Intelligence activity near Poole, Dorset 1941 to 42

I am researching Intelligence activity in the Poole area (Dorset, south of England) between October 1941 and April 1942. This may include the planning of the Bruneval raid by Louis Mountbatten’s Combined Operations Command. This raid was intimately connected to the secret radar work of the Telecommunications Research Establishment on Dorset's Purbeck coast and carried out by a company of paratroopers from 1st Airborne Division who trained with the Royal Navy on the Dorset coast in February 1942.

Poole was also the base of the ‘Maid Honour Force’ of marine commandos, which Combined Operations and Special Operations Excecutive developed into the ‘Small-scale Raiding Force’, establishing a base at Anderson Manor in the Poole hinterland during this period.

In addition, the activities of a squadron of the elite signals and reconnaissance unit known as ‘Phantom’ were centred on the area behind Poole Harbour. Commanded by the actor David Niven, ‘A’ squadron of the General Headquarters Liaison Regiment was attached to General Montgomery’s Fifth Corps and responsible for the rapid relay of information on coastal defences and invasion to Army HQ.

All of these operations were conducted with the utmost secrecy and may have involved the services of Trooper Richard Kelner Williams (Army Number 5731671) Intelligence Section who is the particular focus of my research - see Chotie Darling . Dick was still technically assigned to the Dorset Regiment while in Intelligence but members of 'Phantom' (and perhaps other secret sections) kept their original regimental identities.

Co-incidentally, by April 1942 Dick had joined 1st Air Landing, (the glider-borne troops of 1st Airborne Division) where he would have come under the command of Brigadier G.F. Hopkinson, the founder of ‘Phantom’.

Can anyone furnish more information on Intelligence work in this area that might reveal what Dick was doing between October 1941 and April 1942 (I have no letters covering this period)?

Chotie's Daughter

 

Hi Chotie's daughter !

Strictly on the subject of Phantom, have a look at this snippet on my Club Blog.
Cambridge and Bethnal Green Old Boys Club: Search results for Phantom

Ron

Ps
Amazing how this thread has just had a bump after being stagnant since 2005 !

 

I run a 'closed' Discussion Group on Yahoo that deals with SOE, there are also groups that deal with the SD Squadrons, Coastal Forces (MTBS etc) if anyone would like an invite to the SOE Group please PM me with your email address.

Steven

 

Probably far too late, have found Poole and World War 2 by Beamish,D,Bennett,H,Hillier,J.Published by Poole Historical Trust.Foreward by Mountbatten.

 

My Dad trained in Bournemouth for the Field Security Service. It may be connected to this activity. I cannot find much as all records are closed.

 

The OP author was last here January 2020, might be best to PM her to alert her to the updates. The cited website:Chotie Darling was last updated November 2020.

 

Just a thought if UK official records are not in the public domain the intelligence historian Richard Aldrich has overcome this barrier by using the US National Archives (yes, helped by £ and researchers). See his university bio, which from memory describes his methodology: Richard J. Aldrich

The other way is to approach from a civilian records angle, notably what do maps show, plus photographs? Is there a local history research group. One place to check is: British Association For Local History Is there a local history group on Facebook?