Churchill’s Secret New Forest Army – Hampshire Auxiliary Unit Patrols And Operational Bases
The Britsh Resistance Archive is a very good source for the growing knowledge and understanding of the work and organisation of the Auxiliary Army also known as Churchill’s Secrete Army.
Auxiliary Units were a secret resistance network of highly trained volunteers prepared to be Britain’s last ditch line of defence during World War Two. They operated in a network of cells from hidden underground bases around the UK.
A good overview of the extent of the Auxiliary Unit network can be seen on the following interactive map: Click HERE
Research carried out by the Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team (CART) relevant to the New Forest is linked below, please explore and share any additional information you may have with them or on this portal and we will pass it back to them.
Hampshire had 37 known Auxiliary Unit Patrols
No.1 Group (Ringwood) – Lead by GC Capt. A.J. Champion & Lt L.D.C. Ayles
No.2 Group (New Forest) – Led by Lt G.B. Ash & 2nd Lt G. Forward
Lyndhurst Patrol – Or on New Forest Knowledge site: Here
The other Hampshire groups were:
No 3 Group (North West Hampshire) – Lead by Lt A. White
No 4 Group (Eastleigh & Baddlesey Area) – Lead by Lt G. Stokes & Lt W. Bignall
No 5 Group (Soberton to Bishops Waltham Area) – Lead by Lt A.G. Dallow & 2 Lt V.L. Peterson
No 6 Group – Lead by Capt. A.C. Boyd & Lt A.A. Hilton
No 7 Group (North Hampshire Area) – Lead by Lt E.F. Talbot-Ponsonby
No 8 Group – Lead by Lt D.L. Brownlee & 2nd Lt F.A. Sawtell
No 9 & 10 Groups were on the Isle of Wight.
Information on these groups can be found here
All information contained within and linked to on this page is credit to CART.
CART provide an internal network for serious and dedicated researchers who focus on the British Resistance. Its supporters believe this history should be made public, so its findings are published on the British Resistance Archive (BRA) website.