The Training Section of S.O.E. - Special Training Schools Including Their War Establishments

6.35 WE VIII/553
6.36 WE VIII/554
6.37 WE VIII/570

6.35 WE VIII/553 - Special Training School No. 24
Group A Para-military School in the Arisaig area.

The Houses
S.T.S. 24a: Inverie House, Knoydart, Mallaig, Inverness-shire

S.T.S. 24b: Glaschoille, Knoydart, Mallaig, Inverness-shire


Summary of War Establishments
Predecessor war establishment: part of VIII/357/1
1. VIII/553/1, 30.09.1943 - 31.10.1944 (cancelled)


War Establishments in Detail
1. VIII/553/1 - Special Training School No. 24,
30.09.1943 – 31.10.1944
(Not an Army establishment)
(i) Personnel
1 Commandant and chief instructor (major)
3 Instructors (captains or subalterns)
1 Adjutant and quartermaster (a)
5 Total, officers
1 Company quarter-master-serjeant (staff-serjeant)
2 Assistant instructors, R.E. (serjeants)
1 Assistant instructor R. Signals (serjeant)
2 Assistant instructors Infantry (serjeants)
1 A.P.T.C. instructor (serjeant)
7 Total, staff-serjeants and serjeants
1 Duty corporal
2 Clerks
3 Batmen
1 Cook, A.C.C., for - Officers' mess
1 Cook, A.C.C., for - Serjeants' mess
1 Cook, A.C.C., Corporal, for - Rank and file mess
5 Cooks, A.C.C., for - Rank and file mess
1 Orderly for - Officers' mess
1 Orderly for - Serjeants' mess
6 Orderlies for - Rank and file mess
1 Motor-cyclist orderly
2 Sanitary dutymen
2 Storemen
14 General dutymen
41 Total, rank and file (b)
48 Total, other ranks
53 Total, special training school No. 24

(ii) Transport
1 Motor-cycle, combination

(a) If a combatant officer, will be a subaltern.
(b) Includes in addition to the ranks specifically allotted:
1 Corporal
3 Lance-corporals

Note:
All personnel of this establishment except instructional staff may be of low medical category.


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6.36 WE VIII/554 - Special Training School No. 25
Group A Para-military School in the Arisaig area.

The Houses
S.T.S. 25a: Garramor House, Morar, Inverness-shire

S.T.S. 25b: Camusdarach, Morar, Inverness-shire

S.T.S. 25c: Traigh House, Morar, Inverness-shire


Summary of War Establishments
Predecessor war establishment: part of VIII/357/1
1. VIII/554/1, 30.09.1943 - 31.10.1944 (cancelled)


War Establishments in Detail
1. VIII/554/1 - Special Training School No. 25,
30.09.1943 – 31.10.1944
(Not an Army establishment)
(i) Personnel
1 Commandant and chief instructor (major)
4 Instructors (captains or subalterns)
1 Adjutant and quartermaster (a)
6 Total, officers
1 Company quarter-master-serjeant (staff-serjeant)
2 Assistant instructors, R.E. (serjeants)
2 Assistant instructors Infantry (serjeants)
2 A.P.T.C. instructors (serjeants)
7 Total, staff-serjeants and serjeants
2 Duty corporals
2 Clerks
3 Batmen
1 Cook, A.C.C., for - Officers' mess
1 Cook, A.C.C., for - Serjeants' mess
1 Cook, A.C.C., Corporal, for - Rank and file mess
5 Cooks, A.C.C., for - Rank and file mess
1 Orderly for - Officers' mess
1 Orderly for - Serjeants' mess
6 Orderlies for - Rank and file mess
2 Drivers, I.C., R.A.S.C.
1 Motor-cyclist orderly
1 Sanitary dutyman
1 Storeman
9 General dutymen
37 Total, rank and file (b)
44 Total, other ranks
50 Total, special training school No. 25

(ii) Transport
1 Motor-cycle, solo
1 Motor-cycle, combination
1 Car, 4-seater, 4 x 2
1 Truck, 15-cwt., 4 x 2, G.S.

(a) If a combatant officer, will be a subaltern.
(b) Includes in addition to the ranks specifically allotted:
1 Corporal
3 Lance-corporals

Note:
All personnel of this establishment except instructional staff may be of low medical category.


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6.37 WE VIII/570 – Military Establishment No. 65
(originally Special Training School No. 48)

Accommodated in Milton Hall, Milton, Peterborough, Northamptonshire, this school was initially acquired in December 1943 for the training of the JEDBURGH personnel, one of the many projects to accompany the invasion on the Continent Europe.

At the end of the war, it should survive as the last existing school, retained as a general-purpose school for any training commitments which might materialise, and as a transit camp, after the end of June 1945, when all the training schools had been closed down.

The first war establishment was promulgated on 03.11.1943, under the title “Special Training School No. 48”. Soon, the S.T.S. nomenclature was avoided for security reasons, promulgated with the first amendment on 22.12.1943. Milton Hall was not ready for occupation until the end of January 1944. That might explain that there is no other indication of that renaming.

Although the war establishment was effective from 19.10.1943, the training could not start before January. At that time, the school at Milton Hall was not yet ready. To get the training started, Group C schools bridged the gap at the beginning of January until Milton Hall was ready.

From 01.01.1944, Military Establishment 71 (VIII/652/1) was established as a Support Unit to M.E. 65; it was also accommodated at Milton Hall.


Summary of War Establishments
1. VIII/570/1, 19.10.1943 - 21.02.1945
1a - Amendment No. 1 to VIII/570/1, 22.12.1943, not available, reconstructed
1b - Amendment No. 2 to VIII/570/1, 26.01.1944, not available, reconstructed
1c - Amendment No. 3 to VIII/570/1, 03.01.1945, not available
2. VIII/570/2, 22.02.1945 - 07.07.1945
2a - Amendment No. 1 to VIII/570/2, 21.03.1945, not available
2b - Amendment No. 2 to VIII/570/2, 23.05.1945, not available
3. VIII/570/3, 08.07.1945 - 15.01.1946 (cancelled)
3a - Amendment No. 1 to VIII/570/3, 19.09.1945, not available


