised on the surface in some way.

Patrol & OB pictures

Leominster OB (from Matthew Knight)

Looking towards the OB in wood above cottage

Entrance chamber

Entrance chamber with passage beyond and blind end to right

Entrance chamber with passage beyond and blind end to right

Entrance chamber with passage beyond and blind end to right and main chamber beyond

Looking down passage to main chamber

Remains in main chamber

Remains in main chamber

Main chamber

Main chamber looking towards escape tunnel

End of escape tunnel

From escape tunnel looking back to main chamber

Leominster diagram (from Matthew Knight)

Click the hotspots inside the image to start the interactive virtual tour. For a more accessible version, open the accessible virtual tour. View licence.

OB Status

Destroyed

OB accessibility

The OB site is publicly accessible

Location

Leominster Patrol

Patrol Targets

An assumed target would have been the railway line running through Dinmore Tunnel and the main A49 over Dinmore Hill.

Training

Hereford Patrols trained at Holmer Grange, the home of Captain Hughie Hall. Auxiliers had memories of a large lake with a pontoon bridge over. An exercise was to run over the pontoon with all their equipment, missing the part of the bridge that was primed to collapse. If they didn't fall in, the instructors pushed them in anyway.

A stuffed dummy mounted in a doorway was used for silent killing practice.

A competition between all six Patrols took place at a farm at Holmer. Each Patrol had to place a magnet with the Patrols name attached on some farm equipment stored in a yard. Getting in and out without being spotted the victor was Bromyard Patrol.

Weapons and Equipment

Geoffrey Thomas' son recalls a cache of Sticky Bombs being found on his land after the war which the Royal Engineers were called in to deal with.

Other information

Along with other Patrols from around the country some from Leominster Patrol were recruited to defend the Isle of Wight in June 1944 during the time of D-Day.

Herefordshire Patrols had their first reunion dinner on 26th January 1945 at Booth Hall in Hereford.

References

TNA ref WO199/3389

Hancock data held at B.R.A.

The Mercian Maquis by Bernard Lowry & Mick Wilks

David Thomas, Auxilier Geoff Thomas' Grandson,

1939 Register

Matthew Knight