Walkington Auxiliary Unit Patrol

This page last updated at 9:53am on 3/2/12

A report by CART CIO for Yorkshire Andy Gwynne. If you can help with any info please contact us.

The Walkington Patrol belonged to No 7 Group.  The Group consisted of the Beverley North and South and Walkington Patrols.

It is unknown when the patrol was formed.

Captain Cyril Carrington (b.03.12.1899) of Beverley was a leather Sales Manager with the local tannery of WM Hodgson. He was also Group Commander of the East Riding Southern Area. The Group Sgt Clerk was Sgt Herbert Gillyon a leather worker at the same Tannery (b.25.02.1906). The Intelligence Officer was a Captain Leigh-Lye.

The following are the entries found in the Nominal Roll. 

The OB is located within a wooded area on the side of a steep valley. It lies to the North West of the village of Walkington

The OB is on private land but permission was sought from two Landowners and both parties kindly gave their permission.

Top of the entrance shaft. No holes or mounts could be found in the top of the shaft for a cover.

Entrance shaft - very deep, even filled in we measured it at 8 feet

Main OB - Complete collapse looking towards the Main shaft.

Looking into the second chamber.

Through this door would have been the escape tunnel. Note the door frame still in place and how corroded the roof section is.

A camera view from outside pointing straight up the tunnel.

This air pipe still in situ leading down to the OB floor and out to surface some 12 feet away

The OB was easily found from the footpath due to the escape tunnel being visible. The OB had been dug into the chalk of a valley side 12 feet down. When the roof had corroded the weight of the chalk had brought the entire main chamber down. The main shaft and escape tunnel are still very much in tact. I found that when exiting the escape tunnel you would have not had much cover to make your escape.

The OB is deeper than normal with its floor level about 12 feet below ground. Concrete blocks were used instead of brick and the Entrance shaft had built in ladder rungs made from 2” piping. The OB is some 20 feet in length and approx 9 feet wide. Two small vestibules at either end were created by concrete walls. The escape tunnel was made from 76mm concrete pipes and was about 14ft in length and had a right angle bend about half way.

Orientation of OB: East West

Observation Post: None found however approx 250 feet away we found a small depression in the ground. It looked like a small 2 man trench and had filled in over the years to a depth of a foot. This could have been natural as the view from this post was completely blocked by trees and vegetation but not have been during the war.

Other physical remains nearby: We found an old drawer made from metal with a riveted handle. It looked like the old metal desk drawers and can be seen on the video.

Airfields in the vicinity included RAF Driffield and RAF Leconfield and a main Barracks at Beverley

Training was carried out at Bluestone Quarry and another pit close to Bishop Burton.

Not known

A nearby field was used for Mortar Practice range and against this background noise the OB was blasted out of the chalk. Tail Fins still turn up during ploughing operations. This OB was built by the Royal Engineers.

  East Ridings Secret Resistance by Alan Williamson 2004

If you can help with any info please contactus.