War Establishments in Detail
1. VIII/570/1 - Special Training School No. 48,
19.10.1943 - 21.02.1945
(Not an Army Establishment)
(i) Personnel
1 Commandant (lieutenant-colonel)
1 General staff officer, 2nd grade
1 Major
1 Chief instructor (major)
3 Company commanders (majors)
1 Adjutant (captain)
21 Instructors (captains or subalterns)
1 Instructor, R. Signals (captain)
1 Quarter-master
31 Total, officers
1 Regimental serjeant-major (warrant officer, class I)
1 Regimental quartermaster-serjeant (warrant officer, class II)
1 Clerk, R.A.S.C. (warrant officer, class II)
3 Company quartermaster-serjeants, (staff-serjeants)
21 Assistant instructors - Infantry serjeants
3 Assistant instructors - R. Signals (serjeants)
1 Assistant instructors - A.P.T.C. (serjeants)
1 Armourer serjeant, R.E.M.E.
4 Duty serjeants
1 Instrument mechanic, R. Signals (serjeant)
1 Clerk, R.A.S.C. (serjeant)
1 Serjeant i/c vehicles, R.A.S.C.
1 Officers’ mess steward (serjeant)
1 Sergeants’ mess caterer (serjeant)
41 Total, warrant officers, staff-serjeants and serjeants
3 Lance-serjeants
9 Corporals
14 Lance-corporals
123 Privates
149 Total, rank and file
190 Total, other ranks
221 Total, special training school, No. 48

Attached
2 A.C.C. – cooks for Officers’ mess
2 A.C.C. – cooks for Serjeants’ mess
1 A.C.C. – cook for Rank and file mess, corporal
3 A.C.C. – cooks for Rank and file mess
7 A.C.C. – cooks for Students’ mess
15 Total, attached
164 (Total, rank and file (including attached))
205 (Total, other ranks (including attached))
236 Total, special training school, No. 48 (including attached)

(ii) Distribution of rank and file by trades and duties.
Tradesmen
1 Carpenter and joiner, R.E.M.E.
13 Clerks, R.A.S.C.
4 Driver-mechanics, R.A.S.C.
1 Storeman, technical (trained in wireless duties)
19 Total, tradesmen
Non-tradesmen
48 Batmen
21 Drivers, I.C., R.A.S.C.
14 General dutymen
1 Medical officer’s orderly (lance-corporal)
2 Motor-cyclist orderlies
2 Orderlies for - Officers' mess
1 Orderly for - Serjeants' mess
4 Orderlies for - Rank and file mess
22 Orderlies for – Students’ mess
4 Regimental police
4 Sanitary dutymen
7 Storemen, non-technical
130 Total, non-tradesmen
149 Total, rank and file

(iii) Transport
2 Motor-cycles, solo
14 Cars, 2-seater, 4 x 2
4 Trucks, 15-cwt., 4 x 2, G.S.
4 Lorries, 3-ton, 4 x 2, G.S.
3 Lorries, 3-ton, 4 x 4, troop carrying

Note
All personnel of this establishment except the instructional staff may be of low medical category.


1a Amendment No.1 to VIII/570/1 - Special Training School No. 48, 22.12.1943, not available; reconstructed*
Amend title to read
“Military Establishment No. 65”


1b Amendment No.2 to VIII/570/1 - Military Establishment No. 65, 13.01.1944, not available; reconstructed**
Add
3 Other ranks
18 Motor cycles
3 Cars, 2-seater, 4 x 2
1 Car, 4-seater, 4 x 2


2. VIII/570/2 - Military Establishment No. 65,
22.02.1945 - 07.07.1945
(Not an Army Establishment)
(i) Personnel
1 Commandant (major)
1 Adjutant and quarter-master (captain) (a)
1 Administrative officer (captain)
4 Instructors (captains)
7 Total, officers
1 Regimental quartermaster-serjeant (warrant officer, class II)
1 Clerk, R.A.S.C. (warrant officer, class II)
2 Assistant instructors - R. E (serjeants)
3 Assistant instructors - Infantry (serjeants)
1 Instructor - A.P.T.C. (serjeant)
1 Duty serjeant
1 Officers’ mess steward (serjeant)
10 Total, warrant officers and serjeants
1 Clerk, R.A.S.C., corporal
3 Clerks, R.A.S.C.
3 Drivers, I.C., R.A.S.C.
3 A.C.C. cooks for – Officers’ mess
1 A.C.C. cooks for – Serjeants’ mess
2 A.C.C. cooks for – Other ranks mess
2 A.C.C. cooks for – Students’ mess
1 Orderly for - Medical officer (lance-corporal)
1 Orderly for - Officers' mess
1 Orderly for - Serjeants' mess
3 Orderlies for – Students’ mess
8 Batmen
1 General dutyman, corporal
6 General dutymen
1 Storeman, non-technical, corporal
3 Storemen, non-technical
2 Sanitary dutymen
42 Total, rank and file (b)
52 Total, other ranks
59 Total, Military Establishment, No. 65

(ii) Transport
1 Car, 4 x 2, light utility
2 Trucks*, 3-ton, 4 x 2

(a) If a combatant officer, will be a subaltern.
(b) In total rank and file contained:
4 Lance-corporals, including the medical officer’s orderly

Note
With the exception of all instructional staff, officers will be of medical category lower than “A” and other ranks will be of medical category lower than “A1”, if available.

This establishment supersedes W.E. No. VIII/570/1.

* The term “truck” used here in combination with a tonnage of 3 tons is one of the rare mistakes in war establishments, as in British military terms, it is reserved for load carrying vehicles below 30 cwt.*** This may have been due to constant contact with American personnel who consistently used the term "truck" and not the term "lorry" at all. As will be seen in the following table, the tonnage of 3 tons is correct, and the term “lorry” will apply.

Issue No. 3 showed already several indications for the nearing end of the war – victory in Europe had already been celebrated – and for the expansion of this school which should be the only one retained for S.O.E. after the war.


3. VIII/570/3 - Military Establishment No. 65,
08.07.1945 - 15.01.1946
(Not an Army Establishment)
(Designed to train 56 personnel, to hold 197 personnel and to administer a paper strength of 200 personnel.)
(i) Personnel
1 Commandant and chief instructor (major)
1 Instructor, major
5 Instructors, captains
1 Administrative officer (captain)
1 Adjutant and quarter-master (a)
9 Total, officers
1 Company serjeant-major (warrant officer, class II)
1 Company quartermaster-serjeant (staff-serjeant)
3 Assistant instructors - R. E (staff-serjeants)
1 Assistant instructor – any arm (staff-serjeant)
1 Assistant instructor – R. Signals (serjeant)
1 Assistant instructor - A.P.T.C. (serjeant)
1 Armourer (serjeant)
1 Clerk (serjeant)
1 Officers’ mess steward (serjeant)
1 Serjeants’ mess caterer (serjeant)
12 Total, warrant officers, staff-serjeants and serjeants
4 Batmen
1 Clerk, corporal
1 Clerk, lance-corporal
4 Clerks
3 Drivers, I.C.
2 General dutymen, corporals
1 General dutyman, lance-corporal
1 General dutymen, orderly for - Medical officer (lance-corporal)
16 General dutymen (including orderlies for Officers’ mess and Serjeants' mess)
2 Motor cyclists
2 Sanitary dutyman
1 Storeman, technical
4 Storemen
1 A.C.C. cooks for – Officers’ mess
2 A.C.C. cooks for – Serjeants’ mess
1 A.C.C. cook for – Other ranks mess, corporal
5 A.C.C. cooks for – Other ranks mess
50 Total, rank and file
62 Total, other ranks
71 Total, Military Establishment, No. 65

(ii) Transport
2 Motor cycles, solo
1 Car, 4 x 2, light utility
2 Lorries, 3-ton, 4 x 2, G.S.

