大象传媒

Memories of 105574 Major R F 鈥淗enry鈥� Hall MC, The Dorset Regiment

The British Resistance Organisation 鈥� GHQ Auxiliary Units

A Summary and my Involvement.

GHQ Auxiliary Units

Between the world wars Lieutenant Colonel (later Major General) John 鈥楯o鈥� Holland, who had personal experience of the defensive against irregular warfare in India and Ireland, drew up plans to foil and to carry out such tactics. In 1938 he was given the task of forming a unit to study such problems 鈥� he called it MI(R) 鈥� Military Intelligence (Research). His friend Major Colin Gubbins (also later Major General) joined him. 鈥楯o鈥� Holland and MI(R) created not only SOE and Auxiliary \Units but Independent Companies 鈥� later called Commandos, an escape route section (MI9), a deception section (MI10), and a special weapons section (MD1). Colin Gubbins commanded the Auxiliary Units from inception in June 1940 until his transfer to SOE in November 1940. They drew recruits from all Services and walks of life for these sections.

Colin Gubbins selected a dozen Captains (called IO鈥檚) to form and train Auxiliary Units to cover Britain from Wales to Caithness. Each IO鈥檚 area generally corresponded to county boundaries. Their task was to recruit men, mostly from the Home Guard, who knew their areas intimately (poachers, gamekeepers etc. under Home Guard cover), train and supply them with rations, weapons, and explosives, and to site their Operational Base (OB).

Patrols

These men had to sign the Official Secrets Act and swear they would not tell anyone, not even wives and friends, for fifty years! Each patrol was about six men strong. The OB鈥檚 were underground hidey-holes perfectly concealed with secret entrances and escape exits. They were all at least one mile from the shore 鈥� because, had the Germans landed, mustard gas would have been dropped on the beaches! Security was vital, in case of capture and torture, so Auxiliaries only knew about what they were doing and had no knowledge of other activities or persons. Their job was to go to ground, and, had the enemy landed, cause havoc in any form they could. The XII Corps Observation Unit had been formed earlier by General 鈥楤ulgy鈥� Thorne with the same task. This was much bigger. It was commanded by Peter Fleming and Mike Calvert with regular soldiers and two Lovat Scout NCO鈥檚. It was stationed at 鈥楾he Garth鈥�, Bilting (on the A28 between Ashford and Canterbury). They did not have OB鈥檚. They mined bridges and access roads in Kent. Fleming went to Intelligence and Calvert ended up with the Chindits. Norman Field took over from them in November 1940 and it was absorbed into the British Resistance Organisation.

Headquarters

GHQ Auxiliary Units (The British Resistance Organisation) HQ finally settled at Coleshill House near Swindon. The nearest village was Highworth so there was a secret cut-out and all contact was through 鈥楪PO Highworth鈥�. It was commanded by Colin Gubbins until he went to SOE when 鈥楤ill Major (Dorsets) took over. There was an extensive training area in the park. Patrol Leaders and other ranks came for training by Specialists, Lovat Scouts, and Physical Training Instructors (trained by 鈥楧an鈥� Fairbairn) for close combat work. There was an 鈥楢ttery鈥� nearby at Hannington Hall.

Scout Sections

These sections were commanded by a Subaltern with an average of 16 Regular Soldiers. Their task was reconnaissance to assist the Auxiliary Unit Patrols. They would also have 鈥楽tayed Behind鈥�. They were withdrawn in 1942/43.

Special Duties Section

The most 鈥楾op Secret鈥� of all the Auxiliary Units 鈥� so their details are vague. Their task was to collect information. They were probably formed by SIS and handed over to the British Resistance movement as a package; about a thousand civilians, men and women, unknown to each other and from all walks of life, acting as 鈥楥oast Watchers鈥�, 鈥極bservers鈥�, or 鈥楢gents鈥�, already in action before the war, probably under MI6.
They used Radio Telegraphy called 鈥楾RD Sets鈥� based on the 鈥楺uench鈥� system to ensure perfect security. They also used 鈥楻unners鈥� and 鈥楧ead Letter Drops鈥�. There were ATS Subalterns (under Beatrice Temple, niece of Archbishop Temple) and Signal personnel to back 鈥榯he Agents鈥� up. They worked in towns as well as the countryside and came under Regional Officers and later under Auxiliary Units Special Duties Section IO鈥檚. Their HQ was at Hannington Hall until 1942 under Major Maurice Petherick, when it was relocated to Coleshill. All members were sworn to everlasting secrecy! - the civilians were unpaid!! Their motto was 鈥楤e Like Dad 鈥� keep Mum鈥�.

