Small Dole is a village in the Horsham District of West Sussex. It lies on the A2037 road two miles south of Henfield.
| Name | Occupation | Posted from | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sergeant Benson Coleman | Dairy farmer |
17 Jun 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Captain Albert George Cooper | Corn merchant |
30 Jun 1940 | Unknown |
| Private Bernard Eustace Chaplin | Gun maker, cartridge loader & firearms expert |
12 Aug 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Frederick Thomas Cooke | Farmer (part owner) |
05 Jun 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private George Harry Cooke | Farmer |
08 Jun 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Richard Llewhellin Griffiths | Dairy farmer |
20 Sep 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Paul Edward Theodore Paddison | 24 Sep 1941 | 03 Dec 1944 | |
| Private Ralph George Paine | Nurseryman (own account) |
18 Aug 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Walter Parker | Council labourer, road sweeper |
07 Feb 1942 | 03 Dec 1944 |
The OB was in a small wood beside the A283 Steyning to Shoreham Road 300 yards to the north of Old Erringham Farm which encompasses the deserted medieval village of Old Errinham. It was built by the Royal Engineers.
Small Dole Patrol
It is assumed they trained at the regional HQ at Tottington Manor. All the Patrol went to Coleshill to train.
Localised training included an attack on Shoreham Airport. The Patrol entered the airport by getting under the barbed wire perimeter fence and laid various fake charges on the planes and runway.
George Cooper buried extra supplies of ammunition and explosives in his garden. These were only discovered by the new owners of his home after his death.
On 12 Dec 1946 the West Sussex Patrols had a re-union at the Seven Stars, Brighton. The top of the menu is taken from the training manual The Coutryman's Diary; "Highworths Fertilisers - Do their stuff unseen until you see results".
At the bottom a joke advert for the OBs up for sale reads "For disposal, several desirable BASEMENT FLATS in the choicest parts of W. Sussex. All inaccessible and with every modern inconvenience. Running water, tradesmen's entrance and air conditioning plant. Beautiful weekend retreats. Apply O.C/O.B Small Dole".
TNA reference WO199/3391
Hancock data held at B.R.A
'Secret Resistance in Sussex' by Stewart Angell
Charles Scragg