Broad Oak

Broad Oak is a small Norman village which was home to the famous boxer Frank Bruno during his childhood. In its church resides a wood carving of Madonna which was created by Clare Sherida, the cousin of Winston Churchill. She learned to carve wood while living on a Red Indian Reservation in America for six months.

Broad Oak also has a very interesting history; it was involved in one of Britain’s best-kept secrets during World War II. The Home Guard Auxiliary Units were a secret group formed for the protection of the country, using the status of home guards to mask their real activities. During the war, small, localised patrols were created throughout the country. Each member was carefully vetted and required to sign the Official Secrets Act before being permitted to join their local patrol. The purpose of the Home Guard Auxiliary Units, also known as the British Resistance, was to defend the country in the event of a German invasion. Each patrol had a purpose-built hideout stocked with food, water, ammunition and explosives.

Houses in Broad Oak

Upon invasion, they were ordered to allow the Germans to occupy their area, then slip out at night and sabotage their installations. They were also under orders to hamper their enemy’s movements by blowing up roads, bridges and railways. The men that signed up to these patrols were incredibly brave, they were not expected to survive more than two weeks after invasion but were considered essential in fighting back against occupation. There is no known written record of the Sussex Patrols, however it is confirmed that one such group existed in Broad Oak, with a hideout in the nearby Moore’s Woods which was specially constructed by Royal Engineers. Shortly after the war ended it was discovered that the main chamber had been collapsed and many still speculate whether it was intentionally destroyed by this secret group.