THE Government has been urged to honour civilians who were trained in the Oxfordshire countryside as Britain’s resistance if the planned Nazi invasion had been successful in the Second World War.

They hope it will break a vow of silence of those who attended Coleshill House, near Faringdon, and record their stories for the ages. Hundreds of volunteers were given intensive guerrilla training as a network of saboteurs who would have attacked the enemy using supplies from secret bunkers in the countryside.

The group was sworn to secrecy about their experiences, with many taking their wartime mission to the grave.

Time is running out to find the surviving Auxiliers, and researchers believe an official badge would prompt members to step forward with their stories.

Tom Sykes, founder of the Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team, said: “Many Auxiliers are either unaware that they are now allowed to talk about their experiences or believe that no one is interested.

“Nothing could be further from the truth.

“It would be a tragedy if information about this remarkable group of men and women disappears as that generation fades away.”

It is believed 47 patrols of eight men were established in Oxfordshire alone.

Mr Sykes said: “For 70 years, these volunteers have been unrecognised.”

He pointed to honours given to the Land Girls, who worked on farms, and Bevin Boys, who worked the mines.

He said: “Knowing very well that their mission was almost certainly suicidal, this group of brave volunteers should be publicly recognised for their commitment and service to the country.”

Dozens are thought to have served in the county — but not one Auxilier has been found.

Volunteers dug and stocked the heavily disguised bunkers with arms after their top secret training at Coleshill.

They were trained to assassinate collaborators and destroy Nazi supplies.

Volunteers were told they might only last a fortnight before they were killed.

Many of the military bunkers built by the wartime volunteers are still hidden.