Britain’s Secret Defences by Andrew Chatterton This is a history of the Auxiliary Unit, the Special Defence Branch and Section VII. You’ve not heard of them before? Little wonder. These were organisations so secret that when they were demobilised participants simply received a letter from the Government informing them that their service would not be publicly recognised. Having sworn the Official Secrets Act many of those who had pledged to give their lives to protect Britain went to their graves without telling anyone.
In his book, subtitled ‘Civilian Saboteurs, Spies and Assassins during the Second World War’, Andrew Chatterton pieces together the history of these three organisations and the remarkable people who served in them. Recruited from the Home Front, their members ranged from fit young men in reserved occupations to old ladies and young mothers, priests to publicans – people who
