CART Auxiliary Unit Research

County Group

Locality

The Patrol were based near Ouston not far from Birtley to the south of the river Tyne.

Patrol members

Name	Occupation	Posted from	Until
Sergeant D.V. Wilson		Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Corporal Alfred Reeves Dowley	Engineer iron turner	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private Basil Henry Allen	Toolmaker	27 Mar 1942	03 Dec 1944
Private Thomas Oliver Brown	Apprentice fitter	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private Richard Henry Louis Coleman	Foreman engineer at the Royal Ordnance factory at Birtley	1942	03 Dec 1944
Private Benjamin Norman Hughes	Lathe hand - shell cases	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private Alfred Charles Carlton Milner	Haulage Contractors Clerk	unknown	Unknown
Private John D. Stead	Fitter	Unknown	03 Dec 1944

Operational Base (OB)

The Patrol OB was a standard "Elephant" type shelter built by the 184th (S) Tunnelling Company Royal Engineers on the outskirts of Ouston in Walters Wood, there is supposed to be another OB in the area also used by the Patrol but as yet not found.

Patrol & OB pictures

Birtley OB site

Birtley Patrol - Richard Coleman far left

Richard Coleman with cigarette and two patrol members

Birtley Patrol - Richard Coleman with cigarette

Birtley OB map

Birtley Patrol OS Map

RHLColeman - 202 Auxiliary Unit Birtley - Guisborough 1943

Birtley Patrol at Guisborough 1943 (colourized by Stephen Lewins)

OB Status

Destroyed

OB accessibility

The OB site is publicly accessible

Location

Birtley Patrol

Patrol Targets

Targets would have included the Royal Ordnance factory at Birtley, the large rail yards close to Birtley and the east coast main line, the bridges on the Tyne, vital factories along the banks of the Tyne and the Port of Tyne.

Training

Training was done at Castleton with the Scout Section from The Green Howards. Some of the Patrol went to Coleshill House.

They would also have trained at Danby Lodge in North Yorkshire, the Intelligence Officer's HQ along with at Finchale near Durham and locally in the area.

There were two summer camps involving the Auxiliary Units, Home Guard and the Regular Army held at Guisborough.

Weapons and Equipment

The Patrol was issued with Mark 2 Auxiliary Unit Kit, .38 Smith & Wesson pistols and Fairbairn Sykes fighting knives.

References

The National Archives in Kew ref WO199/3389

Richard Coleman (Patrol members son)

1939 Register

Hancock data held at B.R.A