Newton Park is an 18th-century grade I listed country house in the parish of Newton St Loe, situated 4 miles west of Bath.
| Name | Occupation | Posted from | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain Leonard Arthur Aves | Tourist agent |
Unknown | Unknown |
| Second Lieutenant Ivor Bowen McGrigor Phillips | Electrical engineer |
03 Jul 1940 | Unknown |
| Sergeant Norman Edward Shephard | Electrical engineering draughtsman (contracting) |
30 Jul 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Arthur Noel Armstrong | Electrical engineer at coal mine |
28 Jul 1941 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private John Blair | Ships draughtsman Admiralty |
22 Jun 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Joseph O'Brian Canavan | Navel architect |
02 Jun 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Eric Dwane | Admiralty draughtsman |
29 Mar 1942 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Cyril John Gates | Draughtsman marine engineering |
Unknown | Unknown |
| Private Reginald Marshall Bortwell Judson | Traveller interior decorations AFS Charshalton |
24 Nov 1941 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Eustratios Titos Panagopoulos | Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 | |
| Private Stanley Frederick Philips | Joiner HM dockyard |
02 Sep 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Reginald Kenneth Probst | Admiralty draughtsman |
Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Edwin Alfred Steane | Admiralty draughtsman |
22 Jun 1940 | 01 Feb 1943 |
Operational Base One near Pennyquick Bottom.
The OB was located in a disused mine shaft, close to a stream, on fairly low lying ground. Quite close to a hedge but still in relatively open pasture land, it would have been very impractical to come and go with any secrecy and flooding was inevitable. The OB has since been filled in.
Initial research showed the site of the mine on a 1947 Ordnance Survey map and it is in low lying ground and in the area known as Pennyquick Bottom. The site of the old mine is now heavily overgrown and fenced off thus actual access is difficult. However a local newsletter from 2014 about local pits indicates that the concrete cap with a metal vent can still be seen along with the remains of a stone building. The hedge lines marked Co & Parly Boro By. do however still follow the 1947 map and help pinpoint the site today.
The image taken at distance shows the area with Claysend Farm in the background and lines up with the 1947 map. The other image was taken roughly from the position where the 'e' is in the (Disused) wording in the 1947 map.
Operational Base Two at Newton Park.
The OB was located within a bank leading down from the main house at Newton Park, towards the main pond behind the house. It was filled in by German prisoners of war in 1946.
The land is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, Newton Park is now part leased by Bath Spa University as a campus. Newton Park's grounds are criss-crossed by MAFF (now DEFRA) conservation walks and are open to the public.
The Admiralty Patrols had a central explosives / arms store in an out building at The Royal School, Lansdown Road and Auxilier Harry Banham (4 Patrol) recalled another one built into the bank of the car park of the Ensleigh Estate though that may have only been for 4 Patrol.
Admiralty 5 (Newton Park) Patrol
All the Admiralty Patrols took part in a night raid on RAF Colerne.
Locally, along with other Admiralty and City of Bath Patrols, targets could have included the nearby railway line and bridges over the river Avon.
They often trained with all the other Admiralty Patrols and the City of Bath Patrols.
Records of a revolver shooting competition on 20th February 1944 at Monkton Combe shows Admiralty 5 came 4th in both 10 and 20 yard shots though only Shepherd and Dwane are recorded as entering.
Exercise “Lamb” was due to take place on 25th March 1944. Patrol Leaders were advised ; “Ample opportunity should be taken of reconnoitring the district of Box.” Meeting at the Fernley Hotel at 21.30 hours, the exercise would finish at 02.00 hours the following morning.
All the Admiralty Patrols took part in a night raid on RAF Colerne. Number 1 Patrol broke through the perimeter barbed wire nearest the offices. Despite crawling on all fours Auxilier Douglas Owen (1 and 2 Patrol) managed to get captured. Taken to the office of the RAF commander he was interrogated by officers before producing a pistol hidden in his trousers. He proceeded to hold the officers hostage at gun point.
Auxilier Bennett of 4 Patrol remembers this raid as being “a complete fiasco. The sentries were posted at all the most obvious approaches and it was easy to elude them. All of us detailed to do so got in and plastered aircraft with “destroyed” notices and two adventurous youngsters actually held the station commander at gun point in his own office which was certainly not in their remit. There was a big row about it and as a result all the poor airmen had their leave jammed for a fortnight.”
Everything was stored at the OB as the Auxiliers were not living or working in their home environment.
For transport, 5 Patrol acquired a large Canadian “Essex Terraplane” car that was able to accommodate seven people. Auxilier Stanley Phillips was the custodian and driver.
TNA ref WO199/3391 & WO199/3390
Hancock data held at B.R.A
1939 Register
Ron Flook
Bob Millard
List of Admiralty Auxiliers from 1950 reunion held at B.R.A
Hancock's data held at B.R.A
Donald Brown “Somerset V Hitler”
Robin Dwane, the son of the late Auxilier Eric Dwane