(Top) Secret Leeds - WW2 Auxiliary Units, British Resistance Organisation

Places to explore
Jogon
Posts: 3036
Joined: Wed 21 Dec, 2011 1:28 pm

Post by Jogon »

After British forces had beaten a desperate retreat from Dunkirk, Winston Churchill ordered a battle-hardened colonel called Colin Gubbins to form the new organisation to provide resistance in the event of a German invasion. It was not whether there was going to be an invasion, but when it was going to come.Gubbins selected a dozen regular Army intelligence officers to recruit local men, many from the Home Guard and many with an intimate knowledge of their local areas (gamekeepers and poachers were said to be particularly popular recruits), and turn them into ruthless killers. “They should be solid chaps who are not likely to lose their heads under the sort of pressures that occupation brings,” one officer wrote of the character that was required, “quite ordinary types in normal, everyday jobs”. Men in the Auxiliary Units were expected to last for about two weeks before they were either captured or killed.Each unit had it's operational base (OB).One such was in an 18th-century stone mine near Bath. There were hundreds of hideouts around the country, many of them dug out in woodland in the dead of night so that no one would know they were there. The OBs were so well hidden that many remain undiscovered to this day. The units were stood down in November 1944.Anyone know anything about this in the Leeds locality?

String o' beads
Posts: 1360
Joined: Wed 06 Feb, 2008 6:09 pm

Post by String o' beads »

Quite a comprehensive history of the Auxiliary Units here:http://tinyurl.com/pdwycpgThe link to the Google Earth Defence of Britain project is in the first post here:http://tinyurl.com/q9agtgz

scrabblerz
Posts: 47
Joined: Wed 11 Dec, 2013 2:33 pm

Post by scrabblerz »

I have just started reading a book from the LibraryChurchills Underground ArmyA History of the Auxiliary Units in World War 2by John WarwickerHaven't seen any thing about Leeds yet thoughAn excellent read for all you historiansBlack Diamondsby Catherine BaileyThe Rise and Fall of a Yorkshire DynastyAn eye opener

scrabblerz
Posts: 47
Joined: Wed 11 Dec, 2013 2:33 pm

Post by scrabblerz »

Hve just finished reading Churchills Underground Army ,only reference to Leeds I could see when they were short of guns they asked police forces for any confiscated guns amnestys etc , Leeds Police said they didn't have any they had thrown them all in to Roundhay Park Lake .Would recommend this book to you also :The Last Ditch by David Lampe which predates this but as equally as interesting .

Tyke
Posts: 164
Joined: Thu 17 Nov, 2011 10:55 am

Post by Tyke »

As a side note when Waterloo Lake was low due to building work on the new dam wall fishermen found loads of ammunition that was dumped in the lake.
Hunslet born and bread

dogduke
Posts: 1402
Joined: Thu 03 Jan, 2008 6:47 am

Post by dogduke »

scrabblerz wrote: I have just started reading a book from the LibraryChurchills Underground ArmyA History of the Auxiliary Units in World War 2by John WarwickerHaven't seen any thing about Leeds yet thoughAn excellent read for all you historiansBlack Diamondsby Catherine BaileyThe Rise and Fall of a Yorkshire DynastyAn eye opener Just to support scrabblerz comments on Black Diamonds.I got the book from the library a while ago and returned it unread dueto lack of time to read it.i have downloaded it from the library(for nowt) and have managedto get about 2/3 through.What an excellent read ! well researched and well written,very easy to follow the quite complexhistory.Well worth reading.
Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.90% of being smart is knowing what you're dumb at.

scrabblerz
Posts: 47
Joined: Wed 11 Dec, 2013 2:33 pm

Post by scrabblerz »

Another great read similar subjectThe Secret Rooms by Catherine Bailey from Leeds LibraryWW1 British Resistance Organisation (or Family)It is 100 years ago about May/June when thousands of British Volunteers were battling on the fields of Ypres .As many as 12,000 getting killed in one day while their Officers , Batmen ADC's etc sat on a ridge watching the battle ensuing in front of them , what was their answer ?get the picnic baskets out open the bottles of wine and lets have a picnic , our parents back home will recruit more soldiers back home to fill the gaps for the next battle .Enjoy the read .

Phill_dvsn
Posts: 4423
Joined: Wed 21 Feb, 2007 5:47 am

Post by Phill_dvsn »

I'll add a link to this Churchill Top Secret exploit of W.W.2Operation Mincemeat - The man who never was! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5570fDdBOQ&hd=1It's to do with the invasion, but this time it's taking the fight to the Germans.The top secret deception plan involved Ian Fleming who would go on to write the James Bond stories. A dead tramp, and the wonderfully named character called Charles Cholmondeley. It's a fantastic documentary and well worth watching.    
My flickr pictures are herehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/Because lunacy was the influence for an album. It goes without saying that an album about lunacy will breed a lunatics obsessions with an album - The Dark side of the moon!

Tyke
Posts: 164
Joined: Thu 17 Nov, 2011 10:55 am

Post by Tyke »

Phill_dvsn wrote: I'll add a link to this Churchill Top Secret exploit of W.W.2Operation Mincemeat - The man who never was! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5570fDdBOQ&hd=1It's to do with the invasion, but this time it's taking the fight to the Germans.The top secret deception plan involved Ian Fleming who would go on to write the James Bond stories. A dead tramp, and the wonderfully named character called Charles Cholmondeley. It's a fantastic documentary and well worth watching.     A recent book on Operation Mincemeat is a really good read as well going into more detail. The book mentions a German spy master who probably realised it was a hoax but let it go as he was totally against the Nazi regime.
Hunslet born and bread

Tyke
Posts: 164
Joined: Thu 17 Nov, 2011 10:55 am

Post by Tyke »

scrabblerz wrote: Another great read similar subjectThe Secret Rooms by Catherine Bailey from Leeds LibraryWW1 British Resistance Organisation (or Family)It is 100 years ago about May/June when thousands of British Volunteers were battling on the fields of Ypres .As many as 12,000 getting killed in one day while their Officers , Batmen ADC's etc sat on a ridge watching the battle ensuing in front of them , what was their answer ?get the picnic baskets out open the bottles of wine and lets have a picnic , our parents back home will recruit more soldiers back home to fill the gaps for the next battle .Enjoy the read . Contrary to popular belief many of the army’s higher echelon were killed during WW1 and the other officers had a high mortality rate.Figures show from Brigadier Generals upwards there were 78 killed (200 killed wounded or captured). Other officers killed 17% (Old Estonian “toffs” 20% of officers from school)Ordinary soldiers killed 12%
Hunslet born and bread

Post Reply