THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE - Was There A Findon Home Guard Auxiliary Unit?

THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — These Chronicles are created by Valerie Martin and contain selected scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

WAS THERE A FINDON HOME GUARD AUXILIARY UNIT?

Part published in the Findon News in April 2006

Do you know how we locally planned to resist the Nazi invader during the hostilities of the Second World War? It was with the ruthless determination of secret guerrillas. Not many local people even knew what was going on at the time. I only know the name of one Findonian who was such a guerrilla, that of a Findon farmer.

The idea of underground resistance in advance of a possible enemy invasion was nothing new....... back in Roman times, Tacitus told of the difficulty that Julius Caesar's armies encountered as they invaded England and they met guerrilla tactics out in the countryside.

During the Second World War, while continuing with its occupation of France, the task of the German army was to land forces in southern England, defeat our troops and seize London. The plan was to land on the English coast between Folkestone and Worthing. Paratroop units were to take nearby Brighton. The German 9th and 16th armies were planned to take over the area including up to 10k north of Worthing (i.e. including Findon!) A frightening thought now.

During the more modern day hostilities of the Second World War, the title "Auxiliary" was chosen because it was thought perhaps to be a suitably nondescript term that was unlikely to arouse any unnecessary attention by the enemy. The group were attached to the Home Guard and they were officially known as Home Guard Auxiliary Units. The men wore Home Guard uniforms and the only way of distinguishing them was by their different shoulder flashes. In time, "Auxiliary" became shortened as "Auxunits".

Whilst the Battle of Britain was being gallantly fought above the meadows and woodland of our area, the Auxunits were preparing in utmost secrecy their own reception for the feared Germans invaders.

Each unit had its own secret underground headquarters where weapons were stored in case of invasion. Was there a Findon contingent? If so, where?

The patrols at Clapham and at Wiston are the nearest I have heard mentioned. The Findon farmer who was one of the Wiston number was John Heath of Muntham Farm. The remainder of his patrol was made up of men from nearby Wiston and Steyning. They were issued with uniforms the same as Home Guards but with different shoulder flashes. Their underground headquarters is reputed to have been situated in woodland just to the north of Chanctonbury Ring but as the patrol kept this a guarded secret no one now knows the location. Unless you know differently.

The Clapham contingent had their own headquarters in the Clapham woods. This was constructed into the side of a derelict chalk pit and containing three rooms. The largest was said to be about 12 ft x 9 ft. and there was an exit tunnel for emergencies which ran out into an old kiln in the chalk pit. Exciting stuff.

16th July 2006

Hi Valerie,

Auxiliary Units in Clapham Woods

As a boy in the ''70s and early '80s I was forever walking the clapham and findon areas with my scout group, on one occassion (lost or shortcutting I expect) we walked through from Clapham to Cote Street.

In a hedgerow we found an entrance to a dugout reinforced with corrugated iron sheets and stakes that I suspect was either an OP or an escape route from one of the auxillary units hideouts.

I've had a discreet look for it on recent trips back home but to no avail, I think the hedge it was in may have been grubbed out.

I've often looked to see if a Clapham or Salvington Auxilliary unit is mentioned on WWII history sites without success, but at least your article suggests that I didn't dream the whole thing!

My father worked at the brick yard for a spell and he'd have worked with the chaps you name, sadly too late to ask him. thanks for an informative site.

Keith Lambeth, Devon.

In January 2012, Brian Drury of Shoreham email...

As you are always interested in Findon related topics I thought you might like the following:

In addition to the possible highly secret Auxiliary Unit hideout that may be located in Clapham are you aware that there was also supposed to have been a far more secret Auxiliary Unit Special Duties Outstation in Clapham?

The location was probably the attic of one of the houses in The Street. The radio operator was a Mr Baron. The radio was a very special unit that used a disguised method of transmission and the signal was sent at VHF to an underground receiving station at Dragons Green near Shipley on the A272. The receiving station was constantly operated by a team of three young ladies from the ATS.

Maybe one of your readers will know something of Mr Baron? Best wishes....Brian"

It was all going on during wartime right under our noses. It is not now always appreciated how the highly secret Auxunits were specially trained with the aim of resisting the expected invasion of Sussex by Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Britain was the only country at the time to create such a resistance movement in advance of an invasion.

Continue if you would like to read Findon Was Nearly Targeted by the Wehrmacht.

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Do let me know of anything you hear about Findon - not too controversial. Please note that opinions expressed in the Findon Chronicles are not necessarily reflective of my own thoughts.... but sometimes they are!