Beattock Patrol

Locality

Beattock is a village 3 miles south of Moffat.

Patrol members
Name Occupation Posted from Until
Sergeant C.Heron Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Corporal T. Little Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Private E. Anderson Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Private J. Hyslop Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Private J. Proudfoot Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Private J. Rennie Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Private J. Souttar Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Operational Base (OB)

The OB is within a small, established wood with a mixture of deciduous and mature larch trees. It is in a remarkable state of preservation, with only some earth infill at entrance and exit.

In 2019 AOC Archaeology Group carried out a survey of the site creating some very impressive 3D images and scans.

We included it in an article for CBA Festival of Archaeology 2020

 

Patrol & OB pictures
OB Image
Caption & credit
Beattock Auxiliary Unit OB (from Alan Alston 2008)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Beattock Auxiliary Unit OB (from Alan Alston 2008)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Entrance with some infill (from Alan Alston 2008)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Entrance (from Adrian Hunt 2014)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Entrance (from Adrian Hunt 2014)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Main chamber looking to entrance (from Adrian Hunt 2014)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Entrance showing blast wall (from Adrian Hunt 2014)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Main chamber (from Adrian Hunt 2014)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Drums and remains of bunks in main chamber (from Adrian Hunt 2014)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Entrance showing blast wall (from Adrian Hunt 2014)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Side chamber (from Adrian Hunt 2014)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Vent pipe, note metal pipe under rim (from Adrian Hunt 2014)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Vent pipe (from Adrian Hunt 2014)
OB Status
Largely intact
Location

Beattock Patrol

Patrol Targets

Targets would have included the West Coast main rail line and bridge. Along with the A74  and A701 main roads.

Training

Training on occasion was conducted at Otterburn and Beattock Moor, as well as Criagielands Woods and grounds.

Other information

Although in Beattock the Patrol was about 3 miles southwest of the Moffat Patrol, demonstrating the importance of covering such vital road and rail links.

Beattock was itself a railway village. The famous Beattock summit, which was the most difficult railway gradient in Britain and featured in the poet W. H. Auden's commentary for the classic 1930s documentary film Night Mail.

 

References

TNA ref WO199/3388

Hancock data held at B.R.A

AOC Archaeology Group - G. Cavers Oct 2019

Allan Alston for locating the OB and for kindly supplying his photos and findings. 2008

Photos from Adrian Hunt 2014

Major Peter Forbes during correspondence