Grangetown Patrol

Locality

Grangetown is to the east of Middlesbrough and to the south of the Tees Bay. Roughly half way between Redcar and Middlesbrough. It is in the Eston District of North Yorkshire (now Teeside)

Patrol members
Name Occupation Posted from Until
Sergeant Thomas Guest

Lorry driver

Unknown Unknown
Sergeant Charles Henry Medd

Steelworks loco fireman

Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Corporal Frank Briggs

Stock taker in section mill

Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Private Frederick Hinchley

Motor vehicle driver

Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Private Robert Falcon Scott Lawrence

Analytical laboratory assistant

 

Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Private Thomas Samuel Patterson

Bricklayers labourer

Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Private Arthur Ernest Wharfe

Electrician

Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Operational Base (OB)

The Patrol's OB was built on a steep hillside known as Broom Hill in Wilton Woods to the Southeast of Wilton and Southwest of Redcar.

The structure was a standard "Elephant" shelter. Only a large depression in the ground remains.

Local lad, Peter Caddy, witnessed the building of the OB and got into trouble for 'acquiring' some explosive devises. This ended him up in Court. His fascinating account can be read here.

 

Patrol & OB pictures
OB Image
Caption & credit
Wilton Wood OB 2007 (from Chris Twigg - Hidden Teesside)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Wilton Wood OB 2007 (from Chris Twigg - Hidden Teesside)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Wilton Wood OB 2007 (from Chris Twigg - Hidden Teesside)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Wilton Wood OB 2007 (from Chris Twigg - Hidden Teesside)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Wilton Wood OB 2007 (from Chris Twigg - Hidden Teesside)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Wilton Wood diagram (from David Waller)
OB Status
Collapsed with some visible remains
OB accessibility
The OB site is publicly accessible
Location

Grangetown Patrol

Patrol Targets

Transport targets would have included the the main roads from the coast at Redcar and Saltburn to Middlesbrough and on to York, the railway from Middlesbrough to Whitby and the Port of Tees.

Military targets included RAF Redcar, RAF Thornaby,t he possible invasion beaches at Saltburn and Redcar and war effort and munitions factoies around the south side of the Tees.

Training

Locally the Patrol trained near the OB in Wilton Wood and regionally at Danby Hall, the Area Intelligence Officer's HQ.

Sergeant Guest was a frequent visitor to Coleshill for training. Early on in the war, just after he joined, their uniforms were principally Home Guard both devoid of insignia and he was pulled up by MP's on some station on his way back from Coleshill and detained until a call was made to his superiors when he and his colleagues were duly released.

He and his colleagues frequently took part with and separate to other units and "attacked' the old aerodrome at Marske by the sea and went as far as Northumberland and as far south as Humberside to play games with the real army \ air force.

Weapons and Equipment

Kit and equipment issued to the Patrol included; .38 Smith and Wesson revolvers (everyone had one), fighting Knives (again all members had one), 3  Knobkerris, a .22 sniper rifle with silencer, a Thompson Sub Machine Gun, 2  .303 rifles and lots of grenades.

Other information

The Patrol drank their gallon of rum replacing the liquid with water.

The Patrol used to meet in the basement of an old bank opposite Lanny Ice Cream Parlour at the end of Bolckow Road and corner of Lee Road.

References

Dennis Walker

The National Archives in Kew ref WO100/3389

1939 Register

Hancock data held at B.R.A

The son of Sergeant Medd

Neil Guest, Grandson of Sergeant Guest

Peter Caddy

Chris Twigg from Hidden Teesside