Lincolnshire had two Scout Sections like many larger counties. One was provided by the Leicestershire Regiment and the other by the Lincolnshire Regiment.
The Scout Section was made of Regular Army soldiers with a Lieutenant in command. Their role was train the Home Guard patrols, but also to go to ground themselves in the event of an invasion.
The South Lincolnshire Section covered the area south of a line between Spilsby and the coast, including round to Wisbeach.
During an exercise near Skegness, the Lincolnshire Regiment Scout Section surprised the sentries at 2am, capturing the whole Brigade HQ Staff from 76th Division, including the Brigadier, bringing the exercise to a premature end.
(This was most likely 222 Independent Infantry brigade)
Sergeant George Johnson and Corporal Eric Carver served with their former Intelligence Officer Captain Hamilton-Hill in North Africa on Operation Ringlet, which was an SOE operation producing sabotage and supply packages to be dropped into the Balkans. Hamilton-Hill also mentions a Sgt Hill serving with him on Ringlet having also been with him in Auxiliary Units in Lincolnshire. This mention was sufficient to result in identifying him as a member of the South Lincolnshire Section.
Most Scout Sections had two operational bases. These have yet to be fully located for the Scout Sections in Lincolnshire.
The Scouts are thought to have had OBs at Waplode, Welton (used by Lieutenant Dring) and Ulceby Cross according to Eric Dring.
Eric Dring recalled that he was billeted at Blankney Hall, sleeping in the main house with IO Captain Donald Hamilton-Hill, the owner, Lady Marigold, Countess of Londesborough and 40 WAAFs from the nearby RAF base. Auxiliary Units had an office in the library of the main house. The other ranks slept in the substantial two story stable block.
| Name | Occupation | Posted from | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant Eric Arthur Dring | Farmer |
01 Oct 1941 | 01 Jan 1942 |
| Sergeant George Johnson | 1940 | 1943 | |
| Corporal Eric Samuel Carver | Fish fryer |
09 Nov 1940 | 05 May 1943 |
| Private George Bennett | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Private Roy Chapman | Milk Roundsman |
Unknown | Unknown |
| Private Roy Compton | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Private Kenneth Hart | Newspaper publisher's assistant |
Unknown | Unknown |
| Private Walter Hill | Steelworks labourer |
1940 | 1942 |
The section would have consisted of a Lieutenant, a Sergeant, a Corporal and 9 private soldiers with a driver batman for the officer and driver for the section’s lorry.
The standard transport for a Scout Section was an Austin 2 seater car and a 15cwt lorry, both with RASC drivers. The Patrol normally also had bicycles.
SOE Assignment, Donald Hamilton-Hill
Eric Dring personal account