Danby Wood Mines

Not enough is known about the peculiar histories which surround the wood and the reserve; so I welcome any information/corrections which could ammend/ be added to this chronicle of the area.

The Danby chalk and flint mines were the last of the norwich mines to close (in 1940) - The entrance is still located at the far end of the largest pit at the right of the North entrance to the wood (from Danby park).

Eton Auxiliary Unit
For a period after the closure of the mines, they hosted the Eton Auxiliary Unit, one of approximately 42 Norfolk Auxiliary Units. These auxiliary units have been secretive from their inception and remain somewhat so to this day. The movement was described by John Warwicker as Churchill's secret army.

The Units were essentially secret sleeper cells and a defence against the inevitable invasion of Nazism.

"In the summer of 1940, Winston Churchill was one of many people who felt a German invasion of the British Isles was only a matter of time. To resist such an occupation the Prime Minister ordered the creation of the GHQ Auxiliary Units. These clandestine cells were made up of ordinary Britons from across the country who were secretly trained in close-armed combat, sabotage, the use of firearms and explosives, and intelligence gathering. In the event of an invasion this underground army would be activated and wreak havoc behind enemy lines.

More than sixty years later, the history of this remarkable organisation remains shrouded in secrecy. This important history draws on a wealth of previously unpublished material to uncover the extraordinary details of these units and pays tribute to the brave men and women who formed Britain’s wartime resistance."