(a) If a combatant officer, will be a subaltern.

Notes
1. Personnel on this establishment may be of any arm, except where otherwise stated, or may be Naval or R.A.F. personnel of equivalent rank.
2. Except in the case of instructors, officers will be of medical category lower than “A”, and other ranks will be of medical category lower than “A1”, if available.

This establishment supersedes W.E. No. VIII/570/2.


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* WESC 960/5, 09.12.1943 (TNA WO 24/1062)
** WESC 986/11, 13.01.1944 (TNA WO 24/1063)
*** A.C.I. 390 of 1940, 24.04.1940, Nomenclature of “B” Mechanically Propelled Vehicles. Practically, 8 and 15 cwt. were the only load classes assigned to trucks at that time. The 8-cwt. class soon became obsolete, as did the 30-cwt. lorries. A.C.I. 1054 of 1942, 16.05.1942, with the same title, marked the four remaining 8-cwt. truck types and most of the 30-cwt. lorry types as “obsolescent”.

 

6.38 WE VIII/650
6.39 WE VIII/994
6.40 WE VIII/995
6.41 WE VIII/1012
6.42 WE VIII/1051

6.38 WE VIII/650 – Special Training Schools Nos. 2, 3, 5 and 6 (each)
Operational Holding Schools in Group C.
Schools and Houses
S.T.S. 2: Bellasis, Box Hill Road, Dorking, Surrey

S.T.S. 3: Stodham Park, Liss, Hampshire

S.T.S. 5: Wanborough Manor, Puttenham, Guildford, Surrey

S.T.S. 6: West Court, Finchampstead, Wokingham, Berkshire.

The predecessor war establishment VIII/208/2 governed the Special Training Schools Nos. 1 to 6.
S.T.S. 4, Winterfold in Cranleigh, Surrey, had left this group already with effect from 23.07.1942, now serving as S.T.S. 7, eventually becoming the Students’ Assessment Board, with an establishment of its own (VIII/355).
VIII/650/1 shows no superseding note for VIII/208/2; it was instead formally cancelled by A.C.I. 01.03.1944, thus terminating the authorisation of S.T.S. 1, Brockhall, in Flore, Northamptonshire, which had been handed over to the American O.S.S.


Summary of War Establishments
Predecessor war establishment: VIII/208/2
1. VIII/650/1, 29.02.1944 - 15.08.1945 (cancelled)


War Establishments in Detail
1. VIII/650/1 - Special Training Schools Nos. 2, 3, 5 and 6 (each),
29.02.1944 - 15.08.1945
(Not an Army Establishment)
(i) Personnel
1 Commandant and chief instructor (major)
1 Adjutant and quarter-master (if a combatant will be a subaltern)
2 Instructors (captains or subalterns)
4 (Total, officers)
1 Company quartermaster-serjeant, (staff-serjeant)
1 Assistant instructor - R. E. (serjeant)
2 Assistant instructors - Infantry (serjeants)
1 Instructors - A.P.T.C. (serjeant)
5 (Total, staff-serjeants and serjeants)
1 Batman
2 Clerks
1 A.C.C. – cook for - Officers’ mess
1 A.C.C. – cook for - Serjeants’ mess
1 A.C.C. – cook for - Rank and file mess, corporal
2 A.C.C. – cooks for - Rank and file mess
2 Drivers, I.C., R.A.S.C.
6 General dutymen
1 Motor-cyclist
1 Orderly for - Officers' mess
1 Orderly for - Serjeants' mess
3 Orderlies for - Rank and file mess
1 Sanitary dutyman
1 Storeman
24 (Total, rank and file) (a)
29 (Total, other ranks)
33 Total, special training schools, Nos. 2, 3, 5 and 6 (each)

(ii) Transport
1 Motor-cycle, solo
1 Car, 2-seater, 4 x 2
1 Truck, 15-cwt., 4 x 2, G.S.

(a) In privates contained:
1 Corporal
2 Lance-corporals

Note
All personnel of this establishment with the exception of the instructors and assistant instructors, may be of low medical category.

When S.O.E.’s German Directorate decided to employ a number of German prisoners with anti-Nazi sympathies for service in Germany in June 1944, S.T.S. 2 was converted into a prisoner-of-war camp to fulfil this special task. Those prisoners who were deemed suitable were accepted into the BONZO scheme and transferred from here to other schools in Group C, specially assigned to them, for preliminary and final training.

The Official History of the Training Section of S.O.E. shows a second version of VIII/650/1, for S.T.S. 2 only, without an effective date, at the end of the relevant appendices. In the list of the appendices, this issue is labelled “as prisoner-of-war camp”. The source for this information is unclear; no official amendment to this war establishment was ever promulgated, so a less formal authorisation is likely. As is usual with these appendices, Major Forty’s clerks seem to have typed up the latest version, removing all traces of possible earlier amendments.

Apart from one instructor, A.P.T.C., all instructors have been removed and two subalterns added instead. The orderly for the serjeants’ mess has been removed, indicating the cancellation of this mess. One driver and one truck, 15-cwt., 4 x 2, G.S., have been added. As a new component, 46 guards were added, reflecting the new purpose of the unit. Their number is about half the number of guards of the smallest type of prisoner-of-war camps (to accommodate 500 prisoners) for other ranks in the United Kingdom at that time (V/202/2).


