New Romney is a seaside town on southern side of Kent.
| Name | Occupation | Posted from | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sergeant Percy Harold Clark | Delivery driver |
10 Jun 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Walter Edwin Bolton | Builders labourer |
22 Oct 1941 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Francis Henry Carey | 25 Oct 1943 | 03 Feb 1944 | |
| Private Frank Carey | Driver of motor vehicles, furniture remover, lorry work bus & taxi |
20 Jan 1942 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Raymond David Fagg | Baker |
Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Stanley Edward Homewood | Livestock & arable farmer |
09 Nov 1942 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Jack Lancaster | Farm labourer |
09 Dec 1942 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Gordon Ernest Prior | 12 Dec 1943 | 03 Dec 1944 | |
| Private Edwin Claude Reynolds | 22 Oct 1941 | 22 Nov 1942 | |
| Private Alfred Charles Veness | Assistant superintendent - Assurance Company |
20 Jul 1940 | 15 Jun 1943 |
| Private William Thomas Wimble | Agricultural merchants lorry driver |
22 Oct 1941 | 03 Dec 1944 |
The OB was immediately adjacent to an unmade public road and was blown up after the war. The few remains that are visible are adjacent to a drainage ditch, dry in October. All that can be seen among an overgrown thicket are a few lumps of concrete that look like the roof slab of about four inches thick, with signs of brick mortar on one of them that may have been from the walls.
The OB was under a sheep pen in the field behind Chapel Land Farm, Old Romney. The sheep pen had a cobbled floor. If you moved a certain cobble stone it was counter balanced to reveal the entrance. Once closed, the sheep could continue to move about on top. It was destroyed after the war when all the fields were knocked into one. The OB was not used often in order to prevent being observed or attracting attention. Stores were kept in the OB but not weapons.
For a month before the OB was built the explosives and stores were stored in the back bedroom at Percy Clark’s home. This was at a time when the air raids were at their heaviest.
New Romney Patrol
Percy Clarke; “Our job was to harass the enemy, but not to kill unless it was in self-defence. It was felt that if we killed the enemy he would only double his efforts to track us down. However, make no mistake, we would have killed if we had to. We were to sabotage whatever we could. Our job in the event of an invasion was to destroy road bridges, stores and vehicles and to cause as much damage as possible through sabotage; but we were not to get into a fight with the Germans. We knew we could not stop an invasion, but we could delay it. My wife knew enough that we would disappear in the event of an invasion. She would be evacuated with the other civilians".
Percy Clarke; “We went to Coleshill, three times between 1940 - 44. It was stressed that this was for real and not an exercise. We’d arrive at about 6pm on the Friday, find our quarters, have a wash and then eat. There was a wonderful, huge mahogany dining table where everyone sat and ate. From 8pm - 11pm there would be lectures followed by a Question and Answer session. Our sleeping quarters were, initially, in a Nissan hut but later in the converted stables. Mornings started at 5.30am and everyone washed together; no distinction between ranks. After breakfast the next morning we would have more lectures, followed by practice with explosives, grenades and small arms. We were also shown various types of German weapons. There was a big night-time operation with all the patrols involved, some 25 - 30 people from all over the country. We were driven around in a truck for half an hour, dumped and then given a map and a target to attack. On Sunday morning, the Sergeant brought everyone a cup of tea and made breakfast.
We often trained at my house with the excuse that they were running a card school !
We patrolled our area twice a week and infiltrated Regular Army units at Lympne and Newchurch. Sometimes we combined with Dick Body’s patrol for exercises, but we never knew the location of their OB. We never wore insignia on our uniforms, only stripes, and no-one asked why we were carrying revolvers. We nicknamed Body’s group the ‘Coffee Sippers’, as he was a tee-totaler and would not allow his men to go to the pub with us."
Percy Clarke; “We were armed with Thompsons, Stens, revolvers, grenades and knives. We never had phosphorous bombs as they are no use in open country. We also had, later on, two field telephones to link the OB with the OP. We kept the stores in the OB but kept our weapons with us."
Percy was issued with his explosives before the OB was built so he stored them in his back bedroom in tin boxes ! Nothing was collected after the war so he started to blow stuff up "but it made too big a bang...we never sampled the gallon of rum".
Percy Clarke: “We had special ID cards with Auxiliary Unit 203 on it and a Wye telephone number. This allowed us to go anywhere we wanted, no questions asked. It was all about self preservation. We were not out to look for a fight. We were told to kill our injured comrades. We did not expect to survive, but we would have done what we could. Our chances were not much. We had the best training and equipment. Our collection point was the Airship Hole in Kings Wood. I doubt if would have made it.
Before D - Day it was hinted that we might be dropped into Normandy. We didn’t think much of the idea - we didn’t speak French and didn’t know the terrain. We were recruited because we knew the Marsh and its bridges and dykes.
Stand Down happened in November 1944. At the final meeting at The Garth we were told to go home and re-join the rest of the community and forget we ever existed. It was a very flat feeling. We were picked men who were willing to do anything to stop the enemy. Part of your life went with Stand Down. After the war, the secrecy continued and we even destroyed our copies of the Countryman’s calendar. Although it was hard work, we enjoyed it. The petrol coupons were a boon.”
TNA ref WO199/3391 and WO199/3390
Hancock data held at B.R.A
Phil Evans
Adrian Westwood who interviewed Percy Clarke
Martin Male
IWM refs 14818 and 13612