Wareham Patrol

Locality

Wareham is the main town in the Purbeck region of Dorset situated in the western end of Poole Harbour, with road and rail connections.

Patrol members
Name Occupation Posted from Until
Sergeant Sidney Paul Nicholas Williams

Travelling salesman

03 Jun 1940 03 Dec 1944
Corporal William Ronald Cottee

Agricultural auctioneer

20 Jun 1940 15 Dec 1942
Lance Corporal Edward Ivor John Legg

Farm carter

20 Jul 1940 03 Dec 1944
Private Jeffrey Samuel Brooks

Mechanical fitter

15 Jun 1940 03 Dec 1944
Private Charles James Gover

Clay miner underground

27 Aug 1940 03 Dec 1944
Private Leslie Thomas Gover

Clay miner underground

26 Feb 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private Charles Ernest Stacey

Cowman

02 Feb 1942 20 Jan 1944
Private Leonard Albert Warren

Gardener

26 Sep 1942 03 Dec 1944
Operational Base (OB)

The Operational Base was in Jubilee Plantation, now within Binnegar Quarry.

It has been suggested that as well as the OB, the Patrol used the basement of Cottee’s shop as its store for equipment and that later, Cyril Quick used the same location to distribute stores across the rest of the group of Patrols.

In 2018 CART were invited to be part of an archaeological dig of the OB at Binnegar Quarry. The site was due to be totally destroyed by quarrying.

Reports can be seen here.

Images of the dig can be seen here.

Finds can be seen here. 

More information about the archaeological dig at Binnegar can be found in the video on our Archaeology page.

Memorial Information Board & benches to the Wareham Patrol.

OB Status
Destroyed
Location

Wareham Patrol

Other information

Ron Cottee was a well known figure in Wareham as he ran the produce and livestock auctions and his firm “Cottees” still trades today. Cyril Quick, the assistant group commander, worked with him in the firm. This meant they had excellent access to all the Patrols as men would come into Wareham for the auctions and market. 

References

National Archives WO199/3390, 199/3391

Hancock data held at B.R.A

1939 Register

Wareham’s War (1919-1945) by Terence Davis

John Pidgeon

John Wareham

Andrew Joseph Associates and a great deal of support from Raymond Brown, the quarry contractors.

Cottees

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