Cranbrook is a small town between Tunbridge Wells and Ashford.
| Name | Occupation | Posted from | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sergeant Percy Hocken | Farmer |
10 Jun 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Frederick George Coleman | Forestry worker |
24 Sep 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Edward Norman Golding | Farm labourer |
12 Aug 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private William Hocken | Dairy & general farmer |
07 Jun 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Albert Edward Saunders | Forestry labourer |
03 Mar 1941 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Cyril George Stears | Farm worker for father |
12 Aug 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Frederick William Terry | Poultryman |
09 Jun 1940 | March 1941 |
| Private Walter Rodney Wilson | Farmer |
20 May 1942 | 03 Dec 1944 |
There were three OBs in the vast Bedgebury Forest and Frith Wood at The Sandbanks, Iron Latch and Three Chimneys Bank. The sandy nature of the soil in the forest caused serious construction problems.
Auxilier Cyril Stears: “Sand is terrible stuff to tunnel into as it is always collapsing, especially when it has been raining. When Captain Field and General Montgomery inspected The Sandbanks site they went mad and told us to shut it down and build a new one. This time we buried a Nissen hut at Iron Latch with an escape tunnel through a bank. The Three Chimneys site was primarily used for storing weapons and ammunition. They were all blown up after the war."
Cranbrook Patrol
One of the tasks assigned to the 'Pepper' Patrol in the event of an invasion was to arrest the Nettlebladt-Roberts family from Glassenbury Manor and take them to Maidstone Prison in a van they had on standby for the job. If they met any resistance they were to shoot the family. Apparently, the family was eventually interned on the Isle of Man during the war. The first three men recruited by John Foreman in June 1940, William Hocken, Percy Hocken and Chub Terry, lived either side of Glassenbury Manor.
Captain John Foreman’s son, Michael, has a photograph of 23 Patrol members taken at Stand Down in November 1944 outside Wenman’s Cottage in Angley Wood, near Cranbrook. Wenman’s Cottage was a former gamekeeper’s house and was home to a Scout Patrol formed by Captain George McNicholl to complement The Garth at Bilting. The Scout Patrol was commanded by a Lieutenant Strangman.
The picture shows; Front L-R; Jack Skinner, Ian MacDonald, John Foreman, Peter Highwood, Mr Murray-Wood, Percy Hocken. Middle L-R; Ken Larkin, Unknown, Unknown, Chub Terry, Sir Neame?, Ted Worsfold, John Hocken, Bill Hocken. Rear L-R; Unknown, Stan Levett, Gordon Standen, Unknown, Unknown, Unknown, Albert Saunders, Ted Golding, Fred Coleman.
Auxilier Cyril Stears: “We trained at Glassenbury Hill Farm and in Bedgebury Forest, and concentrated on preparing and using explosives. In the event of an invasion we were to destroy the railway tunnels and road bridges. Fred Coleman and Albert Saunders were very good with bombs, while Ted Golding and me were excellent shots and grenade throwers. Later we trained at Wenman’s Cottage, in Angley Wood, under Lieutenant Strangman, who was an Oxford or Cambridge rower. I went down to Coleshill for a week with Ted Golding. We were driven there by a Kent-based Regular Army officer who lived near Coleshill.
I trained with Michael Calvert at Salehurst in Sussex for most of the Summer. The last time I saw him was when we blew up Hasting Pier."
TNA ref WO199/3391 and WO199/3390
Hancock data held at B.R.A
Phil Evans
Adrian Westwood
Michael Foreman
Cyril Stears