Grantshouse Patrol

Locality

The village of Grantshouse is 7.5 miles west of Eyemouth approximately half way between Berwick upon Tweed & Dunbar. The main East Coast railway line and the A1 main road between England and Scotland pass by Grantshouse.

Patrol members
Name Occupation Posted from Until
Sergeant R. Stobie 1941 1944
Corporal Rube Rutherford

Railway plate layer

1941 1944
Private George J. Bell

Farmer

1941 1944
Private Donald Alexander Munro Dodds

Fencer

1941 1944
Private W. Graham

Railway worker

Unknown Unknown
Private R. Mack

Shepherd

1942 1944
Private A. Niven

Trapper

1941 1944
Private S. D. Ponton

Railway plate layer

1941 1942
Operational Base (OB)

The Patrol OB was an "Elephant" type shelter with a horse shoe entrance tunnel.

It was located on land owned by the Group Commanding Officer Lieutenant and later Captain J. S Wight. The site was south east of Grantshouse at Houndswood. The OB was to the east of Green Wood close to a stream.

OB Status
Destroyed
Location

Grantshouse Patrol

Patrol Targets

Military targets would have included RAF Drone Hill and Cockburnspath Chain Home Radar site.

Targets would have included the East Coast main railway line and Penmanshiel tunnel (now blocked and abandoned after an accident collapsed the tunnel roof) along with the A1 main road between England and Scotland and the possible invasion beaches to the east.

Training

The Patrol trained at an old quarry just south of Grantshouse and locally at Houndswood and at Otterburn Ranges in Northumberland with the army.

Some members went to Coleshill House for specialist courses though during 1942 Coleshill started sending out written and practical tests to the Intelligence Officer to test the patrol members instead of making the long trip south.

 

Weapons and Equipment

Weapons issued to the Patrol included .38 Smith & Wesson pistols and fighting knives.

References

The National Archives in Kew WO199/3388,

Hancock data held at B.R.A

Kevin Forrest (grandson of Donald Dodds)