CART Auxiliary Unit Research

County Group

Locality

Leavening is on the Yorkshire Wolds approximately 13 miles north-east of York in Ryedale.

Patrol members

Name	Occupation	Posted from	Until
Sergeant Percy Welburn Milner	Farmer	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Corporal Robert Dent	Farmer	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private Harold Grice	Assisting father on farm	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private Douglas Grice	Assisting father on farm	1940	1942
Private Norman Grice	Assisting father on farm	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private George Robson	Farmer	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private Edgar North Smallwood	Farm worker	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private Douglas Webster	Farmer	Unknown	03 Dec 1944

Operational Base (OB)

The Patrol were based just to the east of Leavening and had two OBs.

The first one was a square type dug out on Rabbit Hill, overlooking Leavening. This is now collapsed and it is not known what remains. It was made from logs with a wiggly tin roof and no escape tunnel.

The Patrol moved to a second OB built by the Royal Engineers approximately 550 yards from the first site at an area known locally as "Coombes".

The Patrol also constructed a two man Observation Post (OP) around 30 yards south of the first OB connected to the OB via field telephone. It is not known what remains.

Patrol & OB pictures

Entrance shaft 2016

Looking into collapsed main chamber with vent pipes 2016

Collapsed main chamber with vent pipe 2016

Entrance shaft with collapsed main chamber 2016

Looking down entrance shaft 2016

Remains of metal rungs leading down entrance shaft

Looking down entrance shaft 2016

Inside collapsed main chamber 2016

Main chamber looking towards small anti chamber and escape tunnel 2016

Small anti chamber leading to escape tunnel 2016

First length of escape tunnel from OB 2016

Second length of escape tunnel leading out 2016

Escape tunnel looking to exit 2016

End of escape tunnel with brick and corrugated chamber end 2016

Escape tunnel leading off from OB chamber 2016

Coat hooks 2016

Escape tunnel exit on left, entrance by far right tree 2016

Escape tunnel exit 2016

East Riding Group 3 Leavening members, rear left Edgar Smallwood. Middle l-to-r Doug Webster, Norman Grice & George Robson. Front left Robert Dent, 2nd right Percy Milner

OB Status

Destroyed

Location

Leavening Patrol

Patrol Targets

Local targets would have included Birdsall House, a possible German HQ and Castle Howard a likely German target.

Kirkham Priory was occupied by the military during the war and the site of the Landing Vehicle testing-area for the various types of tanks, lorries etc to be used in the invasion on the D-Day beaches.

Transport targets included the Derwent river road crossings and the main road from the east coast probable landing beaches through the area to Malton and York.

Training

The Patrol trained at Middleton Hall, Danby Lodge and Guisborough rifle ranges.

Some members went to Coleshill House for specialist courses.

Weapons and Equipment

Weapons issued to the Patrol included Thompson Sub Machine Guns, Sten guns, .38 Smith and Wesson Revolvers, .22 Sniper rifle and a Canadian Ross .300 Rifle. Fairburn Sykes knives and a Cosh.

Other information

Norman Grice recalled that they never spent a night in the OB.

They drank all the rum and fired off surplus ammunition at stand down.

References

TNA ref WO199/3389

Hancock data held at B.R.A

1939 Register

Andy Gwynne

Peter Sisterson and Ian Turton for photos

East Ridings Secret Resistance by Alan Williamson

Roddy Hamilton