Herne Bay is a coastal town in north Kent, 4.5 miles east of Whitstable. The Patrol was formed in July 1941.
| Name | Occupation | Posted from | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sergeant Edmund Burley | Teacher |
12 Jul 1941 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Clarence Walter Brien | Butcher's assistant |
21 Jan 1942 | 20 Nov 1943 |
| Private Edmund Francis Bennett Burley | 12 Jul 1941 | Dec 1941 | |
| Private Maurice Roy Burroughs | 12 Jul 1941 | Dec 1941 | |
| Private Frederick William Hopkins | Motor driver & mechanic |
30 Sep 1940 | 21 Jun 1943 |
| Private Joseph George Howell | Dental supply manager |
14 Mar 1942 | 04 Feb 1943 |
| Private Samuel Neuenschwander | Timber merchant |
12 Nov 1941 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Geoffrey Allan Newlove | 12 Jul 1941 | Dec 1941 | |
| Private John Stephen Pilcher | Store keeper - motor garage |
04 Jul 1940 | 27 Oct 1943 |
| Private Walter Robson | Master butcher & shop keeper |
20 Aug 1941 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Percy Charles Wells | Master shoemaker |
12 Nov 1941 | 03 Dec 1944 |
The OB was located in woodland off a minor footpath between the villages of Ford and Millbank, 2 or 3 miles south east of Herne Bay.
The entrance was under the floor of a “chicken hut”, which had a removable section normally covered by straw. A ladder led down to the main chamber which housed 6 bunks. There was no escape tunnel. It was only visited on 2 or 3 occasions in the early days, presumably to avoid drawing attention to its location.
It is recorded as having been blown up and villagers remember being warned of an imminent explosion though they were told it was the Army detonating old explosives. The site has been visited and confirmed, but no trace remains.
Herne Bay Patrol
The three Patrols in Thanet area all had the same target which was Manston Aerodrome. It is not known if the Herne Bay Patrol had any targets but the London to Margate and Ramsgate railway line would have been an obvious one.
Training was limited in the first few months, during which only one visit was made to The Garth. This consisted of morning instruction on the use of explosives and other techniques and field exercises in the afternoon. Transport was provided by the regular Army.
Auxilier Geoffrey Newlove, on going to The Garth for training; "We were picked up at the Queen's Hotel by an Army truck. In my imagination I can still hear the whine of the tyres as it picked up speed. In the morning there was instruction on explosives, etc. and the afternoon on field exercises - a big field on a hillside.”
The Patrol had an exercise to 'stand to' 3 July 1942 at 9.00 hours. The lists of the kit taken are listed by each men.
TNA ref WO199/3391 and WO199/3390
Hancock data held at B.R.A
Phil Evans
Adrian Westwood
Auxilier Geoffrey Newlove
Norman Bonney and Ron Stillwell
Captain Gardner papers