 LATEST UPDATE Of MY SOE BOOKS
My first book on Aston House was an A4 paperback that I published in 2004. It is
no longer available. I offered it to Sutton Publishing who took it on and produced it as a hardback. I was asked to rewrite
it in their style and remove certain chapters and most of the pictures. I regret deleting the text because it covered the
C.O.'s important work in India and details of the Aston House involvement in the Assassination of Obergruppenfuhrer Reinhard
Heydrich in Prague and the daring raid on the Heavy Water plant in Norway. The title was also changed. It was first published
in February 2006. I revised it in 2011 for publication as an A5 paperback issue. Both books are available on the web though
the hardback may be second-hand copies only. Nearly 6,000 copies have been printed. I changed the title again to 'SOE's Secret
Weapons Centre STATION 12.
My interviews with Col Leslie Wood, Commanding Officer of Aston House reveal that
a lot more went on at Aston House than is suggested in the official history document written after the war. Research, development
and testing of sabotage explosives and special weapons was carried out at Aston.
He said, "We invented, made supplied
and trained personnel in the use of 'toys' not only for the Resistance but for all the Special forces. Commandos, Small Boat
Section, Airborne Division and Long Range Desert Group. We had about 40 specialised army officers and civilians, guards, and
several hundred soldiers, FANY's and ATS and a few civilian technicians. We had magazines for explosives and sheds in which
to handle them and large store houses for incendiaries and all the rest of our 'toys' and workshops wherein to experiment
and manufacture.
We designed and made up special explosive charges tailored for the job in hand and simple to place and
fire by any Commando or Resistance worker. Many tons of explosives as well as the devices we supplied were dropped by parachute
to the resistance to blow bridges on D Day. The whole essence of helping the Special Forces was speed in both invention and
supply. Some of this may sound a little grim but I can truthfully say that we regarded the whole thing completely impersonally
and as tremendously funny, the more hideous the devices we invented and made to confound the enemy- the funnier we thought
it. The same gaiety of spirit imbued the Commandos. I met nearly all the leaders and many of their officers and men when they
came to Aston for last minute briefing and training in demolitions just before a raid. Most of what we did was bloody hard
work but I will also tell you about the fun we had"
|
| A viewer of this website was amazed to spot his mother Vera Hume in this picture. |
ATS AT ASTON HOUSE
The above photographs were kindly loaned to me by 'Scottie',
Pte. Cecily Hales.(Second from left, back row)
Part of a larger picture of the girls, photographed on the lawn at Aston
House. Circa 1945.
The lower portrait is of 'Scottie' when she was at Aston House. Have you any pictures of Aston to share
with me please?
Picture below is of Johnny Richards. He was in the workshops at Aston House during the war. Sadly,
Johnny died in 2005.
|
Were you at Aston House during WWII? If so are you willing to share your memories
with me? Station 12 was also identified by the code E.S.6.(WD). (Experimental Station 6 War Department).
I need
memories and photographs of military and civilian personnel stationed here during that time. If you can help in any way. Please
e mail me at desturner@aol.com
 
Pte. Lucy Holdaway (Nee Redrup) was a driver at Aston House with her two sisters,
one of them her twin. There must be more of you out there with memories of Aston E.S.6.(WD)? Please get in touch with me.
In 2011 Sutton Publishing was taken over by History Press. I updated my book and changed the title, the cover was redesigned
and published as a paperback. It is available online and from most bookshops. The original hardback version is also available
online.
| undefined |
|
| undefined |
The group above (Picture not displayed - being updated) is of the late Colin Meek's
team at Aston House. Colin is centre of the middle row. He was a Scientific Officer. I need to know the names of the
others. Can you help please in anyway? I need information about SOE at Aston.
I thank Colin's widow Margaret and Dr. John
Vernon for their kind permission to use this picture.
I am indebted to Dr. John H C Vernon for the further identification
of others in the photograph: The pipe smoker on extreme left is CHARLES ERWOOD, next to him is FRED STALTON, and then WALLY
LINSEL, person in white not known but next is GEORGE DOE. On the extreme right is J P OWENS (Jack).
|
