ST?BREWARD'S recently formed History Group held its first outing with a visit to a 'secret' bunker in the depths of Bodmin Moor on Tuesday, September 14.

A group of 10 members led by Arthur Welch, a former landowner on the moor and captain of the now closed Stannon Claypit works, ventured out on a very misty and damp day to locate this hidden gem from the past, long since covered in undergrowth.

The bunker tunnel is 126ft long with an anti-chamber by the entrance of six foot length, an average height of seven foot with a width at mid-height of six foot three inches. The entrance is only two foot wide by three foot six inches high and the bunker still contains the remains of beds.

In World War Two, the then Prime Minister, Winston Churchill decreed that a special unit should be established to operate similarly to the French resistance in strategic locations across the UK, particularly those areas susceptible to imminent invasion and German occupation.

These specialist groups of men became known as Auxiliary Units, made up of teams of between six to 10 individuals (approx 3,500 men and women across the UK were recruited for these roles) with sufficient knowledge of the local terrain to enable them to carry out their undercover duties of disruption and even possibly killings in the event of occupation. Sworn to secrecy, many of the reserve status men involved were farmers known for their local knowledge and whose war effort was to keep the nation fed.

St Breward and Advent's own Auxiliary Unit was to use this moorland adit, possibly a former exploratory mine shaft dug in the mid 19th century and abandoned but only known to a select few, to become the unit's hideaway and base in the event of an invasion.

After the war the Auxiliary Units were disbanded, but due to the secrecy of the operation, very few of those involved have since dare talk about their undercover service appointments.

Arthur Welch, who passed on much of this information, can recall as a 15-year-old many open parts of the moor having very large square holes dug and tall wooden poles erected on it — this in order to thwart a suspected airborne invasion by gliders carrying German troops. An invasion in this area was considered a very real threat.

Arthur's father, Ben Welch, was one of the original members of the local Auxiliary Unit before being called up to serve in the Royal Navy.

A photo has come to light, courtesy of Welch, of the St Breward/Advent Auxiliary Unit (as shown) with well known local individuals recognised including former St Breward Church bell tower captain Jack Matthews from Newton Farm who had served in the First World War; his brother Jim Matthews from Michaelstow; Jack Old from Shallowbridge Farm who worked at Tordown Quarry and father of Joyce Harper recently deceased; reserve occupation farmer Reg Burnard from Advent; and Morley Tremayne previously from Pendavy who moved to Churchtown in St Breward where he remained till his death quite recently.

If anyone knows of the photo origin, the unnamed individuals in the photo or any stories related to the local Auxiliary Units or the homeguard (there is also a photo of over 100 people in uniform reckoned to have been taken at the same time, possibly including Auxilary Units from other Cornwall areas), please contact Val Hill at the St Breward History Group, on 01208 851565 or email [email protected]">[email protected].