SAS in Essex

Discussion in 'Special Forces' started by redtop, May 7, 2014.

  1. redtop

    redtop Well-Known Member

    Halstead North Essex
    I have just been reading up on local history and have found a couple of references to the SAS.
    The first says that they had their HQ at Sloe House on the outskirts of Halstead Town.
    The other that Paddy Mayne drove a Jeep up the steps to Hyland house at Writtle near Chelmsford..
    That is all,if the HQ was in Halstead where were the Squadrons? (Detachments)
    I ask the locals and they Know nothing ,is this because the SAS kept a low profile or am I looking in the wrong places.?
     
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  2. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    redtop,

    See this thread for SAS locations in Essex and Suffolk during the period 1944 - 1945 on the Airfield Information Forum

    http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?11648-SAS-in-Essex-and-Suffolk

    Copied here:

    "The locations were:

    SAS Brigade HQ: Sloe House, Halstead TL 802310
    SAS Brigade Signals: Dynes Hall, Halstead TL 805330
    SAS Brigade Supply depot, Station 1090: The Mushroom Farm, Wethersfield TL 730322
    1SAS Highlands House, Chelmsford TL 684041
    2SAS Wivenhoe House, Colchester (now part of the University of Essex site) TM 033241
    3SAS (2BIA) Rendlesham Hall (demolished in 1949) TM 337539
    4SAS (3BIA) Rendlesham Hall
    5SAS (5th independant Belgian Parachute Co - later Bn) Tervueren, Belgium
    "

    Hope that helps.
     
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  3. RvdK

    RvdK Member

    Does anybody know where 2 SAS did training and what kind of training they did? How were the men selected in 1944 and how long took their training? Was there recruiting from foreign countries? Is teher a nominal roll of the 2 SAS personnel of end 1944, early 1945?
     
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  4. Michael S

    Michael S Member

    My Dad, William Sutton flew in a glider from Raydon airfield with some special forces troops as part of the Arnhem activities. Although enlisted into REME I am fairly sure he was also in some form of special services group. The glider apparently landed short of the target and my Dad got back to the UK with a shrapnel wound and the rest were killed albeit I do not know if this was due to a crash landing or combat. The information on the internet only mentions the USA forces at Raydon but it seems British forces were too. Anybody with any info??
    Thanks
    Michael
     
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  5. redtop

    redtop Well-Known Member

    My research has not progressed any further than initial post,( Next on Agenda)
    So cannot be of much help.
     
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  6. Wokka89

    Wokka89 New Member

    Hi, new member here. I was looking for info on my family war history and came upon this thread so thought i'd share my info. SAS Brigade were there. I can confirm that 20 Liaison HQ which was the SAS link between the British and French SAS were there in 1944 as I am currently researching my grandfathers SAS history. He was one of the twelve SAS Liaison officers attached to 20 Liaison HQ he was Quartermaster for 3 french SAS para battalion. He was at that time LT. A.R. Stewart, original unit 2nd battalion Black Watch. He was stationed there for several weeks until Oct 1944 and then went into france with the SAS to Epernay where 3 & 4 French SAS were involved in joint operations with our 1st and 2nd SAS. The timeline for my grandfather fits in with operation Franklin in the Ardennes (3 & 4 French SAS supporting US Army during Battle of the Bulge) as he returned to UK early Feb 1945. There is lots of information on the WW2 SAS regiment at the National Archives at Kew where I have just spent the last 2 days reasearching. I have attached a reference to Mushroom Farm from the SAS War diaries
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jun 27, 2017
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  7. Daemen Marc

    Daemen Marc New Member

    I am looking for the exact address or location of the 5SAS. In many stories we hear about the Mushroom Farm where they stayed??? My father is a 5 SAS veteran. I am writing an article about his diary when he went to UK for his training in Ringway. He passes via Earls Coln to Mushroom Farm and from there by train to Ringway... I am desperately looking for that location or address. Was it situated close to the airport of Wethersfield? Thanks Marc Daemen
     
  8. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

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  9. Guy Hudson

    Guy Hudson Looker-upper

    The Essex Chronicle describes it as a former Army camp in 1948
    Screenshot 2022-01-07 at 14.05.22.png
     
  10. Richard Lewis

    Richard Lewis Member

    I thought at first that the grid reference was a wartime one but it is a modern Ordnance Survey one.

    Wethersfield.jpg

    The house on the opposite corner is named 'Mushroom House'.

    Mushroom House.jpg
     
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  11. Daemen Marc

    Daemen Marc New Member

    Many thanks!
     
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  12. Richard Lewis

    Richard Lewis Member

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  13. Rob Crane

    Rob Crane Well-Known Member

    <off topic>

    Delighted that people are no longer in the dark about Mushroom Farm. The thought of that left me feeling a little flat, but now it's like the world is my oyster. Edited to add: okay, I'll button it now.
     
  14. wildenrath2000

    wildenrath2000 Junior Member

    My father was a glider pilot at Arnhem, aged 19. He stayed at Mushroom Farm on his return, before going to India in December 1944.
     

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