Temple Cloud is a village within the Chew Valley in Somerset on the A37 road. It is located 10 miles from Bristol and Bath.
| Name | Occupation | Posted from | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sergeant Dennis Anstie Chard | Farmer assisting Father |
22 Jul 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Corporal Charles Perry | Lorry driver |
30 Jun 1940 | 14 Apr 1943 |
| Private Edward Frank Clare | Apprentice woodworker |
02 Aug 1940 | 15 Oct 1942 |
| Private Bernard Ivan Compton | Banker at Maison Leeward Quartier |
15 Jan 1941 | 12 Dec 1942 |
| Private Lewis George Crow | Electric welder |
02 Aug 1940 | 18 Nov 1943 |
| Private Robert John Killen | Assistant on farm |
11 Sep 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Arthur John Lovell | Rock getter & mason |
20 Jul 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Dennis William Lovell | Road curb dresser |
06 May 1943 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Wilfred Bertram Cecil Maggs | Carpenter |
13 Feb 1942 | 25 May 1943 |
| Private Raymond Samuel George Newman | 10 Mar 1942 | 03 Dec 1944 | |
| Private Leslie Cyril Pease | Printers apprentice |
09 Sep 1942 | 05 Nov 1942 |
| Private Charles Ivan George Stokes | Student |
30 Jun 1944 | 03 Dec 1944 |
The OB is thought to have been located in a spoil heap close to the mine.
Dennis Chard's son recalled a number of split tennis balls in their home which he thought unusual. This may indicate that the OB had a message drop facility from the surface.
Temple Cloud Patrol
The most likely targets to disrupt transport links would have been the main A37 road to Bristol and the A39 from Wells along with the rail line near the OB.
Dennis Chard's son recalled that his father kept a pair of strong magnets that he played with as a child and was able to identify these as the large magnets issued to Auxiliary Units. He also had a Fairbairn Sykes knife that was sold some years after. His son also discovered a clip of .303 ammunition that had been modified with lead filled hollow points to increase the damage they would cause. This type of ammunition was banned from use in warfare under the 1899 Hague convention.
During an amnesty sometime after the war, a number of guns and explosives were brought out from the barn behind the pub and handed to the police. The barn is still there but now converted to housing.
TNA ref WO199/3390 & WO199/3391
Hancock data held at B.R.A
1939 Register
Auxilier's sons Stephen Clare and Malcolm Powney
Andrew Chard