New evidence has come to light in relation to the war exploits of former Oxfordshire County and Southern Counties hockey player, Richard ‘Dick’ Hartley.

It appears that Dick was part of a covert group, based in Burford in West Oxfordshire called ‘Section VII’, which had underground ‘cells’ set up all over Britain by MI6 in 1940, in preparation for an imminent German invasion!

Dick was part of a remarkable sporting dynasty along with his two brothers, Ernest and Frank. They had attended Burford Grammar School before the First World War, after which all three brothers went on to play county cricket and hockey for Oxfordshire (Dick captaining both) and for the Southern Counties. Frank would also become a professional footballer playing for Tottenham Hotspur and England, while Ernest would play international hockey for England, captaining the team on three occasions in the 1920s.

However, Mark Evans in his excellent article on Playing Pasts called “The Hartley Brothers and their Hockey Careers” does refer to a quote from Dick lamenting about his hockey career:

“I played several times for ‘The South’ at hockey” reflected Dick, “but I was never quite good enough to get an England cap!”

The Hartley Brothers and their Hockey Careers | Playing Pasts

Uncovering secret exploits from the Second World War

Reputedly, Dick and three other local men were secretly trained to respond to German occupation. Were Britain to be defeated by Nazi Germany, they would become operational and carry out acts of sabotage and guerrilla warfare against the occupying forces.

In the 1950s, a four-bed bunker had been discovered in the grounds of ‘The Priory’ in Burford, Oxfordshire but was forgotten about until a community Facebook post reminded a local resident of its existence. They recalled a discussion in the 1980s where a man resembling Dick Hartley was identified and contacted David Cohen of the Burford Tolsey Museum and Archive seeking more information.

Sadly, the bunker has since been filled in, however the present owner, entrepreneur Matthew Freud, is keen to find out more and is attempting to find its exact location!

Section VII tended to recruit civilians who could stay in their professions or jobs if an invasion occurred and Dick’s role as a farmer fitted perfectly into this description. Despite being 57 years of age, he was still captaining the First XI at Shipton-u-Wychwood Cricket Club and was very fit for a man of his age. He was also a natural leader, known by family and friends as ‘The Guv’nor’, due to his experiences as a cricket and hockey captain and his tendency to take charge.

In his younger days, Dick had also played cricket and hockey alongside John Cecil Masterman, who would become chairman of the Twenty Committee at the outbreak of war in 1939. Its primary aim was to turn German spies into ‘double agents’ – their ‘double-cross system’ (or XX in Roman numerals) gave the Committee its moniker. It is possible that Masterman may have recommended Dick Hartley for the role he would undertake in Burford!

Sir John Masterman and MI5’s Twenty Committee – The Hockey Museum

Whilst it cannot be categorically proved that Dick Hartley was a member of the ‘Burford cell’, his brothers were swiftly eliminated as candidates and Dick perfectly fits the bill.

Dick Hartley (seated, middle) as captain of the Oxfordshire County team circa 1922. To his left (as we look) is John Masterman.

Malcolm Atkin, author of Fighting Nazi Occupation 1939-1945 (published in 2015), responded to finding out about the ‘Burford Cell’, by saying:

“Many of the operatives like Dick Hartley were middle aged men who had legitimate reasons for not being conscripted and whose occupation gave them a good reason to travel around the countryside. Personal contacts were also important with membership of the intelligence services often being family affairs, so the Masterman connection might be significant!”

Ultimately of course, the invasion never happened and the so-called ‘cells’ were disbanded after the war, but Malcolm Atkin has no doubt about how important they were:

“This would have been Britain’s true resistance organisation and was effective because it escaped the attention of Nazi spies during World War 2. Is it one of the best-kept secrets of the war?”

Bill Williams