The village of Hoveton is 6 miles north-east of Norwich and lies on the northern bank of the river Bure, with the village of Wroxham lying directly opposite on the south side of the river.
| Name | Occupation | Posted from | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant Lancelot Stephen Harris | School teacher & journalist |
Unknown | Unknown |
| Sergeant John Robert Howes | Farmer & milk retailer. |
Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Corporal Bertie Charles Durrant | Head woodsman |
Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Victor Bernard Allen | Carpenter & joiner |
Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Corben John Colchester | General farmer & tractor driver |
12 Dec 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private William Sagar Collinge | Horticultural & agricultural farmer |
Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Walter James Cork | Company's representative (Petrol) |
Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private John Glanville Nash | Civil servant |
Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
The site is located in the grounds of Hoveton Hall and gardens. The OB is situated not far from a rural lane leading to Ashmanhaugh, near Kidney Lake, a pond with viewpoints that forms one of the features in Hoveton Hall’s gardens, which are open to the public on certain days.
The main chamber is believed to be intact but is inaccessible. The length of the OB is 6.40m and it is orientated roughly N/S – 16ft ASL
We were taken to the site by Chris Allen, the son of Auxilier Victor Allen, one of Hoveton Patrol’s members. Victor never mentioned his wartime activities to his family but his two sons later managed to find the OB, as well as an observation post nearby. The latter was described to us as having been a square hole in the ground, about 1.50m deep, with a section of corrugated iron as roof. We found no trace of it.
On occasion of Chris Allen’s last visit, about 10 years ago, the OB was accessible and in good condition and it still contained the original bunks.
We found the entrance shaft collapsed (or filled in). The emergency exit passage is approx 5m long, believed collapsed. A long depression in the ground at the other end (facing towards the lake) indicates that the emergency exit passage has also collapsed.
A slight depression in the ground, running along the southern edge of the main chamber, indicates that the structure has sagged on the south side, presumably because the corrugated sheets have corroded at the base.
A field drain emerges somewhat lower down, about 6m to the south west of the entrance. By prodding the ground we were able to establish that the pipe was not laid in a straight line but in a curve. We believe that in all probability it contained a wire that connected with the release mechanism of the entrance cover.
Looking into a rabbit hole we spotted the joint of a similar pipe several metres down the slope, north east of the emergency exit.
We found a single brick and two small brick fragments lying on the ground near the exit, next to two small pieces of broken roofing slates. We also found the fragment of a Victorian dinner plate.
Hoveton Patrol
TNA ref WO199/3389
Hancock data held at B.R.A
Evelyn Simak and Adrian Pye
We would like to thank Chris Allen for providing these images which he holds the copyright to.
'Standing up to Hitler' (2002) by A Hoare, Chris Allen
Stephen Lewins
Rachael Waring (nee Colchester) - See Auxilier Corben John Colchester