1. VIII/650/1 - Special Training School No. 2,
(restructured as prisoner-of-war camp for members of the BONZO scheme)
Not officially promulgated in A.C.Is. Effective from about June 1944.
(Not an Army Establishment)
(i) Personnel
1 Commandant (major)
1 Adjutant & Quartermaster (subaltern if combatant)
2 Subalterns
1 Instructors - A.P.T.C. (staff-serjeant)
1 Company quartermaster-serjeant (staff-serjeant)
1 Batman
2 Clerks
1 Cook, A.C.C., for - Officers’ mess
1 Cook, A.C.C., for - Serjeants’ mess
1 Cook, A.C.C., for - Rank and file mess, corporal
2 Cooks, A.C.C., for - Rank and file mess
3 Drivers, I.C., R.A.S.C.
6 General dutymen
1 Motor-cyclist
1 Orderly for - Officers' mess
3 Orderlies for - Rank and file mess
1 Sanitary dutyman
1 Storeman
4 Guards - Serjeants
5 Guards - Corporals
4 Guards – Lance-corporals
33 Guards - Privates
4 (Total, officers)
6 (Total, staff-serjeants and serjeants)
66 (Total, rank and file) (a)
73 (Total, other ranks)
77 Total (special training school, No. 2 (as prisoner of war camp))

(ii) Transport
1 Motor cycle, solo
1 Car, 2-seater, 4 x 2
2 Trucks, 15-cwt., 4 x 2, G.S.

(a) In privates included:
1 Corporal
2 Lance-corporals

Note
All personnel of this establishment may be of low medical category.


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6.39 WE VIII/994 - Special Training Schools Nos. 33 and 34 (each)
Two Finishing Schools in Group B in the Beaulieu area, closed in the autumn of 1944 and reopened again in 1945.

Schools and Houses
S.T.S. 33: The House on the Shore

S.T.S. 34: The Drokes

This is the view from the perspective of the war establishments. Major Forty tells a different story. He states that some schools of Group B in the Beaulieu area had been closed in the autumn of 1944, but all were reopened apart from S.T.S. 33 and STS. 37b. Compare the comments to “Agents Finishing Training, Organisation”. However, it appears that only S.T.S. 37a and 37b, Warren House and Clobb Gorse, were closed on 18.09.1944, and S.T.S. 33 and 34, The House on the Shore and The Drokes, were closed on 15.11.1944.

The History of the D/Fin.2 Section only shows S.T.S. 34 The Drokes as reopened.


Summary of War Establishments
Predecessor war establishments: VIII/545/1 and VIII/546/1
The schools had been closed in the autumn of 1944 and were now reopened.
1. VIII/994/1, 01.02.1945 - 20.06.1945 (cancelled)
1a - Amendment No. 1 to VIII/994/1, 11.04.1945, not available


War Establishments in Detail
1. VIII/994/1 - Special Training Schools, Nos. 33 ad 34,
30.09.1943 - 14.11.1944
(Not an Army establishment)
(i) Personnel
1 Commandant (captain)
1 Total, officers
1 Company quarter-master-serjeant (staff-serjeant)
3 Total, staff-serjeants
1 Corporal
1 Clerk
4 Batmen
1 Cook, A.C.C., for – Officers’ mess
1 Cook, A.C.C., for – Rank and file mess
1 Driver, I.C., R.A.S.C.
1 Motor cyclist orderly
1 Orderly, for – Officers’ mess
1 Storeman and sanitary dutyman
3 General dutymen
15 Total, rank and file (a)
16 Total, other ranks
17 Total, special training schools, Nos. 33 and 34 (each)

(ii) Transport
1 Motor-cycle, solo
1 Car, 4 x 2, light utility

(a) Includes 3 lance-corporals.

Note
Officers will be of a medical category lower than “A” and other ranks will be of medical category lower than “A.1” if available.


There are more batmen than officers. This is an indication that the school expected a proportion of officers among the students.


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6.40 WE VIII/995 - Special Training School No. 64
Documents usually cite “Chudleigh, Sussex” as the location of this late-founded and short-lived school. No such place exists. A document dated 11.03.1945* gives the location as “Chudleigh”, Rudgwick, the quotation marks making it clear that Chudleigh is a house rather than a place. British artist Bertram Stanley Prance built this large house and named it “Chudleigh” after an area in his hometown Bideford; he lived there until the house was requisitioned in 1940.

Another school for the Polish Minorities Section (EU/P), like S.T.S. 63 at Warnham Court, Warnham, both schools located near Horsham, Sussex. Although a commandant is listed in the war establishment, it seems either that no suitable candidate could be found, or that a separate commandant was not considered necessary for this short period at the end of the war. The commandant of S.T.S 63, Major J.W. Harper, also assumed command of this school.

The (assistant) instructors came from the Royal Signals, indicating the nature of the training.


Summary of War Establishments
1. VIII/995/1, 08.02.1945 - 18.04.1945 (cancelled)


War Establishments in Detail
1. VIII/995/1 - Special Training School No. 64,
08.02.1945 - 18.04.1945
(Not an Army establishment)
(i) Personnel
1 Commandant (captain)
1 (Total, officers)
1 Serjeant
1 Assistant instructor – Operator, wireless and line, serjeant, R. Signals
2 (Total, serjeants)
3 Assistant instructors – Operators, wireless and line, corporals, R. Signals
2 Batmen
2 Drivers, I.C.
1 General dutyman, corporal
5 General dutymen
1 Sanitary dutyman
1 Storeman, non-technical
15 (Total, rank and file)
17 (Total, other ranks)
18 Total, special training school No. 64

Attached
1 A.C.C., Cook, for – Officers’ mess
1 A.C.C., Cook, for – Other ranks’ mess
2 Total, attached
20 Total, special training school No. 64 (including attached)

(ii) Transport
1 Car, 4 x 2, light utility
1 Lorry, 3-ton, 4 x 2, G.S.

Note
Officer will be of a medical category lower than “A” and other ranks will be of a medical category lower than “A.1”, if available.


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6.41 WE VIII/1012 - Special Training School No. 19
Early in 1945, the Polish Minorities Section (EU/P) had no further use for Station XIX, Gardener’s End, Ardeley, Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The house was incorporated as S.T.S. 19 into Group C for the German Directorate of S.O.E. Its sole purpose was the training of agents under the code name PERIWIG, a subdivision of the BONZO scheme. The students of the BONZO scheme had to be completely segregated from all other students, and those of the PERIWIG scheme even had to be segregated from those of the BONZO scheme, even though both groups were of German-speaking origin. A total of seven PERIWIG BONZOS were trained.

For their parachute training at S.T.S. 51, they were also segregated in York House (S.T.S. 51c), which was specially requisitioned for this purpose.


