Staplefield Patrol

County Group
Locality

Staplefield is a village in the Mid Sussex 4 miles north-west of Haywards Heath on the B2114 road.

Patrol members
Name Occupation Posted from Until
Sergeant Frank Masefield Baker

Farmer

15 Oct 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private Frank Ridgway Baker

Farm manager

04 Jun 1940 03 Dec 1944
Private Eric Charles Cattermole

Chartered surveyor

02 Mar 1943 03 Dec 1944
Private Gerald Ernest Cummins

Poultry Farmer

15 Oct 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private John Henry Curtis

Gardener

26 Apr 1942 Unknown
Private David Douglas Davie

Dairy farmer

30 Dec 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private Cecil Richard Mills

Gamekeeper & farm foreman

20 Jun 1940 03 Dec 1944
Private Alfred Leslie Moore

Dairyman (owner)

20 Jun 1940 03 Dec 1944
Private William George Edward Parsons

Farmer

25 Mar 1943 03 Dec 1944
Operational Base (OB)

The OB was built by Canadian soldiers. They were used because it was known that they would be moving to another area after finishing the OB, taking knowledge of its whereabouts with them, thus helping the site to remain secret.

Patrol Leader Frank Baker's youngest son David showed Stewart Angell the exact location of the hideout. On entering the structure it soon became apparent that this was the best preserved example in Sussex, with the original bunk beds, shelving, a table and even coat hooks still in place.

The OB was constructed on a solid concrete base with one foot six inches high brick built sidewalls. These low brick walls support the corrugated iron that is arched across to form the roof of the main chamber.

The only entrance was beneath an earth covered wooden hatch. When lifted this revealed a brick built shaft with a ladder made up of scaffolding poles set into the brickwork. Beyond this, two internal walls, both with locking doors, separate the main chamber from the entrance shaft, at the eastern end, and the 75 feet long emergency exit tunnel at the western end.

The main chamber contained the bunk beds and storage space for essential equipment along with an ingeniously designed drop-leaf table. One leg sat on the concrete floor while the other leg was made to be about a foot longer and supported the whole table by locating in a purpose-built socket in the floor.

The three feet wide emergency exit tunnel ran out into the bank of a nearby pond. Its end also being concealed by an earth covered wooden hatch. Ventilation was provided by a network of four inch diameter glazed drainage pipes that came to the surface within the surrounding undergrowth.

Although the structure was built by Canadian soldiers it was the job of the men in the West Sussex Scout Patrol to camouflage its existence. Former Scout Section member Sidney Gaston recalls back-filling soil over the hideout, taking great care to conceal the air vents

Some of these had clay moulded around the end of the pipes to make them look like rabbit holes. The men placed rabbit droppings around the holes for extra effect. As a finishing touch small trees, bushes and general undergrowth was replanted over the top of the OB

Patrol & OB pictures
OB Image
Caption & credit
Staplefield looking towards entrance shaft
OB Image
Caption & credit
Plan of OB
OB Image
Caption & credit
Staplefield doorway in main chamber
OB Image
Caption & credit
Main chamber (from Nick Catford)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Entrance shaft (from Graham Rimell)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Looking down entrance shaft (from Graham Rimell)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Looking up entrance shaft (from Graham Rimell)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Second chamber (from Graham Rimell)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Doorway (from Graham Rimell)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Looking into main chamber (from Graham Rimell)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Main chamber (from Graham Rimell)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Main chamber towards escape tunnel showing bunk remains (from Graham Rimell)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Escape tunnel from inside OB (from Graham Rimell)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Escape tunnel (from Graham Rimell)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Escape tunnel exit (from Graham Rimell)
OB Status
Largely intact
OB accessibility
This OB is on private land. Please do not be tempted to trespass to see it
Location

Staplefield Patrol

Training

It is assumed they trained at the regional HQ at Tottington Manor.

Other information

In November 1994 the Staplefield Patrol's OB reached celebrity status when it was seen by millions of viewers on 'Schofields Quest' as part of Stewart Angell's appeal for information concerning the Auxiliary Units in Sussex.

References

TNA reference WO199/3391

Hancock data held at B.R.A

'The Secret Sussex Resistance' by Stewart Angell

Nick Catford and Sub Brit

Images from Graham Rimell 2016