Captain Wheeler, riding at Leighon Farm

Captain and Mrs Wheeler rented the Leighon estate between 1938 and 1941. Captain Wheeler was American. The US army had a camp at Leighon, one of several on the moor. US army big guns practising for the invasion of France blew holes in the ground around Hay Tor and Hound Tor. Captain Wheeler was not a serving US army officer but served in the Manaton Home Guard. (See 'The Book of Manaton'.)