CART Auxiliary Unit Research

County Group

Locality

Kilham is a village approximately 5 miles to the north of Driffield which is the major settlement in the area

Patrol members

Name	Occupation	Posted from	Until
Sergeant Harry Middlewood	Farm worker	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Corporal Leslie Robert Smith	Tractor driver	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private Arthur Carr	Farm worker	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private Douglas William Gray	Farm worker	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private Philip Lamplugh Wilson	Farm worker	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private Donald Wilson	Farm worker	Unknown	03 Dec 1944

Operational Base (OB)

The Patrol's OB was a basic shelter with no escape tunnel. It was built in a chalk pit close to Keeper's House on the north side of Kilham Lane. The site is roughly half way between Kilham and Rushton. It was destroyed after the war and only some corrugated iron remains.

Patrol & OB pictures

Sgt Harry Middlewood's Farm (from Neil Hunt)

Walking through the now very over grown chalk pit where the OB was situated (from Neil Hunt).

The picture above shows tin sheets sticking out of the ground after being blown up some time after the war date unknown. (from Neil Hunt)

The Kilham Home Guard, Arthur Carr back row far right, Don Wilson second row from rear 4th from left, Philip Wilson 6th, Harry Middlewood 7th from left, Les Smith 8th from left, Doug Gray second row from front 4th from left.

OB Status

Destroyed

Location

Kilham Patrol

Patrol Targets

Targets for this Patrol would have included roads across the Wolds from the coast to the east along with landing grounds at the coast around the Bridlinton area and the Bridlington to Hull railway.

Military targets were RAF Lissett, RAF Cottam and RAF Driffield and also Burton Agnes Hall.

Training

Some of the Patrol went to Coleshill House for specialist courses.

The Patrol trained locally in the area and visited Middleton on the Wolds to train at the Headquarters. They also trained at Hornsea with the army and at Richmond and Castle Howard with the army (Castle Howard was a large Home Guard training centre).

Weapons and Equipment

Weapons issued to the Patrol included Sniper rifle with sights, pistols and STEN Machine Guns.

Other information

Neil Hunt purchased Sergeant Middlewood's lapel badge from his Grandson.

He recalled, 'I went to meet him to collect it and when were talking he produced Harry's magnet, a small U shaped one. I had never seen one before only pictures and he asked me if it was any good to me, I said yes, so he gave it to me!! He was also selling his 1937 calendar this went to another person unknown to me. When I went to Yorkshire to research the badge I stopped at a large house near the chalk pit and I asked the lady working in her front garden if she knew Keeper's House near the chalk pit. She said I don't but see that chap there, pointing to a man riding a tractor in her field, he knows all about the Home Guard in the village. She beckoned him over and we got talking. He took me to the OB site then back to his cottage where he produced all this information. I couldn't believe in the middle of nowhere I found this man! Then he took me to Harry's farm house.'

Harry is buried in the Kilham cemetery with other members of the patrol.

The Group photo of Home Guard, was taken at Butchers Yard in 1939.

References

TNA ref WO199/3389

Hancock data held at B.R.A

1939 Register

Andy Gwynne

Local Press

Paul Richardson (son of CSM F.K. Richardson),

Neil Hunt