Starcross is a village on the west shore of the Exe estuary in Teignbridge, South Devon.
| Name | Occupation | Posted from | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sergeant Fred Goodridge | Farmer |
13 Oct 1942 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Corporal Norman Frank Rowe | Farmer |
27 Oct 1942 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Gilbert William Sidney Bright | Fish roundsman |
24 Nov 1942 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Wilfred George Burch | Market gardener |
10 Jul 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Jeffrey Goodridge | Farmer |
13 Oct 1942 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Reginald William Lintern McClaughlin | Railwayman |
30 Jun 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Ernest George Mummery | Rail porter |
30 Jun 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Francis James Wotton | Farm worker |
27 Jun 1942 | 03 Dec 1944 |
The Operational Base for the Patrol was between Starcross and Exminster and the Auxiliers lived in the surrounding area. The OB was located on land farmed by Auxilier Francis Wotton at Tawsington Farm. The farm has now been split and the land divided up around neighbouring farms. Situated just below the brow of a hill, the area has views over the River Exe Estuary and almost up to the City of Exeter.
Known to have been built by the Royal Engineers, local children discovered the OB while still intact during the 1950s. It was entered into by a trap door in the middle of a Laurel copse though nothing could be seen from the surface. Embedded in the entrance shaft were 5 metal rungs leading down to a Nissen hut type structure containing a cast iron stove, a cupboard and four bunk beds. Ventilation pipes led to the surface. A 3 foot diameter concrete pipe lead away as an escape tunnel, exiting at the surface.
The structure is thought to have been destroyed. At one time it was seen as only rubble remaining, along with the intact escape tunnel leading away.
Starcross Patrol
The railway line running through all the Group 5 towns would have been better targeted at Teignmouth or Dawlish but having railway workers knowledge could have given this Patrol an advantage.
The Patrol's most obvious targets could have been the main A379 road and the A38 bridges over the rail line, the Exe Estuary at Countess Wear and the Exeter Canal. A plaque records the role of this bridge in the rehearsals for the D-Day landings in Normandy. "They were used, over a period of three days and nights, for rehearsals of the famous and crucial glider borne attack on the bridge over the Canal de Caen (Pegasus Bridge) and the river Orne (Horsa Bridge) by the Second Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, on the night of 5/6 June 1944."
The nearby Powderham Castle could have been used by an invading force.
River traffic up the Exe Estuary to the City of Exeter could also have been targeted.
Shooting practice took place at the rifle range at Starcross. Suspected training areas for all the Patrols of Group 5 are the many forests and plantations on and around Great Haldon Ridge.
Unknown, but it is assumed they had access to the standard kit and arms and explosives.
Starcross group photo shows; Back row left to right: Norman Rowe, Jim Burch, Jeff Goodridge, Sergeant Fred Goodridge - Front: Ernest Mummery, Reg McClaughlin, Gilbert Bright.
TNA ref WO199/3390
The Hancock data held at B.R.A.
1939 Register
Douglas McClaughlin, Robin Thorp, Tim Mole, Tricia Whiteway, Tim Whiteway, Peter Ponsford,
The Western Times.