North Petherton is a small town in Somerset, England, situated on the edge of the eastern foothills of the Quantocks, and close to the edge of the Somerset Levels.
Name | Occupation | Posted from | Until |
---|---|---|---|
Sergeant John Christopher Norman | Farm bailiff |
23 Sep 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
Private Alec James Devonport Berry | Farmer's son |
09 Mar 1942 | 03 Dec 1944 |
Private Ernest Robert Heal | Farmer |
23 Sep 1940 | 13 Mar 1943 |
Private Christopher Allen House | Farmer |
23 Sep 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
Private Ernest James Rich | Harness maker |
31 Jul 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
Private Reginald John Shattock | Farmer |
Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
Private Geoffrey Edwin George Wills | Farmer |
11 Nov 1941 | 17 Aug 1943 |
The OB was located at Floods Farm and after the war was unbolted and removed by Auxilier House's son Alan to use as a motorcycle store and garage on his family farm at Lower Clavelshay. It was made of corrugated elephant shelter iron.
The Floods Farm area has been planted with trees and forested since the war, it has a lot of ground cover, and heavy machinery has been used in this wood. This farm site is on a flat area that runs the length of this wood, which is at the bottom of a small valley. The OB was hidden in the garden of Floods Farm, to the right of the track to the farm, going down the slope, only the cow shed remains on this site. There is no sign of where the OB had been.
To access the OB, you went through a tunnel, which was hidden by a slab, into the OB. This tunnel went down the slope, under the garden. During WW2 this valley area was grass land. The South edge / boundary of the top of the valley, had trees lined along it, and also the Floods Farm site was covered in trees, but around this is grass fields.
Another OB, possibly later in construction, was rumoured to have been built in King's Cliff Wood. This is just up the road from Captain Baird's house at Ashfield House.
Another possible store was located at Standard's Plantation. This wood has been planted with trees and forested since the war, it has also some ground cover. No evidence appears to remain but it could have simply been a buried box rather than a structure.
North Petherton Patrol
Transport targets would have included railways - Minehead to Taunton, and in the area of Bridgwater, and to its south along with Road, railway, river, canal bridges. Road targets were; A 38 (south of Bridgwater), A 39, A 361, A 372 (east of Bridgwater), A358 Minehead to Taunton.
Military targets included RAF Weston Zoyland 1939 – 1958 (the airfield was used for summer camps 1925 – 1939) and Norton Fitzwarren, and its military sites.
Bridgwater town with its factories, and docks along with local large houses if taken over by the enemy eg, Tetton House, Broomfeild Court, Hestercombe House.
Captain Thomas Baird lived at the nearby Ashfield House in North Petherton so they most likely trained there.
TNA ref WO199/3390 & WO199/3391
Hancock data held at B.R.A
1939 Register
Chris Perry
The Berry and House families
Somerset Heritage Centre ref DD/SLI/12/2/26 and PRN 10191, 17912, 10185