Summary of War Establishments
1. VIII/1012/1, 08.03.1945 - 01.07.1945 (cancelled)


War Establishments in Detail
1. VIII/1012/1 - Special Training School, No. 19,
08.03.1945 – 01.07.1945
(Not an Army establishment)
(i) Personnel
1 Commandant and chief instructor (captain)
1 Instructor (captain or subaltern)
2 (Total, officers)
1 Assistant instructor (serjeant)
1 (Total, serjeants)
1 Clerk, general duties (lance-corporal)
1 Batman
1 Cook, A.C.C.
1 Driver, I.C.
1 General dutyman
5 (Total, rank and file)
6 (Total, other ranks)
8 Total, special training school, No. 19

(ii) Transport
1 Motor cycle, solo
1 Car, 4 x 2, light utility

Note
With the exception of instructors, officers will be of a medical category lower than “A” and other ranks will be of medical category lower than “A.1”, if available.


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6.42 WE VIII/1051 – Station No. 61A
This type of numbering was usually used to represent external stations or outstations as they were called. However, in this case, which was unusual from the point of view of war establishments, it was merely a correction to the existing war establishment for Station 61 (VIII/257), the S.O.E. Parachute and Packing Station located at Gaynes Hall, near R.A.F. Tempsford, home of the Special Duties Squadrons Nos. 138 and 161. The History of Air Organisation, S.O.E.** in its chapter “P.A.P. Station, Tempsford” provides background information:
‘Liaison Officers have always been administered by Station 61, and those at Tempsford have lived there. The liaison between officers of Station 61 and Tempsford has always been 100 %. Liaison have looked on Station 61 as their home, and on many occasions R.A.F. Officers have spent a night there, enabling Liaison Officers to return in some small measure the hospitality they have received from the R.A.F.

Until April 1945, Liaison [personnel] were held on the Station 61 and M.O.I.(SP)*** establishment. During that month, however, we at last succeeded in getting our own establishment – this was put forward for no other reason but to promote officers, N.C.Os. and other ranks, to ranks which for some time were considered they richly deserved. Apart from the fact that we were able to promote some of these men, it did not alter the fact that we were still administered by Station 61.’


Summary of War Establishments
1. VIII/1051/1, 12.04.1945 - 13.07.1945 (cancelled)


War Establishments in Detail
1. VIII/1051/1 - Station No. 61A,
12.04.1945 – 13.07.1945
(Not an Army establishment)
Personnel
Air liaison staff
1 Major
7 Captains
2 Subalterns
10 Total, officers
1 Company quarter-master-serjeant (staff-serjeant)
1 Storeman (serjeant)
1 Clerk (serjeant)
3 (Total, staff-serjeants and serjeants)
3 General dutymen (corporals)
3 General dutymen
5 Storemen, non-technical
11 (Total, rank and file)
14 Total, other ranks
24 Total, Station No. 61A

Note
Officers will be of a medical category lower than “A” and other ranks will be of a medical category lower than “A.1”, if available.


---
* TNA HS 4/228
** in TNA HS 7/13
*** Another cover name for S.O.E. While M.O.4, which refers to the S.O.E. Middle East, is documented in detail and without gaps by various war establishments (VIII/448, with additional ones under letters A to E), for M.O.1(S.P.) at home, there is only a batch of ”Miscellaneous Appointments M.O.1(S.P.)” (VIII/746) with comparatively few personnel. This is probably another example of very secret sources providing authorisation for S.O.E. units.

 

Graphic files attached in PNG format for viewing here and in PDF format for parallel viewing in a second browser tab.


S.O.E. Training Units - War Establishments by Table Numbers showing the availability of the documents and their effective periods.



S.O.E. Training Units – Staff Functions by Issues

 

7. The Houses
The data provided is based on the war establishments. In its history, S.O.E.’s Financial Section D/Fin.2* provides dates for the closure of most of the houses. They should normally know, as they paid the bill for the requisitioning of the houses and had to cover any damage to them. Exceptions are, of course, conceivable.

Some of the schools moved to other buildings during their operation. In some cases, at least, short-term needs or bottlenecks seem to have played a role here, which were generally either not recorded at all or only inadequately documented. This makes it much more difficult to assign buildings to school numbers with exact dates on a continuous basis. Even with the help of expert proofreaders Colonel Munn, Major Hilton and Mr Murray, Major Forty admitted that he was no longer able to keep track of the changes at the time of writing his story.

As far as the Special Training Schools are concerned, the list of houses should be complete. But the 62 houses account for less than half of the properties requisitioned for S.O.E. A letter from the Properties Section to D/Fin.D dated 01.09.1943** gives an impression of the scale covered by that time and the rapid growth in 1941:

“At December 1940 approximately 8 properties existed. From January 1941 to February 1942 we acquired 39 Properties. From February 1942 to August 1943 we acquired 88 properties. TOTAL: 135 Properties. The term “Properties” used above includes any separate address. Of the above total I would say that 76 of these are major properties and 59 are minor properties.”

Compare also the graph "School Numbers, Types & Houses".
The Training Section of S.O.E. - Special Training Schools Including Their War Establishments


Houses in alphabetical order
(Drokes, House in the Wood, House on the Shore, Rings and Vineyards sorted under “The …”)

(A to F)

Anderson Manor
Located: Blandford, Dorset, Southern Command
- 04/1942 – 11/1942: S.T.S. 62, home of the Small Scale Raiding Force, from late 1942 also called No. 62 Commando
- 11/1942 – 07/1943: Station 62, with four satellites***
- from 07/1943 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 47, specialist school for mines, booby-traps and foreign weapons
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 21.07.1943 for S.T.S. [sic] 62 and 05.06.1945 for S.T.S. 47

Arisaig House
Located: Arisaig, Inverness-shire, Scottish Command
- 12/1940 – 11/1944: S.T.S. 21, Headquarters of the Para-military group of schools in the Arisaig area
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 30.11.1944.

