Swineshead Patrol

A.K.A. (nickname)
The Secret Six
County Group
Locality

Swineshead is a village in Lincolnshire, approximately 7 miles west of the town of Boston.

Patrol members
Name Occupation Posted from Until
Sergeant Sidney Grant

Market gardener

Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Corporal William Thorpe Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Private Arthur Burrell

Farmer

Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Private A. Jessop Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Private Jack Macorie Unknown Unknown
Private Walter Reginald Welberry

Farming partner

Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Private Ernest Frederick Welberry

Farming partner

Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Operational Base (OB)

The Patrol's first OB was thought to have been in the area of Forty Foot Bank, Royalty Farm near Swineshead Bridge. This was discovered. It is presently unknown it there are any remains.

This was then abandoned in favour of a better OB near the medieval motte castle at Manwarings. Sixty years on, Cecil Thornalley of Dalby Patrol visited and described it as “luxury”.

This is one of 15 Lincolnshire OBs that were built by John Sheffield of Scunthorpe with Royal Engineers’ labouring. It was constructed from prefabricated concrete panels that were bolted together. Breezeblocks were used for building both end walls. The escape tunnel is built from breezeblocks and exits the main chamber on the left at a 45° angle.

Patrol & OB pictures
OB Image
Caption & credit
Manwarings: aerial 2014.
OB Image
Caption & credit
Eddie Welberry (left) and Cyril Thornalley ( Dalby Patrol) looking at Swineshead Patrol's OB in 1997.
OB Image
Caption & credit
Entrance shaft 2008
OB Image
Caption & credit
Entrance 2008
OB Image
Caption & credit
Vent 2008
OB Image
Caption & credit
Main chamber looking towards entrance 2008
OB Image
Caption & credit
Main chamber - escape tunnel on left 2008
OB Image
Caption & credit
Escape tunnel 2008
OB Image
Caption & credit
Escape tunnel 2008
OB Image
Caption & credit
Escape tunnel 2008
OB Status
Largely intact
OB accessibility
This OB is on private land. Please do not be tempted to trespass to see it
Location

Swineshead Patrol

Training

Wellingore then Blankney and Dalby Hall were the headquarters for the Lincolnshire Auxiliary Units so they certainly would have trained at them at some time.

Eddie Welberry recalled in 1997; "We trained using real explosives, brought down trees and that sort of thing. No one from the surrounding area took much notice of a few extra explosions going off. We used to go out at night 'attacking' different villages. There would be a target in the village we had to aim for and put a plastic explosive on. The Army would be there and would know we were coming and they had to try and stop us". 

Weapons and Equipment

Each Patrol was issued with a gallon of rum. Just before an inspection by Captain Leslie Clark someone in the Swineshead Patrol managed to drop and break the jar, spilling the contents. Captain Clark commented he "could smell them from a mile away".

Eddie Welberry recalled in 1997; "We were issued with an amazing set of supplies - revolvers and Sten guns, hand grenades, knives and plastic explosives." He recalled the Auxiliers kept them at home rather than in the OB.

Other information

In an interview published in the Lincoln Echo, Auxilier Eddie Welberry was quoted; "There was the Home Guard to go into but I wasn't very keen on that. We didn't know what we were signing up to but it was a case of wanting to do anything to defend the country....I suppose if they had landed it would have been pretty frightening".

References

TNA ref WO199/3389

Hancock data held at B.R.A

Defence of Britain database complied by Mark Sansom and The Secret Army by Mark Sansom – Lincolnshire Heritage Booklets.

Lincoln Echo 1 Oct 1997

Swinehead Remembers by Pamela Southworth

Images from Pete - 28 Days Later - 2008