A nominal roll for Special Duties Operators has yet to be found. Could it still be “Top Secret”?
Thanks to Roger Parsons of Millfield School, CART has obtained a photograph of a Special Duties Operator in Somerset.
Having married in Kuala Lumpur the couple lived in Federated Malay States (today Malaysia). During the 1910s and 20s they often travelled backward and forward from the UK, his occupation recorded as “Planter”.
www.staybehinds.com/station/edgarley-outstation
Today we have added a excellent report by Chris Perry and Nina Hannaford about Special Duties OUT Station located near Puckington in Somerset with the codename ‘Chirnside 4’.
The station would have communicated directly with “Chirnside Zero” at Castle Neroche near Buckland St Mary.
Aux researcher Chris Perry with assistance from Nina Hannaford has today published a report on a Special Duties Out Station.
The report is about the wireless site, recorded as “Hawkchurch” Out Station, on the Devon / Dorset border (in Devon from 1896) which is actually in the nearby hamlet of Fishponds Bottom which is in Dorset on the edge of the Vale of Marshwood.
The wireless was located in a “chicken shed” at the rear of a house locally known as “Briscoe’s Farm”.
Read their detailed report here
Today we added a report by Aux researcher Darren Thompson to our Special Duties Microsite.
Darren found the location and with the help of CART’s DR Will Ward and the local history group has prepared this report.
The Special Duties Branch was a network of civilian observers and a secret wireless network, operating in the same areas as the Auxiliary Units operational patrols, but completely separate and unknown to them.
Last week we added a report on the Aylsham Special Duties Out-Station in Norfolk.
The Out-Station used to be located in a large town house called ‘The Beeches’, in the historic market town of Aylsham (North Norfolk). The property was owned by Dr Alec George Holman and his wife Grace Kathleen. Their daughter, Jill (now Jill Monk, seen left), recalls that her father was one of the first civilians to be recruited by SDS to gather information because of his local knowledge. Jill was only 14 years old when she was enrolled.
You can see the full report here
Stephen Lewins, our CIO for Northumberland has just sent us a report on the Longhorsley Special Duties Out Station in Northumberland.
The radio operators were Mr Charles Webb, a solicitor and the Reverant Father Wright (left) who was also the Air Raid Warden, a good choice for cover as this gave him access to many places in the village and round about at times when others were in doors, no questions asked.
Read the whole report here