Winfrith Patrol

Locality

Winfrith Newburgh, commonly called just Winfrith, is a village about 8 miles west of Wareham and 10 miles east of the county town Dorchester.

Patrol members
Name Occupation Posted from Until
Sergeant Robert John House

Shepherd

05 Jun 1940 05 Jul 1943
Corporal Robert John Biles

Agricultural labourer

01 Aug 1940 05 Jul 1943
Private Albert James Bishop

House painter

Unknown 05 Jul 1943
Private Edgar Cooper

Labourer aiding father diary farmer

01 May 1941 05 Jul 1943
Private Harold Frederick Hanger

Farm foreman

Unknown 05 Jul 1943
Private Arthur Roger House

Tractor driver

Unknown 05 Jul 1943
Private Reginald Herbert Smith

Dairy farmer

02 Mar 1940 05 Jul 1943
Private Harry Westmacott

Dairy farmer

07 Aug 1940 05 Jul 1943
Operational Base (OB)

Moreton Sheepwalks. The exact location is unknown and an attempt by Robert House to locate it in the 1960s was unsuccessful.

OB Status
Location not known
Location

Winfrith Patrol

Training

Robert House’s sister Mary kept a diary during the war, which contains a couple of entries of interest.

'Monday 13 May: Mummy, Roger & I had lunch with Daddy. Bobby went to Bristol with Freddie Bedford'.

Freddie Bedford was Sergeant of Moreton patrol. It seems likely that this entry relates to a trip to Coleshill House for a Patrol Leaders course. He had no reason to go to Bristol with Freddie, who was a baker. Perhaps he started out on a Bristol bound train, or perhaps this was cover for the real destination?

'Saturday 7 September: Quiet night. Attacks on London. Very busy morning. Sun-bathed after lunch. Went to shop after tea, and then to dance given by "Green Howards". Roger & Raymond met me. Home Guard called out 11.30pm'.

September 7th was the night of the “Cromwell” alert, when the Home Guard was called out all over the country as an invasion was thought to be imminent.

Weapons and Equipment

Roger House had a Tommy gun. He thought that he and his friend Freddie Bedford from Moreton Patrol had the only two of these in Dorset. Perhaps they did when they were issued? 

Other information

In July 1943, the Patrol was stood down, with the men returned to the local Home Guard battalion. It isn’t clear why this is, though sometimes new military activity in an area could make a Patrol’s location untenable. Edgar Cooper was promoted to Sergeant and was given a newly formed Patrol of men to command based around Wool.

References

Correspondence with Simon House, son of Robert House

Information from Philip Saunders via John Pidgeon.

National Archives WO199/3390, 199/3391