Audley End House
Located: Audley End, Saffron Walden, Essex, Eastern Command
Under control of the Polish Country Section (MP).
Also, home to Polish Country Section (MP) from 04/1942
- 06/1941 – 04/1942: Polish operational and despatch station
- 02.10.1941 – 04/1942: Parachute Packing Station of S.T.S. 61 located in the stable block
- 04/1942 – 10/1944: S.T.S. 43
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 29.10.1944

Belhaven School
Located: Dunbar, East Lothian, Scottish Command
- 09/1942 – 1944: S.T.S. 54b
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 30.06.1945

Bellasis
Located: Box Hill Road, Dorking, Surrey, South-Eastern Command until 30.11.1944 and from 01.12.1944 Eastern Command
Also, home to the French Country Section (F). ****
- 02/1941 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 2
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 12.06.1945

Blackbridge
Located: Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, Southern Command
- 06/1942 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 32c
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 18.05.1945

Boarmans
Located: Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, Southern Command
- 03/1941 – autumn 1944: S.T.S 36
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 06.12.1944

Brickendonbury Manor
Located: Hertford, Hertfordshire, Eastern Command
- 06/1940 – 12/1940: Station XVII, espionage and sabotage school, training agents for Lawrence Grand’s Section D of S.I.S.
- 12/1940 - 21.04.1942: taken over by S.O.E. under the same title, now training agents for S.O.E.
- 22.04.1942 - 08.07.1945: S.T.S. 17
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 30.06.1945

Briggens House
Located: near Roydon, Essex, Eastern Command
Under control of the Polish Country Section (MP).
- 01/1941 – 02.04.1942: S.T.S. 38, Polish Finishing School
- 03.04.1942 – 10.06.1942: Station No. 8 (False Document Section)
- 11.06.1942 – 01.07.1945: Station No. 14 (False Document Section)

Brockhall
Located: Flore, Northamptonshire, Eastern Command
- 01/1941 – 02/1944: S.T.S. 1
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 15.05.1944

Martin Bowman in his book The Bedford Triangle***** tells a story that would have terminated the use of Brockhall by S.O.E. considerably earlier:

‘Area “F” was responsible for training the Norwegian Special Operations Group, a branch of the Office of Strategic Services, which had formed about June 1943. Most of the 100 or so men – all volunteers – came from the 99th Infantry Battalion, a ski battalion stationed at Camp Hale, Colorado, which was taken over by the OSS as a special training area for Operational Groups (OGs). Consisting mostly of men of Scandinavian ancestry […] - Late in 1943 the group was sent overseas to England and was stationed at “Area E”, one of several covert and sinister-sounding “area” locations used by the US forces in the Midlands. “Area E” was in fact the code-name for Brockhall, an English mansion house at Weedon, close to Daventry in Northamptonshire, conveniently located just a few miles from “Area T”, Harrington, the departure airfield for airborne operations in occupied Europe. Originally, Brockhall belonged to S.O.E.; it was No. 1 Training School, commanded by Colonel A.T. Thornton, but in 1943, after its cover had been revealed by an agent and a bombing raid attempted by the Luftwaffe, it was turned over to the O.S.S. The new commander was Lieutenant Colonel Serge Obolensky, a Russian prince, born Serge Obolensky-Beledinsky-Meletsky in 1898, who had escaped the Bolsheviks in 1918. While at Brockhall, the NORSO group received parachute training at Ringway, the British Airborne Division’s training base in the outskirts at Manchester.’

Camp “X”
Located: on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario between Whitby and Oshawa in Ontario, Canada
A camp constructed for this purpose, in an area chosen for its suitability. The construction lasted until December, so that the first course started on 06.12.1941.
- 11.06.1941 – 04.12.1941: 207 Military Mission
- 05.12.1941 – 10.05.1944: S.T.S. 103

Camusdarach Lodge
Located: Morar, Inverness-shire, Scottish Command
- 01/1941 – 10/1944: S.T.S. 25b
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 31.10.1944

Chicheley Hall
Located: Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, Eastern Command
Also, home to Czech Country Section (MX) from 04/1942
- 06/1941 – 06/1945: S.T.S 46
- During 04/1942 – 06/1942: used for training of base stations operators for the Signal Section; training then moved to Fawley Court.
- 28.03.1944: according to D/Fin.2 Section transferred from the Training Section to F.A.N.Y. Training
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 19.10.1945

Chudleigh (House)
Located: Rudgwick, near Horsham, Sussex, Eastern Command
- Under control of the Polish Minorities Section (EU/P)
- 08.02.1945 - 18.04.1945: S.T.S. 64
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: (unit is not mentioned). A letter****** from EU/P.A. to D/SD, dated 03.03.1945 informs: ‘S.T.S. 64 closed down at the beginning of the month, and S.T.S. 63 is closing down shortly.’

Clobb Gorse
Located: Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, Southern Command
- 10/1942 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 37b
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 18.09.1944

Drumintoul Lodge
Located: Aviemore, Inverness-shire, Scottish Command
Under control of the Norwegian Country Section (SN).
- 11/1941 – 10/1944: S.T.S. 26a
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 15.06.1945

Dunham House,
Located: Charcoal Lane, Dunham Massey, Altrincham, Cheshire, Western Command
- 03/1941 – 07/1945: S.T.S. 51a
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 31.07.1945

Fawley Court
Located: Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, Southern Command
- 06/1941 – 09.07.1942: S.T.S. 41
- 09.07.1942 – 12/1944: S.T.S. 54a (Signal Section, from 09/1943 Directorate)
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 30.06.1945 for S.T.S. 54d [sic] and 31.01.1945 for S.T.S. 54

Forest Lodge
Located: Aviemore, Inverness-shire, Scottish Command
Under control of the Norwegian Country Section (SN).
- 11/1941 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 26c
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 15.06.1945
- Forest Lodge might have escaped Major Forty's attention as it was probably closed earlier than Drumintoul Lodge and Glenmore Lodge.******* It was probably abandoned during the reorganisation at the beginning of 1943.

Forthampton House
Located: Forthampton, near Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, Southern Command
With effect from 14.02.1942, the school left the group of Holding Schools and the Training Section. It was made available for the exclusive use of the Polish Minorities Section (EU/P), initially still under the designation S.T.S. 45a.
- 10/1941 – 22.07.1942: S.T.S. 45a
- 23.07.1942 – 10.09.1942: S.T.S. No. 47 (erroneously, corrected to 49)
- 11.09.1942 – 20.09.1944: S.T.S. 49 (probably already in 09/1943)
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 29.06.1943 for S.T.S. 49 and 31.05.1944 for S.T.S. 54c (Directorate of Signals)

Fulshaw Hall
Located: Alderley Road, Wilmslow, Manchester, Western Command
- 03/1941 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 51b
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 04.06.1945.


---
* TNA HS 7/15; D/Fin.2 was the Financial Section within the Finance Directorate that dealt with the financial matters of “M” Section (Training and Operations).
** TNA HS 7/15
*** HS 8/960 letter CMcVG/255 from Major-General Gubbins to Major-General Kennedy, War Office, dated 29.12.1942: STS 62 has been renamed Station 62 and 4 satellite Establishments have been formed: Scorrier House, Lupton House, Wraxhall Manor and Inchmery House.
**** West, Nigel: Secret War, p. 81
***** Martin Bowman, The Bedford Triangle, Pen & Sword, 2015, p. 47
****** TNA HS 4/228
******* TNA HS 8/969: Forest Lodge appears in a list dated 19.03.1943, but not in another list dated 28.04.1944.

