The parish of Manaccan lies to the south of the Helford River on the Lizard Peninsular on the south west tip of Cornwall.
| Name | Occupation | Posted from | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant Walters Eva | Dairy farmer |
10 Jun 1940 | 12 Feb 1941 |
| Second Lieutenant Leslie Bawden | Undertaker and carpenter |
25 Jun 1940 | 09 Nov 1942 |
| Sergeant Joseph Harry Moore | Motor engineer |
11 Jun 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Eric George Bennetts | Horseman on farm |
25 Jun 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Henry Reginald Lyne | Mixed farmer |
17 Jun 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private William Melville Peters | Oyster fisherman |
24 Nov 1942 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Richard Wallace Rogers | Farmer |
09 Aug 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Harry Tresidder | Blacksmith |
16 Jul 1942 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Verdun W. Ward | Farm labourer |
03 Oct 1941 | 03 Dec 1944 |
The Operational Base was built on the edge of a field 300 yards east of Manaccan Village at Roscaddon belonging to Lieutenant Walters Eva. It was reached by a tunnel through a hedge from an adjoining field. It was destroyed after the war after it collapsed when a cow fell in it, and nothing remains today.
A safe, dry place was needed to store the explosives so for a time the Patrol used the Iron Age Fogou at Halliggye near Trelowarren. It was moved when it started to sweat.
The original purpose for these Fogous (Cornish word for cave) is still unknown. They could have been refuges, storage or ritual shrines.
The Fogou is managed by the Trelowarren Estate and English Heritage and is free to enter during the Summer.
Manaccan Patrol
RAF (now RNAS) Predannach airfield is on the Lizard (though closer to Mullion Patrol) and would have been a likely target. The Patrol were told to look at the oil storage tanks at Swanvale near Falmouth though there was some unease at this as it could cause more damage to the local population.
Training took place at Porthpean in St Austell Bay. It was run by Captain Robert Williams who is remembered as a tall, dark, thin man, full of life and enthusiasm. There were weekend training courses for setting explosives and grenade throwing.
One exercise was to break into an Army camp on the St Keverne side of Zoar Garage and plant a dummy charge and detonator. A risk, as it is assumed guards would have been armed.
Each Patrol would carry out night time exercises twice a week.
One of the later exercises of the Manaccan Patrol was to penetrate the defences of the Radar Station at Goonhilly Down. Walters Eva's daughter remembers them gathering in the family kitchen with blacked out faces and mounting excitement. They left their cars on a isolated part of the Downs and cut their way through the barbed wire boundary fence. Crawling towards the guard house they had to lay low in a ditch listening to the sentries report to an officer that there was “nothing to report”. The Patrol left a note in the Guard House to show they had “invaded” and returned silently to Lieutenant Eva's house. A telephone call to the Commanding Officer informed him of their nights work. After this, security was strengthened and dogs were brought in. The Patrol were caught at their next attempt to enter the station.
The accuracy of the material on this clip has not been checked but it does show the Station during war time and today.
Walter Eva's daughter remembers a pistol with ammunition and a long knife. She also remembers seeing horseshoe magnets with attachments.
It is assumed they were issued with the standard kit, arms and explosives.
The Patrol was featured on BBC Spotlight on 16th September 2014.
WO199/3391
Hancock data held at B.R.A
1939 Register
Susan (Nee Eva) and Derek Carter.
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/halliggye-fogou/