Quorn "Shock Squad" Leicestershire

Dennis Marchant

I am aware of the Auxiliary Units as my Grandfather served in the Burley, New Forest unit. I now live in Leicestershire and am a member of the Quorn Local History Group and have researching the villages Home Guard. In doing so I found the entry from the Harrington Museum about an underground base at the Bull in the Hollow Farm in Quorn. Its existence was confirmed to be by a previous owner of the farm although it is now filled in. Also, in the book ‘To the last round’ by Austin J. Ruddy there is a first hand account by one of the members on pages 143 - 148 which describes in quite an amount of detail what sounds like an Auxiliary Unit. 

Also, two years ago an underground shelter was discovered in the village in a private garden. It was said at the time to be a domestic shelter but a live Mortar was found inside! Although it didn’t fit the OB format it was situated next to the LNER goods yard which was used for marshalling ammunition trains. So, I wondered if that may have been associated with the Home Guard as they did patrol the station and yard.

The Carpetbagger Museum at Harrington has recorded: In a copse at the Bull in the Hollow Farm was an underground base fitted out with bunks, explosives, ammunition and medical equipment for use by number 3 squad (Shock) of Quorn Home Guard. This appears to be a similar design to those used by Auxiliary Units. Other Shock Sections were at Rothley and Barrow-on-Soar.

Dennis Marchant 2024