 

(Houses G to R)

Garramor House
Located: Morar, Inverness-shire, Scottish Command
- 02/1941 – 10/1944: S.T.S: 25a
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 31.10.1944

Gaynes Hall
Located: St. Neots, Huntingdonshire, Eastern Command
- early/1942 – 08/1945: S.T.S. 61, initially without its Parachute and Packing Station, following in April 1942
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 02.07.1945 for Station 61 and 31.08.1945 for its Packing Station

Glaschoille
Located: Knoydart peninsula, Mallaig, Inverness-shire, Scottish Command
- 11/1941 – 10/1944. S.T.S. 24b
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 18.10.1944

Glasnacardoch
Located: Mallaig, Inverness-shire, Scottish Command
- 09/1941 – 10/1944: S.T.S. 22a
- 1943: The school was equipped and staffed as a Foreign Weapons and Mines School.
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 31.10.1944

Glenmore Lodge
Located: Aviemore, Inverness-shire, Scottish Command
Under control of the Norwegian Country Section (SN).
- 11/1941 – 10/1944: S.T.S. 26b
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 15.06.1945

Gorse Hill
Located: Witley, Godalming, Surrey, South-Eastern Command until 30.11.1944 and from 01.12.1944 Eastern Command
- from 05/1942: S.T.S. 50
- until 06/1945: S.T.S. 44
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 25.05.1945

The schools at Water Eaton Manor (initially S.T.S. 44) and Gorse Hill (initially S.T.S. 50) swapped numbers sometime between 16.01.1944 and 03.03.1944.

Grendon Hall
Located: Grendon Underwood, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Eastern Command
- summer 1941 – 11/1941: S.T.S. 52
- 06/1942 – 01/1946: Station 53 for signals communication, but also operating as school when needs arose
- 12/1944 – 07/1945: concentrating of all Signals Training, takeover of S.T.S. 52 and S.T.S. 54, whose houses were closed
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 07.07.1945 for S.T.S. 52

Gumley Hall
Located: Market Harborough, Leicestershire, Northern Command
Also, home to Danish Country Section (SD)
- 06/1941 – 04/1942: S.T.S. 44
- 07/1942 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 41
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 07.06.1945

Harford House
Also known as “The Fisheries” due to its connection with the local trout hatcheries.
Located: Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, Southern Command
First and smallest school in the Beaulieu group
- 03/1941 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 32a
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 18.05.1945

Hatherop Castle
Located: Fairford, Gloucestershire, Southern Command
Also, accommodation for Polish Country Section (MP)
- 06/1941 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 45
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 11.06.1945

Howbury Hall
Located: Howbury Hall, near Waterend, Bedfordshire, Eastern Command
- 09/1943 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 40
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 28.05.1945

Inchmery House
Located: Inchmery, Exbury, near Southampton, Hampshire, Southern Command
Also, home to the French Country Section (RF), later run by the Polish Minorities Country Section EU/P
- 05.02.1941 or 11/1940 – 11/1941: Preliminary school for the French Country Section and depot for the special parachute company (1ière Compagnie d'Infanterie de l'Air). Probably untypically authorised as V/227 C/1 - Free French Forces - Recruiting Station and Transit Camp - British Administrative Staff.
- 12/1941 – 07/1942: S.T.S. 42
- 11/1942 – 05/1943: Station 62D, satellite to Station 62 at Anderson Manor
- 05/1943: Polish BARDSEA Teams (Polish Minorities Country Section EU/P)

Inverie House
Located: Knoydart peninsula, Mallaig, Inverness-shire, Scottish Command
- 01/1941 – 10/1944: S.T.S. 24a
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 18.10.1944

Inverlair Lodge
Located: Inverlair Lodge, Tulloch, Inverness-shire, Scottish Command, outside the Protected Area
- 31.07.1941 - 01.07.1945: I.S.R.B. Workshop (“The Cooler”); according to its sole commandant, it closed as such already at the end of February 1944.
- 08/1943 – 12/1943: Assault courses for S.O.E.’s headquarters personnel.
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 28.06.1945

Lupton House
Located: Churston Ferrers, near Brixham, Devon, Southern Command
- 11/1942 – 07/1943: Station 62B, satellite to Station 62 at Anderson Manor

Meoble Lodge
Located: Morar, Inverness-shire, Scottish Command
- 01/1941 – 10/1944: S.T.S. 23
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 18.10.1944

Milton Hall
Located: Milton Hall, Milton, Peterborough, Northamptonshire,
- 10/1943 – 12/1943: S.T.S. 48 (not in use under that name)
- 12/1943 – 01/1946: M.E. 65
- 01/1944 – 07/1945: M.E. 71
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: (still open at the end of 1945)

Poundon House
Located: Poundon, Bicester, Oxfordshire, Southern Command
- 11/1942 – 07/1945: Station 53B
- Technically, there were two Stations: Poundon I (53B) run by S.O.E., and later Poundon II (53C), run by the American O.S.S. from 09/1943 until 10/1944
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 24.07.1945

Rhubana Lodge
Located: Morar, Inverness-shire, Scottish Command
- 01/1941 – 10/1944: S.T.S. 22
- At some diverted from its role as Paramilitary School to a W/T Preliminary School.
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 31.10.1944

Roughwood Park
Located: Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire, Eastern Command
- 08/1942 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 42
Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 15.06.1945

 

(Houses S to Y)

Saltmarsh
Located: Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, Southern Command
- 01/1942 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 32b
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 18.05.1945

Scorrier House
Located: Scorrier, near Redruth, Cornwall, Southern Command
- 11/1942 – 07/1943: Station 62A, satellite to Station 62 at Anderson Manor

Stodham Park
Located: Liss, near Petersfield, Hampshire, Southern Command
- 02/1941 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 3
- 07/1943 – 11/1943: six S.O.E. Staff Courses of 3 weeks each
- 11/1943: No. 205 Selection Board established temporarily at S.T.S. 3, Stodham Park, to select JEDBURGH personnel.
- 05/1944 – 07/1944: A specialist course in mines, Foreign weapons and demolition equipment.
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 29.05.1945

Swordland
Located: Tarbet Bay, Morar, Inverness-shire, Scottish Command
- 03/1941 – 10/1944: S.T.S. 23b
- Swordland, acquired in combination with the Tarbet Base, was used for Para-naval Training in connection with the Base, and continued to be so used by the Norwegians even after Naval Training had nominally ceased at Group A. In addition, two auxiliary yachts “Orca” and “Risor” together with numerous launches and dinghies and naval crews to man them, were acquired early in 1941.
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 18.10.1944

