:: I'm using Kernal 2.0.16 and have just applied the patches
:: for .17, .18, .19 & 20 (as root) and now the
:: following files seem to have "appeared" in my root directory
You forgot to give patch the -p flag.
:: Do I have to upgrade patch?
Well, it so happens that if you forget to give patch-2.1a the -p flag
then most likely the correct thing will happen anyway.
Try ftp.win.tue.nl:/pub/linux/gnu-fixed/patch-2.1.a.tar.gz .