Thomas Herbert Colquitt

After leaving school, Tom Colquitt worked on the railways, a reserved occupation. At the end of 1941 he was called up and joined the 7th Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment at Bacton-on-Sea (North Norfolk) at the beginning of 1942.
 
Following a battle exercise at North Walsham, Mr Colquitt was asked by a panel of officers if he would want to be put forward for a commission. After having declined he was called before a further panel of officers consisting of a Staff Colonel, a Brevet Major and a Staff Captain. He was questioned on how to destroy a railway, and having worked before the War for the LMS railway and being trained in explosives, this was straightforward. He was asked how to accomplish this task without the use of explosives and a successful answer resulted in his transfer to the Norfolk Scout Patrol at Wroxham. Mr Colquitt had to agree to join and sign the Official Secrets Act before finding out what was involved.

The Scout Patrol was based at a large house near Wroxham Broad. It was mined under the floorboards with guncotton and 36 detonators, and come invasion time pencil detonators would have been added. The house, now known as Beech House, had an office downstairs that was manned by a sergeant (one of the non-operational clerks). There was also a kitchen and an eating area. This was also where guard duty was mounted, though the men had their weapons with them at all times anyway. Upstairs were bedrooms fitted with two to four army beds. Mr. Colquitt shared a room with a Norfolk Lance Corporal and Chalky, Alfie and Bob shared another room.

The Scout Patrol members used a pass card, white, with “W.D.” and the words “AUXILIARY UNITS” printed on it. This was their only identification as they did not carry AB64 ptl or pt2, or wear any insignia other than the Royal Norfolk’s cap badge.

An occasional visitor to Wroxham was Major Barclay, rumoured to be a member of the Barclay's Bank family. He was well dressed, with all the kit, and he came to see Captain Woodward.

About the end of 1943 to the beginning of 1944, Mr. Colquitt transferred to the Royal Engineers and was sent to Longmoor for a T.O. course as a railway controller. Following this came further training at the Edinburgh Battle School and Inverurie, before sailing for the Mediterranean with Lord Lovat's Scouts. He served on military railways in Italy and helped run a captured armoured railcar, “The Atom”, which ran on a stretch of railway near the Yugoslav border and had precedence over all other traffic. After the war Tom Colquitt joined the Police Force and later worked as a Fire and Security Officer until his retirement in 1981.