Tempsford Aerodrome
Located: Tempsford, Sandy, Bedfordshire, Eastern Command
R.A.F. Tempsford was home to the Special Duty Squadrons No. 138 and 161, supporting S.O.E. In that regard, S.O.E. accommodated some of its units there.
- 09/1941 – early 1942: S.T.S. 61 (in or around the aerodrome)
- 08/1943 – 03/1944: Station 61 (in bomb stores near the perimeter)

Thame Park
Located: Thame, Oxfordshire, Southern Command
- 06/1941 – 11/1941: S.T.S. 42, Spanish Holding School
- 12/1941 – 12/1944: S.T.S. 52, Signals Training under Signal Section, from 09/1943 Directorate
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 31.12.1944

The Drokes
Located: Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, Southern Command
- 03/1941 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 34
- temporarily closed 12/1944 – 01/1945
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 15.11.1944 and May 1945

The House in the Wood
Located: Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire Southern Command
Also used as officers’ mess, with a grand piano.
- 03/1941 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 31 (school at the group headquarters at The Rings)
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 15.06.1945

The House on the Shore
Located: Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, Southern Command
- 03/1941 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 33
- temporarily closed 12/1944 – 01/1945
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 15.11.1944, no indication of re-opening

The Rings
Located: Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, Southern Command
- 01/1941 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 31, used as Group Headquarters for the Finishing Schools located in the Beaulieu area
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 15.06.1945

The Vineyards
Located: Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, Southern Command
In the group of Finishing Schools called “the pub”, because it had a licence to sell drinks.
- 03/1941 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 35
- Early in 1941 used as elementary signals training school. Captain Kaplowitch taught preliminary W/T training, until the Signals Section, later Directorate was able to arrange courses.
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 31.05.1945

Traigh House
Located: Morar, Inverness-shire, Scottish Command
- 06/1941 – 10/1944: S.T.S. 25c
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 31.10.1944

Wall Hall
Located: Aldenham, Hertfordshire, Eastern Command
- 04/1943 – 06/1944: S.T.S. 39
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 01.06.1944

Wanborough Manor
Located: Puttenham, Guildford, Surrey, South-Eastern Command until 30.11.1944 and from 01.12.1944 Eastern Command
Also, home to the French Country Section (F).
- 01/1941 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 5
- Mid-1944: School made available for the BONZO scheme in Group C
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 14.06.1945

Warnham Court
Located: Warnham, near Horsham, Sussex, South-Eastern Command until 30.11.1944 and from 01.12.1944 Eastern Command
- Under control of the Polish Minorities Section (EU/P)
- 04/1943 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 63
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 31.05.1945

Warren House
Located: Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, Southern Command
- 01/1941 – 09/1942 used as an extension to another school in the region.*
- 03/1942 – autumn 1944: S.T.S. 37a
- From 07/1943 used for photographic training
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 18.09.1944

Water Eaton Manor
Located: Water Eaton Manor, Gosford and Water Eaton, Oxfordshire, Southern Command
- from 04/1942: S.T.S. 44
- until 06/1945: S.T.S. 50
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 24.05.1945

The schools at Water Eaton Manor (initially S.T.S. 44) and Gorse Hill (initially S.T.S. 50) swapped numbers sometime between 16.01.1944 and 03.03.1944.

West Court
Located: Finchampstead, Wokingham, Berkshire, Southern Command
- 01/1941 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 6
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 25.07.1945

Winterfold
Located: Cranleigh, Surrey, South-Eastern Command
- 01/1941 – 06/1942: S.T.S. 4
- 23.07.1942 – 05.05.1943: S.T.S. 7, use unclear; still listed as S.T.S. 4 on 01.01.43**
- 06/1943 – 16.11.1944: S.T.S. 7, Students Assessment Board
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 16.11.1944

Wraxall Manor
Located: near Maiden Newton, Cornwall, Southern Command
- 11/1942 – 07/1943: Station 62C, satellite to Station 62 at Anderson Manor

York House
Located: Timperley, Altrincham, Cheshire, Western Command
- 03/1945 – 06/1945: S.T.S. 51c
- Date of closure according to D/Fin.2 Section: 04.06.1945


---
* According to the Secret Army Exhibition at Beaulieu, Harford House was taken over by S.O.E. in January 1941 and was the first of the S.O.E. houses used for training agents. As the war establishment does not include S.T.S. 37 before 03.09.1942, the very small house (1 to 3 students) might have been used as an extension to one of the other schools until Clubb Gorse was acquired and Amendment No. 1 to VIII206/2 became effective.
** Special Training Schools - Location List as at 01.01.1943, TNA HS 7/15

 

8. Personnel
The purpose of this chapter is to provide readers with a tool for investigating insufficient information in official records and published literature, using the names of staff members, particularly in connection with known dates. Researched with additional sources, it is intended to summarise and at times correct and complete the information from the official history.

First, an overview from a functional perspective of the higher structures within the school system is provided. A second presentation reflects the development of the soldiers involved.

After that, all persons who can be assigned to a school or a higher function in the available sources for a specific period or even just for a specific point in time are listed in alphabetical order. Primarily officers were considered here, as other ranks appear only very occasionally in the sources and are regularly limited to individual schools. Their inclusion would inflate the chapter without corresponding benefit. The same applies to foreign instructors employed in schools of their Country Sections, such as the Poles.

8.1 Key Functions
8.1.1 Functions and Their Staffing

Preparing for Training Schools of S.O.E.
08/1940 - 11/1940: Major Davies

Head of Training Sub-Section of S.O.E.
11/1940 - 09/1941: Colonel Buckland, under Brigadier Gubbins
This appointment was handed over to the Director of Training with his installation.

Director of Training
09/1941 - 11/1942: Lt.-Col. Munn
11/1942 - 01/1943: Major Hilton (acting)
01/1943 - 05/1943: Lt.-Col. Woolrych
05/1943 - 12/1944: Lt.-Col J.T. Young (promoted Colonel in 07/1943)
12/1944 - 07/1945: Colonel Spooner

Inspector of Schools
08/1942 – 01/1943: Lt.-Col. Spooner

Commandant of Group A (Para-military Schools, Arisaig area)
11/1940 - 01/1941: Lt.-Col. Munn
02/1941 - 10/1941: Lt.-Col. Evans
10/1941 - 05/1942: Lt.-Col. Anderson
05/1942 - 01/1943: Lt.-Col. J.T. Young
01/1943 - 04/1944: Lt.-Col. Balden
04/1944 - 08/1944: Lt.-Col. