CART Auxiliary Unit Research

County Group

Locality

Tamerton Foliot was a village but is now a suburb in the north of Plymouth. It is near the confluence of the Rivers Tavy and Tamar.

Patrol members

Name	Occupation	Posted from	Until
Sergeant George Tilbury	Builder's labourer at public works	13 Sep 1941	03 Dec 1944
Corporal Edward George Pedrick	Market gardener	09 Jun 1940	03 Dec 1944
Private Leslie Gordon Bennetto	Builder	29 Aug 1942	16 Apr 1943
Private Charles Henry Chanter	Market gardener	31 Dec 1940	18 Mar 1944
Private Kenneth James Fenton	Student	31 Jan 1942	13 Jan 1943
Private Kenneth Frank Fitz	Dockyard messenger	31 Dec 1941	03 Dec 1944
Private David W. Gillett	Student	16 Mar 1944	30 Sep 1944
Private Robert Douglas Kingdom	Motor mechanic	1940	24 Jul 1943
Private Ronald Walter Medland	Blacksmith apprentice	17 Feb 1941	16 Apr 1943
Private John Pethick	Market gardener	21 Jan 1942	03 Dec 1944
Private William Albert Southwould	Sheet metal worker	10 May 1942	03 Dec 1944
Private John Michael P. Symons	Greengrocer	03 Sep 1942	03 Dec 1944

Operational Base (OB)

Ronald Medland told the family of having an underground OB at Roborough, and that he was issued with a commando knife and Sten Gun. They would do night exercises around Tamerton Foliot and on one occasion blew up a farmer's granite trough.

Sergeant George Tilbury used to tell stories about their escapades. His niece only remembers him saying that they had an ammunition store under Ball Field behind the quarry in Roborough Lane. The view from the top of that field being over the Tamar river. The field also had a search light at the top of the hill

Patrol & OB pictures

1940s OS map

Great Trehills Farm Tamerton Ball Field 30-10-24 Aux Unit Location

View of the billets site from the search light position (from Andy Medland)

Great Trehills Farm Tamerton Ball Field 30-10-24 Aux Unit Location-13

Possible store location behind the cones and under the bales (from Andy Medland)

Great Trehills Farm Tamerton Ball Field 30-10-24 Aux Unit Location-11

Highest point of the field and location of the search light (from Andy Medland)

Great Trehills Farm Tamerton Ball Field 30-10-24 Aux Unit Location-2

View from the search light location towards the store, the River Tavy and the Tamar in the distance (from Andy Medland)

Great Trehills Farm Tamerton Ball Field 30-10-24 Aux Unit Location-12

Entrance of Ball Field from the road (from Andy Medland)

Possible store location behind the cones and under the bales (from Andy Medland)

OB Status

Destroyed

OB accessibility

This OB is on private land. Please do not be tempted to trespass to see it

Location

Tamerton Foliot Patrol

Patrol Targets

The proximity to the River Tavey and Tamar would make any river traffic a possible target. The River Tavy rail bridge along with the smaller Black Bridge would cause disruption to supplies heading north from the City of Plymouth if blocked or damaged.

Disruption at the junction of the A386 and the A38 at Crownhill would have hindered supplies both north and east.

The Patrol could even have had targets within the City.

Weapons and Equipment

It is assumed they were issued with the standard kit, arms and explosives.

Other information

Tamerton Foliot is mentioned in the diary of Group Commander Cyril Wellington in Nov 1942 when he visits with Leslie Bennetto.

John Pethick remembered the group meeting with the Devon Intelligence Officer, Captain Stuart Edmundson in The Queens Arms, Tamerton Foliot.

After detailed instructions on the care of firearms he remembered Captain Edmundson reciting a poem ;

A man's not old when his hair turns grey
And a man's not old when his teeth decay
But a man is old and is near his last sleep
When he makes a date which he cannot keep.

Captain Edmundson later denied any responsibility for the poem.

References

TNA ref WO199/3391

Hancock data held at B. R. A

BROM newsletter number 5 (March 2000)

1939 Register

Andy Medland, Carolyn Luke, Sarah Parker

Photos Andy Medland and land owner Ron Luke 2024