The Estate - Bevendean History Project
An Unsung Hero: Jack Allcorn of Lower Bevendean Farm
In the spring of
1940 Britain was in trouble. German panzer divisions had driven
into France and she surrendered. British troops had escaped from
Dunkirk by the skin of their teeth. Churchill became Prime
Minster on May 10th and on the 14th the Local Defence Volunteers were
formed and issued with arm bands with VDU on them. They were
unkindly referred to as the Look, Duck and Vanish brigade. This
was soon changed to the more forceful Home Guard. My father
joined as soon as he could and was soon issued with a rifle.
The Battle of Britain began in July 1940. If we had lost this battle, invasion would have been inevitable. Hitler was already gathering barges in Holland. Faced with this possibility, Churchill ordered the formation of two organisations to be known by the deliberate bland sounding name of Auxiliary Groups. One group was to carry on as normal in the event of invasion but to have radios to report on enemy troop movements. This group did include women. The other group were to be well armed and have underground bunkers from which they would emerge at night and attack the enemy from behind. It was so secret that neither group knew of the other and all participants had to swear to the Official Secrets Act.
Why did I suspect that my father was one of these brave men and why did it take me a lifetime to find the truth? As a normal Home Guard, he was issued with a rifle, then one day he came home with a Sten gun. A nasty looking semi-automatic machine gun. I also remember him using ashes to ‘black up’ before going on night patrol.
A Sten Gun from World War 2.
Many years later, we were talking as a family about the war. My father started to say something but my mother shut him up. “Remember the Official Secrets Act” she said and he remained silent on that subject. I never thought to ask again and my mother died in 1980 and my father in 1988. Amongst his effects was a small lapel badge less than an inch high. It had 303 with a line through it like it had been crossed out. I had no idea what it was and threw it away!
Jack Allcorn in the 1960s.
Time passed and about ten years ago I came across a book called “The Secret Sussex Resistance” by Stewart Angell. In this book is an illustration of the very badge that I had thrown away. The line through it denoted that they would operate part over ground and part underground. I got in touch with Mr. Angel who was very cynical as to whether my father was an Auxiliary. He claimed to have traced every man who had been a member, but I knew what I had seen. He gave a map of all known Patrols and there was a gap to the east of Brighton, with the nearest being Rodmell or Cooksbridge, which I thought was too far away.
There it rested until this year when, through Facebook, I saw a post about another member. This gave an email for the British Resistance Archive. I emailed them and got a positive response. They thought that my father was in the Rodmell Patrol and the reason that he was not recorded was because he had moved from Lower Bevendean before the roll was taken in 1942. The other members of the Rodmell Patrol were quite widely spread. The Sergeant was Frank Seymour Dean from Balsdean (blacksmith). Others were from Arundel Road Brighton, Kingston, Iford. Telscombe and Northese. Their occupations were mostly agricultural but one was a Hotel Manager and retired Police Officer.
A full list can be found at: -
https://www.staybehinds.com/patrol/rodmell-patrol
Jack Allcorn must have kept in touch with his old comrades to have got his badge.
An Auxiliary Unit Badge is shown below.
Norman Allcorn
November 2023
The Battle of Britain began in July 1940. If we had lost this battle, invasion would have been inevitable. Hitler was already gathering barges in Holland. Faced with this possibility, Churchill ordered the formation of two organisations to be known by the deliberate bland sounding name of Auxiliary Groups. One group was to carry on as normal in the event of invasion but to have radios to report on enemy troop movements. This group did include women. The other group were to be well armed and have underground bunkers from which they would emerge at night and attack the enemy from behind. It was so secret that neither group knew of the other and all participants had to swear to the Official Secrets Act.
Why did I suspect that my father was one of these brave men and why did it take me a lifetime to find the truth? As a normal Home Guard, he was issued with a rifle, then one day he came home with a Sten gun. A nasty looking semi-automatic machine gun. I also remember him using ashes to ‘black up’ before going on night patrol.
A Sten Gun from World War 2.
Many years later, we were talking as a family about the war. My father started to say something but my mother shut him up. “Remember the Official Secrets Act” she said and he remained silent on that subject. I never thought to ask again and my mother died in 1980 and my father in 1988. Amongst his effects was a small lapel badge less than an inch high. It had 303 with a line through it like it had been crossed out. I had no idea what it was and threw it away!
Jack Allcorn in the 1960s.
Time passed and about ten years ago I came across a book called “The Secret Sussex Resistance” by Stewart Angell. In this book is an illustration of the very badge that I had thrown away. The line through it denoted that they would operate part over ground and part underground. I got in touch with Mr. Angel who was very cynical as to whether my father was an Auxiliary. He claimed to have traced every man who had been a member, but I knew what I had seen. He gave a map of all known Patrols and there was a gap to the east of Brighton, with the nearest being Rodmell or Cooksbridge, which I thought was too far away.
There it rested until this year when, through Facebook, I saw a post about another member. This gave an email for the British Resistance Archive. I emailed them and got a positive response. They thought that my father was in the Rodmell Patrol and the reason that he was not recorded was because he had moved from Lower Bevendean before the roll was taken in 1942. The other members of the Rodmell Patrol were quite widely spread. The Sergeant was Frank Seymour Dean from Balsdean (blacksmith). Others were from Arundel Road Brighton, Kingston, Iford. Telscombe and Northese. Their occupations were mostly agricultural but one was a Hotel Manager and retired Police Officer.
A full list can be found at: -
https://www.staybehinds.com/patrol/rodmell-patrol
Jack Allcorn must have kept in touch with his old comrades to have got his badge.
An Auxiliary Unit Badge is shown below.
They were happy to record him as being in the Rodmell Patrol and I was very happy to finally find out the truth.
Norman Allcorn
November 2023
1940s_War_Time_Stories_011
Editor:
If you can add to Norman's story about his father or have similar memories, please use the contact page on the website, to tell us what you can remember.
If you can add to Norman's story about his father or have similar memories, please use the contact page on the website, to tell us what you can remember.
