South Mundham Patrol

A.K.A. (nickname)
Selsey Patrol
County Group
Sussex Group 3
Locality

South Mundham is a hamlet in the Chichester district of West Sussex. It lies in isolated countryside to the north of Pagham Harbour.

Patrol members
Name Occupation Posted from Until
Sergeant William Montgomerie Torrance

Dairy farmer

 18 Aug 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private George Ian Bayley

Poultry & egg farmer

 07 Jan 1941 03 Dec 1944
Private Cecil Edward Butler

Smallholder and foodstuffs agent

 10 Apr 1941 15 Nov 1943
Private Walter Maurice Chitty

Farm worker assisting father

 15 Mar 1941 Unknown
Private Ernest Edward Mansbridge

Farm tractor driver

 04 Feb 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private Harry Frederick Moore

Customs officer

 05 Aug 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private Edwin Leonard Nurse

Cowman

 09 Jul 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private James Halbert Renwick

Poultry farmer

 15 Mar 1941 03 Dec 1944
Private Edward Seth Sawday

Farmer assisting father

 06 Jun 1940 03 Dec 1944
Private William Alfred Wickham

Cowman

 04 Feb 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private Clarence Bertram Williams

Farm bailiff

 25 Apr 1942 03 Dec 1944
Operational Base (OB)

The OB was located on Bramber Farm, South Mundham

There is a vertical entrance (which has fences around to prevent animals falling in), the exit in the side of a big drainage ditch.

The whole area is about 10 metres square and there are still the framework of some wooden beds inside.

 

Patrol & OB pictures
South Mundham OB 2
Entrance shaft (from Michael Johns)
South Mundham OB 3
Entrance shaft (from Michael Johns)
South Mundham OB 1
Main chamber (from Michael Johns)
South Mundham OB 5
Main chamber (from Michael Johns)
South Mundham OB 4
Escape tunnel (from Michael Johns)
South Mundham OB 6
Looking over the top of the OB (from Michael Johns)
OB Status
Largely intact
OB accessibility
This OB is on private land. Please do not be tempted to trespass to see it
Location

South Mundham Patrol

Other information

There are only two houses in the tiny hamlet of Bramber where the OB was built; Sergeant William Torrence lived in one. He was a former tenant farmer of the Church Commissioners who own a lot of the land in the area. The OB would, originally, have been on land then owned by the Church.

References

TNA reference WO199/3391

Hancock data held at B.R.A

Michael Johns

'Secret Sussex Resistance' by Stewart Angell