Ross-on-Wye Patrol

A.K.A. (nickname)
Shadrach
County Group
Locality

Ross-on-Wye is a market town in south eastern Herefordshire, on the River Wye.

Patrol members
Name Occupation Posted from Until
Sergeant Frank William Green

Farmer

Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Corporal Harry Edwards Sainsbury

Farmer

Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Private Edward Robert Price

Farmer

Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Private John Barton Sainsbury

Farmer

Sept 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private Guy Overton Sainsbury

Farmer

Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Private William Ashley Winch

Auctioneer clerk

Unknown Unknown
Operational Base (OB)

The OB is near Coppett Hill close to Goodrich.

As a young boy Marcus Sears and couple of mates searched for an underground base in the 1950s and found one. They entered by using a branch from a tree instead of a ladder. They found the remains of 2 sets of chicken wire and wood bunk beds and a couple of clips of 303 ammunition. Which they pulled out the bullet heads and set off the black powder. The entrance was a hole at ground level with a straight drop of 10 - 12 feet.

A small explosives bunker was also found about 100 meters from the original OB.

Location

Ross-on-Wye Patrol

Patrol Targets

Assumed targets are the nearby Symonds Yat and Welsh Bicknor railway tunnels and nearby railway bridges. The nearby Edison Swan factory would have been a target.

Training

Hereford Patrols trained at Holmer Grange, the home of Captain Hughie Hall. Auxiliers had memories of a large lake with a pontoon bridge over. An exercise was to run over the pontoon with all their equipment, missing the part of the bridge that was primed to collapse. If they didn't fall in, the instructors pushed them in anyway. A stuffed dummy mounted in a doorway was used for silent killing practice.

A competition between all six Patrols took place at a farm at Holmer. Each Patrol had to place a magnet with the Patrol's name attached on some farm equipment stored in a yard. Getting in and out without being spotted, the victor was Bromyard Patrol.

Other information

Along with other Patrols from around the country, Ross-on-Wye Patrol were recruited to defend the Isle of Wight in June 1944 during the time of D-Day.

Herefordshire Patrols had their first reunion dinner on 26th January 1945 at Booth Hall in Hereford.

References

TNA ref WO199/3389

Hancock data held at B.R.A.

The Mercian Maquis by Bernard Lowry & Mick Wilks

Marcus Sears