This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-24851203
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Churchill's 'secret army' against Nazi invasion | Churchill's 'secret army' against Nazi invasion |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| This Sunday people across Britain will remember those who sacrificed their lives for the country in World War Two. | |
| And it will be a particularly poignant day for Winston Churchill's "secret army", who will be parading at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday for the first time. | And it will be a particularly poignant day for Winston Churchill's "secret army", who will be parading at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday for the first time. |
| It was 1940, much of Europe had fallen to the Nazis and an invasion of Britain seemed imminent. | It was 1940, much of Europe had fallen to the Nazis and an invasion of Britain seemed imminent. |
| Churchill called it the nation's "darkest hour" and for one Cornish teenager it was the beginning of a great adventure. | Churchill called it the nation's "darkest hour" and for one Cornish teenager it was the beginning of a great adventure. |
| Trevor Miners, 86, from Perranporth, was part of Churchill's Auxiliary Units, a volunteer force trained to be the underground line of defence in the event of a German invasion. | Trevor Miners, 86, from Perranporth, was part of Churchill's Auxiliary Units, a volunteer force trained to be the underground line of defence in the event of a German invasion. |
| Trained to kill | Trained to kill |
| Mr Miners was a 16-year-old Home Guard member when he was asked to sign the Official Secrets Act and found himself one of 3,500 volunteers recruited to Britain's resistance army. | Mr Miners was a 16-year-old Home Guard member when he was asked to sign the Official Secrets Act and found himself one of 3,500 volunteers recruited to Britain's resistance army. |
| "We were sent to a base in Oxfordshire," Mr Miners said. | "We were sent to a base in Oxfordshire," Mr Miners said. |
| "We were trained to kill, how to use a knife to kill a man quietly. | "We were trained to kill, how to use a knife to kill a man quietly. |
| "The plan was that when the invasion came our unit would hide in an underground bunker and let the Nazis roll over the top of us. | "The plan was that when the invasion came our unit would hide in an underground bunker and let the Nazis roll over the top of us. |
| "Then after a month we were to come out at night and attack them, destroy their munitions dumps, railway lines, things like that." | "Then after a month we were to come out at night and attack them, destroy their munitions dumps, railway lines, things like that." |
| Mr Miners' bunker at Cligga Head near Perranporth was one of about 500 such bunkers, known as Operational Bases, which were dug all across Britain. | Mr Miners' bunker at Cligga Head near Perranporth was one of about 500 such bunkers, known as Operational Bases, which were dug all across Britain. |
| "It wasn't as concealed as it should have been," said Mr Miners. "An RAF corporal thought it would be the ideal courting spot, which was a bit embarrassing for us. | "It wasn't as concealed as it should have been," said Mr Miners. "An RAF corporal thought it would be the ideal courting spot, which was a bit embarrassing for us. |
| "We had to move to another base at a former tin mine nearby." | "We had to move to another base at a former tin mine nearby." |
| The individual units were entirely self-contained, with no knowledge of the identity or locations of the other resistance groups, although there are thought to have been about 250 volunteers in Cornwall. | The individual units were entirely self-contained, with no knowledge of the identity or locations of the other resistance groups, although there are thought to have been about 250 volunteers in Cornwall. |
| "We were only a small unit of seven men," he said. "After Dunkirk it looked as if the Germans would invade right away. | "We were only a small unit of seven men," he said. "After Dunkirk it looked as if the Germans would invade right away. |
| "We had food rations for five weeks in the bunker and we had any amount of explosives. | "We had food rations for five weeks in the bunker and we had any amount of explosives. |
| "In fact, we were so well equipped it was unbelievable." | "In fact, we were so well equipped it was unbelievable." |
| "I'm sure they would have found us in the end. So fortunately for us the invasion never happened." | "I'm sure they would have found us in the end. So fortunately for us the invasion never happened." |
| The bunker was about 15ft (4.6m) below ground, but has been filled in since the war. | The bunker was about 15ft (4.6m) below ground, but has been filled in since the war. |
| Historian Tom Sykes said: "These men were signing up to a suicide mission. | Historian Tom Sykes said: "These men were signing up to a suicide mission. |
| "There was no way out for them, they were going to be caught and tortured, they were ready to kill themselves before allowing themselves to be captured." | "There was no way out for them, they were going to be caught and tortured, they were ready to kill themselves before allowing themselves to be captured." |
| The Auxiliary Units were stood down in 1944 when the threat of invasion was finally lifted. Churchill's secret army became Churchill's forgotten army. | The Auxiliary Units were stood down in 1944 when the threat of invasion was finally lifted. Churchill's secret army became Churchill's forgotten army. |
| "We had signed the Official Secrets Act, you see," Mr Miners said. | "We had signed the Official Secrets Act, you see," Mr Miners said. |
| "We would never talk about what we were trained to do. One of my unit was even sent a white feather by someone who thought he was a coward for not going out to fight, but we knew different." | "We would never talk about what we were trained to do. One of my unit was even sent a white feather by someone who thought he was a coward for not going out to fight, but we knew different." |
| Mr Sykes has campaigned for years to have the work of the Auxiliary Units officially acknowledged. | Mr Sykes has campaigned for years to have the work of the Auxiliary Units officially acknowledged. |
| Now they have been granted permission to take part in the Remembrance Day parade at the Cenotaph on Sunday | Now they have been granted permission to take part in the Remembrance Day parade at the Cenotaph on Sunday |
| It is unclear how many of the men who would have made up Britain's resistance army remain alive, but Mr Miners will be making the journey from Perranporth. | It is unclear how many of the men who would have made up Britain's resistance army remain alive, but Mr Miners will be making the journey from Perranporth. |
| "I wish my friends could be there with me," he said. | "I wish my friends could be there with me," he said. |
| "I wish this could have been done years ago so they could have been there with me but I will march to represent all of them." | "I wish this could have been done years ago so they could have been there with me but I will march to represent all of them." |