Small Dole Patrol

County Group
Locality

Small Dole is a village in the Horsham District of West Sussex. It lies on the A2037 road two miles south of Henfield.

Patrol members
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 George Harry Cooke

Farmer

08 Jun 1940 03 Dec 1944
Private Frederick Thomas Cooke

Farmer (part owner)

05 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
Operational Base (OB)

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.

OB Status
Location not known
Location

Small Dole Patrol

Training

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.

Weapons and Equipment

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.

Other information

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".

References

TNA reference WO199/3391

Hancock data held at B.R.A

'Secret Resistance in Sussex' by Stewart Angell

Charles Scragg