Signals Section

Provided communications between the Special Duties Section (and other parts of the British Resistance Organisation) and HQ. They used TRD sets operated by ATS Subalterns.

Special Forces

Many Auxiliaries went to the SAS and other Special Forces for D-Day and joined 鈥楯edburgh鈥� Teams and served with distinction.

Would it have worked?

From my experience I think so, based on my knowledge of the 鈥楤ritish Spirit鈥� at the time 鈥� and the reaction to the recent London bombing 鈥� despite the changes in our society; but only for a limited period depending on the location of the particular Unit.

Further Information

For more detail read John Warwicker鈥檚 book 鈥榃ith Britain in Mortal Danger鈥� (ISBN 1 84145 112 6) or see the TV Film 鈥楽ecret Army鈥� produced by Peter Williams 鈥� (8x 陆 hr Series) shown on Meridian TV and Sky History Channel; or contact Parham Airfield Museum at www.auxunit.org.uk. (Tel: 01728 621373)

My Involvement

General Andrew 鈥楤ulgy鈥� Thorne had been Military Attach茅 in Berlin in the early thirties and had met the Principal of the Charlottenburg High School (the German equivalent of Sandhurst) who showed Thorne around his estates in East Prussia. Whilst there he noticed men digging holes in the ground and filling them with supplies. On enquiry he was told that they were bound to be attacked from the East and could not defend themselves. So, after the enemy had passed over, these men would be able to pop up and play hell with their supplies.

Thorne used this tactic in X11 Corps which he commanded after Dunkirk and was responsible for the defence of Kent and Sussex. He asked for an Officer to start one of these units and he was sent Peter Fleming from the Scots Guards. Along with Mike Calvert they started to form the first of the British Resistance Organisation Units. This was called the X11 Corps Observation Unit and it was formed on the 27th June 1940 and later spread, under Colin Gubbins, to cover the whole of the UK.

General Thorne also formed Battle Patrols in each Battalion with the same job as the Resistance Organisation, which was to stay behind after the army had invaded 鈥� then create havoc amongst the enemy once they had landed. Exactly the same job the SAS had in the Cold War.

One day I was ordered to go and see our Commanding Officer. When I arrived in his office I found a Sergeant, John Davidson, there as well, whom I had never seen before. We were told that he had selected us to go on an 鈥楢dvanced Assault Course鈥� in Scotland; and there we had to pass with distinction for the Honour of the Regiment. In early 1941 we went to Inverailort in the Western Highlands of Scotland, to the 鈥楤ig House鈥� there.

All modern close quarter and guerrilla methods and tactics of all Western Nations stem from the teaching given at the Big House.
It was Bill Stirling鈥檚 idea to start the Irregular Warfare Training Centre to train guerrilla leaders. Lord Lovat requisitioned the whole area from Fort William to Mallaig. Colin Gubbins got on to General Ironside, the GOC in C Home Forces and the formation of the Irregular Warfare Training Centre was authorised on 2nd June 1940. It later became known as STC10.

The first courses were about 30 strong of Officers and Sergeants. The course lasted 3 weeks. David Stirling, who eventually formed the SAS and Fitzroy Maclean, who joined David in the SAS then went to Yugoslavia to help Tito settle the Balkan problem, both attended the first course. Fitzroy attended it in plain clothes (because he was not yet in the Army, he was still in the Foreign Office).

The Instructors were hand picked. David and Bill Stirling, Freddie Spencer Chapman, 鈥楽himi鈥� Lovat, Mike Calvert, Jim Gavin, 鈥楧an鈥� Fairbairn, 鈥楤ill鈥� Sykes and others.

The courses were very tough. We were wet, cold, hungry and exhausted most of the time. Anyone who grumbled, or showed a lack of enthusiasm or did not come up to the very high standard demanded was sent back to his unit immediately. We were shot at most of the time. We were taught Map Reading, Nutrition, Hygiene, Living off the Land, Stalking, Knife and Handgun work and 鈥楧irty Tricks鈥� for Close Quarter Combat by Fairbairn and Sykes, and Assault Landings 鈥� all by day and by night.

There was no psychology as such taught at Inverailort, but everything was done with such confidence and such expertise and devil-may-care atmosphere. All the instructors were wonderful chaps; you came away from everything feeling that you knew the lot and you were better than anybody else 鈥� and that the other chap was dead before you saw him.

I think the great advantage of the advanced assault course at Inverailort was that it gave you so much confidence. You knew so many more tricks of the trade and methods of attack, demolition, causing havoc and destruction that you became super confidant.

