Welcome
Bringing Churchill's secret army to life
Exploring the hidden world that would have emerged had the balloon ever gone up
Why Choose Fortytude.co.uk
Background
Auxiliaries and Special Duties Branch
Sharing knowledge and history
At Fortytude.co.uk, Diane and Colin together have over thirty years experience as living history
re-enactors of different periods, from 1471 to 1940.
Sharing knowledge and history
Auxiliaries and Special Duties Branch
Sharing knowledge and history
Passionate about the subject we aim to bring to life the 1940's and the unspoken heroes and heroines of the period.
Auxiliaries and Special Duties Branch
Auxiliaries and Special Duties Branch
Auxiliaries and Special Duties Branch
Bound by the Official Secrets Act, only recently have the roles of the Auxiliary Units and the Special Duties Branch been revealed. Explore these and more with the Coleshill Research Team, link below.
Unprepared for invasion?
Unprepared for invasion?
Auxiliaries and Special Duties Branch
Far from it, over 600 hidden underground bases, a civilian spy network, trained saboteurs and assassins, escape lines and hidden radio networks all in place in 1940.
Recommended Reading
Unprepared for invasion?
Recommended Reading
Britain's Secret Defences by
Andrew Chatterton
SOE's Mastermind, the biography of Major General Sir Colin Gubbins by Brian Lett
And All The King's Men by Gordon Stevens
SS-GB by Len Deighton
Invasion 1940 by Peter Fleming
The Mercian Maquis by Bernard Lowry
Recommended viewing
Unprepared for invasion?
Recommended Reading
You tube: Hitler's Britain
You tube: WW2 TV: Section vii, the real British resistance
You tube: WW2 TV : Sex, lies and espionage
You tube: NationalArmyMuseumUK :
Britain's Secret Defences
You tube: Fatherland 1994 HQ
DVD; Went the Day Well ?
Forthcoming events 2024
Auxiliary units and the S.A.S
Auxiliary units and the S.A.S
17/18 Feb Worcester Guildhall
23/24 Mar Gloucester Army Museum
27/28 Apr Worcester in the Woods
11/12 May Forge Mill
25/26 May Ironbridge
8/9 Jun Powys 1940s weekend
15/16 Jun Wartime in the Vale Evesham
27/28 July Holsworthy 1940s
17/18 Aug Whitehorse 1940s
21/22 Sept Upton 1940s
29/30 Wallingford (tbc)
12/13 Oct Coleshill House
Auxiliary units and the S.A.S
Auxiliary units and the S.A.S
Auxiliary units and the S.A.S
As the threat of invasion receded in 1942 the Auxiliary units began to fight for their survival, before being disbanded in 1944. "However the S.A.S. had a crying need for recruits in spring 1944. The British Resistance Organisation no longer had a purpose by then. The S.A.S. returned to the UK late 1943 (in Maynes' case) and early 1944. M
As the threat of invasion receded in 1942 the Auxiliary units began to fight for their survival, before being disbanded in 1944. "However the S.A.S. had a crying need for recruits in spring 1944. The British Resistance Organisation no longer had a purpose by then. The S.A.S. returned to the UK late 1943 (in Maynes' case) and early 1944. Mayne was briefed on the BRO's existence and as many BRO were keen to see action the S.A.S. were just the ticket. He carried out several BRO recruiting tours." (Damien Lewis)
A full list of those Auxilliers known to have served with the S.A.S. on operations such as Bulbasket can be found on the British Resistance Archive site under the S.A.S. section.
S.A.S. Recommended reading
Auxiliary units and the S.A.S
Auxiliary Units and the S.O.E.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare by Damien Lewis
S.A.S Forged in Hell by Damien Lewis
S.A.S. Brothers in Arms by Damien Lewis
S.A.S. Shadow Raiders by Damien Lewis
S.A.S. The Italian Job by Damien Lewis
S.A.S. Ghost Patrol by Damien Lewis
S.A.S. Great Escapes 1 and 2 by Damien Lewis
Auxiliary Units and the S.O.E.
Auxiliary Units and the S.O.E.
Auxiliary Units and the S.O.E.
A number of personnel transferred to the S.O.E. seeking more active service, a full list of those known to have taken part in S.O.E. operations is available on the British Resistance Archive website.
Recommended reading a list as long as your arm but a good start is Vera Atkins, A Life in Secrets by Sarah Helm and Mission France by Kate Vigurs, www.katevigurs.com
Places to Visit
Auxiliary Units and the S.O.E.
Places to Visit
Coleshill House, Highworth, Wilts
Parham Airfield Museum, Suffolk
Imperial War Museum, London
(worth keeping an eye out for special events such as the recent Spies and Espionage exhibition)
Bletchley Park Museum, Milton Keynes
South Staffs Regiment Museum, Staffs
Merchandise
Auxiliary Units and the S.O.E.
Places to Visit
If you have a burning desire for a tee-shirt, for Auxiliaries, Special Duties Branch or Section v11, they can be found on Amazon.uk under Staybehinds Churchills Secret Army.
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