Redruth Patrol

Locality

Redruth is a town in the West of Cornwall and the one time mining capital of Britain. It lies on the route of the old London to Lands End trunk road, now the A30. Camborne and Redruth together form the largest urban area in Cornwall.

Patrol members
Name Occupation Posted from Until
Sergeant Eric Pearce

Mechanical draftsman

06 Jun 1940 03 Dec 1944
Corporal John Frank Horler

Engineer clerk

27 May 1940 03 Dec 1944
Private Clifford Gordon Emmett

Engineer

21 Jan 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private Sidney Percy Raymond Forder

Foreman in charge of tool room

11 Aug 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private Jack Green

Engineer clerk

21 Jan 1941 16 Apr 1943
Private Richard Neville Hosking

Farmer

23 Jan 1943 03 Dec 1944
Private Richard Frederick Edwin Hosking

Farm worker

25 Aug 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private Douglas Felix Roskrow

Jig and tool designer

Unknown Unknown
Private Harry Lane Walker

Engineering fitter

07 Jun 1940 05 Dec 1942
Private Stanley James Whittaker

Engineer

28 Feb 1941 25 Oct 1944
Operational Base (OB)

The OB was built in 1940 by the Patrol on Grambler Farm, and consisted of a Nissen hut structure measuring 18 foot by 12 foot, built 10 foot underground. It had two sections, with an entrance in one field and an emergency exit in an adjoining field. It was equipped with bunks and cooking equipment.

The OB was destroyed by fire some time after the war had ended. Local children had discovered the OB and set fire to some Molotov Cocktails they had found stored inside. Luckily nobody was injured by the blaze and the local Fire Brigade and the Bomb Disposal Squad from Plymouth were both called to the scene.
In 2000 all that remained was an indentation in the ground indicating the outline of the OB.

Today that too has been filled in and the field boundary wall reinstated.

Patrol & OB pictures
OB Image
Caption & credit
OB site 2000 (from Alwyn Harvey)
OB Image
Caption & credit
OB site 2000. Note depression between the two white sticks (from Alwyn Harvey)
OB Image
Caption & credit
OB site 2000 (from Alwyn Harvey)
OB Image
Caption & credit
OB site 2013
OB Image
Caption & credit
OB site 2013
OB Image
Caption & credit
OB site 2013
OB Image
Caption & credit
Gambler Farm
OB Image
Caption & credit
Climax Rock Drill & Engineering Works (English Heritage)
OB Status
Destroyed
OB accessibility
This OB is on private land. Please do not be tempted to trespass to see it
Location

Redruth Patrol

Patrol Targets

Assumed targets in the area would have been the Redruth railway viaduct and the main A30 trunk road.

Training

Stanley Whittaker remembered training with “the Commandos” at a bungalow in Carlyon Bay Road, St Austell.

The Cornwall Scout Section were based at Porthean House in Porthpean near St Austell.

Weapons and Equipment

When interviewed in 2000 Stanley Whittaker remembered dynamite and plastic explosives that were stored in the OB and that they were issued with .38 Smith & Wesson revolvers, Bren guns, Thompson sub-machine guns, commando knives and knuckle dusters.

Ray Forder, the son of Sidney Forder, remembers a time when a cache of weapons suddenly appeared at the house and were stored casually in the spare bedroom. He remembers a a Sten gun, a 0.22 Snipers rifle with telescopic sight, a 0.45 Colt revolver, a black steel commando knife and copious quantities of ammunition. He often used the snipers rifle over the back wall of the house trying to hit rabbits. Ray and his friend from across the road often “played” with explosives, fuses and bullets in the front yard, often scolded for their antics by his Mother. The weapons had disappeared by the time the family moved to St Just in May 1944.

Other information

Apart from the Hosking father and son all the Auxiliers worked at Climax Rock Drill and Engineering Works. In WW2 the factory was making components for Vickers and Bren guns.

References

Alwyn Harvey and his work on The Defence of Britain Database

TNA reference WO199/3391

Hancock data held at B.R.A

Joan Whittaker and memories recorded by Kate Langdon on BBC WW2 People's War.

Ray Forder and family.

English Heritage