Aldbrough village is 12 miles north-east of Hull at the junction of the B1242 and B1238 roads, near the North Sea coast.
| Name | Occupation | Posted from | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sergeant Richard Michael Crawforth | Farmer |
Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Captain Walter Kitching | Steward |
Unknown | Unknown |
| Corporal Walter Henry Fisher | Farm worker |
Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Corporal Kenneth Roland Foot | Insurance clerk |
Unknown | Unknown |
| Private Eric Beadle | Farm worker |
Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Frank Dennis Blanchard | Tractor driver |
Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Kenneth Stanley Burrell | Tractor driver |
Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private George Crawforth | Farmer |
Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Frank Wood | Official at the Ministry of Agriculture |
Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
The site is located 1.5 miles south of the village of Aldbrough within managed private woodland on top a raised area. It was not known if this was man made or a natural rise in the area however the ground around is very wet.
It is thought he Patrol had two OBs though there is a possibility one of the OBs was actually a Special Duties Station. One OB was destroyed leaving a G shaped hole in the ground. Excavations in 1996 revealed rusted corrugated iron where the roof and tunnel had collapsed and some corrugated iron insitu of the side walls. Scattered broken bricks from end walls littered the area. A 2 metre deep drainage ditch ran along two sides of the OB where the escape tunnel ran into.
Flooding was probably the culprit of the first OB being dismantled and a new OB built on the raised area further into the wood. This was larger and better constructed. Concrete has been used more extensively for the entrance and exit hatches.
The second OB has been capped with concrete for safety reasons due to there being children on site as the wood is used as a Scout Summer Camp. It seemed to be in good condition although no access could be gained. From above it has been measured as 12 feet wide by 20 feet long. On top of the OB was a large pile of soil where we were told ventilation pipes extruded underneath. They had been covered for safety reasons.
The escape tunnel was some 40 feet away and doglegged. The escape hatch was found and it too has been capped with concrete. Minor excavations in 1996 showed 6 by 4 inch and 2 by 4 inch slots in the concrete frame. These are standard sixes for sawn timber so shows there was a wooden frame most likely supporting a trapdoor or hatch.
We were also informed that in the same wood were ammunition underground stores that had been built but have never been found.
The second OB was last entered in the 1980s and was intact though it is known to have been filled with rubbish before being sealed.
Aldbrough Patrol
Possible targets would have been landing beaches to the north and south of Aldbourgh and the Hull to Hornsea railway line.
The roads from the coast inland towards Hull and the south end of the Yorkshire Wolds. The plan was to try and prevent invading troops breaking out and heading inland towards York and the numerous airfields scattered around Leeds and York.
Training was carried out at Rise Park and Middleton on the Wolds and locally on the farm at Garton as well as in Bail Wood near the OB.
The Sergeant may have gone to Coleshill House for specialist training courses.
Weapons issued to the Patrol included; .45 Colt or .38 Smith & Wesson pistols, .22 sniper rifle with sights either Remington or Winchester. A silencer was issued later in the war. Fairbairn Sykes fighting knives and Sten Machine Guns.
TNA ref WO199/3389
Hancock data held at B.R.A
1939 Register
Andy Gwynne
S Watson and Austin Ruddy for Defence of Britain Project,
East Ridings Secret Resistance by Alan Williamson
Mr Rob Siddle - Trustee of the wood.