Archaeologists survey Churchill's secret headquarters

[Tunnel_Rat]

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-12261855 Sounds like a really interesting project.

[Great War truck]

it is a very interesting place. They have another open day this year. The title "Churchill's secret Headquarters" is a little misleading as it was just a training centre for the Home Guard Auxillary Units.

[Bala2]

it is a very interesting place. They have another open day this year. The title "Churchill's secret Headquarters" is a little misleading as it was just a training centre for the Home Guard Auxillary Units.

 

Not as misleading as all that - Churchill sanctioned the forming of a top secret Resistance Organisation with it's GHQ at Coleshill House. It was unique in as much as never before had civilian resistance cells been set up before an enemy occupied a country. They would not have been protected by the Geneva Convention if captured. It was NOT part of the Homeguard until 1943 when the threat of invasion had receded and only then for administration purposes.

 

The resistance patrols (cells) consisted of specially selected civilians, gamekeepers, poachers, woodsman, farmers, recruited for their knowledge of the local area. They were trained by regular army officers in all forms of guerrilla warfare. Auxiliary Units was supplied with all forms of weapons and explosives and given priority over conventional forces.

 

There was also a Special Duties Branch which gathered intelligence and forwarded the information through a network of secret radio cells up the chain of command.

[Tony B]

Auxilary units were supplied with weapons supplied under the U.S. Civillian organised Guns For Britsh Homes schemes. A particular class of weapons for Auxilary were silenced .22 rifles. Most were Winchesters though a few Mossberg seem to have crept in. The purpose of this was for assisnation of those who may know of the cells existence. This would have included British subjects.