Ryde Social Heritage Group research the social history of the citizens of Ryde, Isle of Wight. Documenting their lives, businesses and burial transcriptions.
RYDE SOCIAL HERITAGE GROUP
Based at Ryde Cemetery Heritage & Learning Centre. Preserving, documenting and promoting the social history of Ryde on the Isle of Wight.
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Social Morning with a Talk & AGM 2025

We invite members and visitors alike, to our Social Morning on Saturday 11 October, 10.30am-12.30pm.  at the Baptist Church, George Street, Ryde.

The Election of Officers of the Committee for the forthcoming year doesn’t take long, so it will be a good opportunity to meet and chat with other members, and we hope some visitors will come along as well.  We will be accepting subscriptions for the renewal of yearly membership fees on the morning.

There will be Refreshments and the usual Raffle in aid of group funds.

This will be followed by a talk from Sam Biles entitled “The Secret Home Guard on the Isle of Wight in WW2.”

Churchill’s Secret Resistance Army
The talk is on the Scallywags – the Auxiliary Units – The Secret Home Guard on the IoW in WW2.
In the darkest days of WW2, when France had fallen and Britain stood alone against the threat of Nazi invasion, Winston Churchill set up a highly secret network of highly trained guerrilla militia across the mainland coast and on the Isle of Wight.  Known as the GHQ Auxiliary Units, their task was to disappear and attack the German invaders from behind their lines with ruthless sabotage and assassination. Most never spoke of their training and exploits and only recently has the full extent of this – Churchill’s Secret Resistance Army become known. Sam Biles, whose grandfather Harold was a member, will explain what happened, with a particular emphasis on the Isle of Wight and some of the characters and locations involved.