Whatever you did, you did it automatically, subconsciously. The answer to whatever attack you were up against would be an instinctive reaction. You didn鈥檛 have time to think about things, you just took it as something as natural as drinking a cup of tea or making a sandwich 鈥� you would do it instinctively, just like driving a car. As regards your emotions when you stick a knife into a chap, you just don鈥檛 have any because, as I say it鈥檚 just like driving a car or making a cup of tea.

When Sergeant Davidson and I returned to our Battalion 鈥� 4th Battalion The Dorset Regiment 鈥� I was told I was to command a Battalion Battle Patrol. Our Commanding Officer, Harold Matthews, had selected 3 experienced Corporals and 30 men for the patrol. Our first task was to train and teach them all we had learnt at Inverailort to the Commanding Officer鈥檚 satisfaction. After training was completed he tested us by doing all our demolitions and dirty tricks himself!

Our first task was to know Kent by heart 鈥� we went off for days on end exploring every nook and cranny, living off the land. I was then given our operational tasks, which were:

1. A secret one 鈥� to go to ground if the enemy invaded and then on my own initiative, cause as much havoc against as many troops, communications and dumps as possible. Our true role. We never had any holes in the ground like the Resistance Organisation had 鈥� simply because I鈥檇 never heard of them because they were so secret!
2. Our second task was to act as the enemy on Battalion or Brigade exercises, to test the security of Headquarters and dumps and to test the vulnerability of communications in the Brigade area.
3. A Propaganda role. We practised on a mock Landing Craft on the beach near Deal for a raid on Dieppe. We were encouraged to talk about our 鈥榬aid鈥� in pubs and public places. We had a wonderful time swanning about Kent doing just what I wanted us to do, improving our training and perfecting our techniques for these tasks. We gave demonstrations of our skills to Battalions in our Brigade and to various training schools.

I carried on learning more about Kent giving demonstrations, testing security etc. One day I was told to meet an Officer at a map reference (Norman Field, I learnt just a few years ago) who told me he commanded the XII Corps Observation Unit and we were to lay on a demonstration for 130 Brigade. We did, near a gravel pit, which I used for grenade work near Canterbury. He then asked me to help him train his men in dirty tricks and I would meet unknown men at map references at night for many months.

On 4th August 1943 we moved to Bexhill where training increased for what we later found out was going to be D-Day. I reverted to normal Infantry Company Platoon. Sergeant Davidson disappeared, as far as I know he was taken into the SAS as were many of the Resistance Organisation to form the 鈥楯edburgh鈥� groups and I was given a new Platoon Sergeant.

The Auxiliary Units never fired a shot in anger because the Germans never did invade, but I was lucky to be able to use my Battle Patrol for it鈥檚 proper purpose. After we landed in Normandy and for the rest of the war we acted as a normal Infantry Platoon in set piece battles.

When things became a bit settled such as on Hill 112, where we killed 3 tiger tanks in an evening battle on July 10th and I directed a 4.5 inch gun, sniping tanks. Also at Arnhem, where I crossed the river several times after the evacuation to damage the enemy and bring back Airborne and Dorset survivors 鈥� I could use our guerrilla training.

We looked for targets by day and then went out at night, mostly singly, to kill lone men, mostly with a fighting knife, or throw grenades at our target. We never had a chance to have a go at dumps or HQs as we could only get at the front line and these targets were well back. During daylight hours we would see if we could pinpoint any weak area in the enemy line or any place worth attacking the following night when we would go out and destroy or kill that objective when it was dark 鈥� we also directed artillery fire by day.

The objective was to disorientate the enemy, confuse him, deprive him of sleep, deprive him of food and generally wear him down as well as the simple point of killing him. We managed to destroy 17 Tiger Tanks and many Self-Propelled Guns 鈥� we never kept a score of men! I hope the other Battle Patrol Commanders used their skills too.

I thank God I was trained so well at Inverailort and knew all the tricks of the trade, dirty and otherwise. I had such confidence in myself and in my men that I was able to survive for 6 months during the war, from D-Day until 21st November 1944 when I was wounded. We did do considerable damage to the enemy - but were able to brighten up the battlefield now and again with a laugh and a joke and a few silly things.

Looking back on the war I didn鈥檛 really dislike it, in fact I quite enjoyed most of it. There were some very unpleasant parts, I don鈥檛 think I was scared of anything because I was so super confident. It sounds a bit cocky, I know, but I don鈥檛 look back in horror to the war although of course I thoroughly disagree with war and would not like to have anything to do with any other type of killing.

漏 Major R F 鈥楬enry鈥� Hall
July 2005

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