Upton Pyne Auxiliary Unit Patrol / Scout Patrol?

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Thank you for selecting information on the Upton Pyne Auxiliary Unit and Operational Base. The info and images below have been supplied by CART's Devon CIO Nina Hannaford. cartdevon@gmail.com

It is currently unknown when the patrol was formed.

Patrol are currently unknown.

Currently we have little on this location and patrol. We know the OB is located in Bower Wood, the grounds of Upton Pyne house (See below)

Directions: From A377 from Exeter take turning posted Upton Pyne. Take right hand turning signposted Brampford Speke. Bridleway on right. Follow until opens out onto field. OB on left hand side.

The ground has a slight slope West to East. There is dense laurel covering and surrounding OB

OB Remains: Larger chamber shelter roof collapsed but with far end block built wall still standing complete with stove ventilation gap. Side walls of chamber are stone built and mainly intact.  Partially intact, block built ? blast wall covers entrance from main chamber to small area containing escape tunnel which appears intact.

A second partially intact, block built  ? blast wall  covers entrance to a thin passageway running North to South with a what appears to be an entrance / escape area in the Southern stone wall.

At South end of passageway a doorway leads down into second smaller chamber  which is mostly intact with block built blast walls towards the east end of chamber.

Size: All sizes are approximate. Main Chamber 5 x 3 m. Area containing escape tunnel 1.5 x 1.2 m.  Far end of escape tunnel 5m away. Passageway 3 x 1.2 m. Intact chamber 3 x 3m

Orientation: West to East

Entrances: Concrete escape tunnel approx 5m away. Entrance or exit area hidden as part of stone wall in passageway between the two chambers, made to look like part of wall but with metal lintel. No vertical entrance remains

Other physical remains: Stone wall forming South wall of OB could have been made to look like an existing field boundary as continues beyond end of OB. Many areas of corrugated iron all over site. Various  lengths of clay pipe. Single 0.5m  long hinge.

Currently unknown

Currently unknown

Currently unknown

Upton Pyne local Jim Swain recalls the following

I was born in Upton Pyne at 3 Robins Court and at one period in my early childhood, we came back to live in the same house. This was at the time of Dunkirk. There were sheds around where we lived and at that time we had some soldiers billeted in these sheds with their cook house and we had one of these men sleeping in our house. We kids went to Upton Pyne School and in the summer holidays we went down to Pyne’s woods to pick up acorns for pig food. There were men from Dunkirk digging in the nearby laurels. Of course at that time we kids did not know just what they were up to. These soldiers also came from a camp in Thorverton. I’ve now found out from a friend it was a special place where a specialist Home Guard unit would be based. If the Germans were to invade there job would be to hassle the invading force.

Railways, factories and of course the coast line for any enemy troops of infantries. I believe it was a top secret project. I don’t know if anybody knows just where it is. I am also led to believe there were many such places all over the country.

Just for the records there were some 225,000 British and 113,000 French troops evacuated from Dunkirk.

I also have a painting of 3 Robins Court where I was born and of course lived at the time of Dunkirk. It is painted by and was given to us by F.Parr.

Further information-

A week after a government appeal in May 1940, 250,000 men had joined the then LDV local defence volunteers. These numbers doubled by July when they were renamed the Home Guard. Few had uniform or weapons and were only armed with sporting guns, golf clubs or broom handles. These unpaid men’s job was to watch public buildings and roads.

Any other info I may be able to give, you only have to ask.

From Jim Swain

Exeter. 2010.

A map of the area can be seen here

“Resisting the Nazi Invaders”, Arthur Ward, (1997) pages 41, 50, 90, 97 
Letter from Mr J Swain, Exeter.
Arthur Cook.

If you can help with any info please contact us.