Post by Les on Mar 5, 2021 14:14:57 GMT
August-September 1940
Secret Army to harass the invaders.
THE invasion had been postponed an Hitler.for the time being al least, was not going to despoil the Garden of England. However, the furious battle of the skies continued and the Kentish people were vigilant as ever-none more than Peter Fleming,a Captain in the Grenadier Guards and brother of the creator of James Bond. For he was in charge of the county anti-invasion preparations.
While the Fuhrer was planning his landing tactics. Fleming was forming a secret army from his hideaway at The Garth, Bilting, near Ashford. Few knew of his work or of the existence of the armed guerrillas who would have hassled the invaders in the same way that the resistance movements causing havoc in occupied France.
Captain Fleming began to frm his patrols in the summer of 1940 with the help of four soldiers, several drivers, and 2 batmen. He also had two RAF radio operators and a platoon of Lovat Scouts. Each patrol operated independently and had had between 4 to8 men and its own hideout. as a base. They were part of a national resistance movement which its headquarters at Coleshill near Swindon.
The civilian members of Fleming's patrols were armed with a pistol, a rubber truncheons, and a commando knife they also had the use of a Tommy Gun, two rifles, hand grenades, and plastic explosives. The training was carried out on the grounds of The Garth where the men were taught how to kill silently and use their weapons effectively.
Nobody knew of the men's dual role-not even their wies-and nobody knew of the 25 hide-outs which existed all over Kent. One of the most impressive was an enormous underground chamber at Godmersham Park. It was called The Airship because it housed one duringthe1914-18 war and was so massive that it could accommodate up to 120 people.
Having established hid resistant patrols . Fleming was replaced by Lieutenant-Colonel Norman Field. He took over November 1940. dug an underground observation post at the crest of Charing Hill and made sure all hide-outs were ingeniously concealed.
Eventually, there were more than 1,000hide-outs across the country before it was decided that Hitler would never invade and the patrols were disbanded.
IN kent they existed at Baddlesmere, near Faversham, Wickhambreux near the mouth of the River Stour, Challock, Hastingleigh near wye, Manston, Wooton near Folkstone,Lydden ned Dover,Minster,Staplehurst,Sutton Valance, Frith wood, near Hawkhurst, Roverden, Tenterden, Bethersden, Brookland, Ash, and Pluckley.
In his book 'Operation sealord' Peter Fleming wrote:"It seems unlikely that the Auxiliary U
Secret Army to harass the invaders.
THE invasion had been postponed an Hitler.for the time being al least, was not going to despoil the Garden of England. However, the furious battle of the skies continued and the Kentish people were vigilant as ever-none more than Peter Fleming,a Captain in the Grenadier Guards and brother of the creator of James Bond. For he was in charge of the county anti-invasion preparations.
While the Fuhrer was planning his landing tactics. Fleming was forming a secret army from his hideaway at The Garth, Bilting, near Ashford. Few knew of his work or of the existence of the armed guerrillas who would have hassled the invaders in the same way that the resistance movements causing havoc in occupied France.
Captain Fleming began to frm his patrols in the summer of 1940 with the help of four soldiers, several drivers, and 2 batmen. He also had two RAF radio operators and a platoon of Lovat Scouts. Each patrol operated independently and had had between 4 to8 men and its own hideout. as a base. They were part of a national resistance movement which its headquarters at Coleshill near Swindon.
The civilian members of Fleming's patrols were armed with a pistol, a rubber truncheons, and a commando knife they also had the use of a Tommy Gun, two rifles, hand grenades, and plastic explosives. The training was carried out on the grounds of The Garth where the men were taught how to kill silently and use their weapons effectively.
Nobody knew of the men's dual role-not even their wies-and nobody knew of the 25 hide-outs which existed all over Kent. One of the most impressive was an enormous underground chamber at Godmersham Park. It was called The Airship because it housed one duringthe1914-18 war and was so massive that it could accommodate up to 120 people.
Having established hid resistant patrols . Fleming was replaced by Lieutenant-Colonel Norman Field. He took over November 1940. dug an underground observation post at the crest of Charing Hill and made sure all hide-outs were ingeniously concealed.
Eventually, there were more than 1,000hide-outs across the country before it was decided that Hitler would never invade and the patrols were disbanded.
IN kent they existed at Baddlesmere, near Faversham, Wickhambreux near the mouth of the River Stour, Challock, Hastingleigh near wye, Manston, Wooton near Folkstone,Lydden ned Dover,Minster,Staplehurst,Sutton Valance, Frith wood, near Hawkhurst, Roverden, Tenterden, Bethersden, Brookland, Ash, and Pluckley.
In his book 'Operation sealord' Peter Fleming wrote:"It seems unlikely that the Auxiliary U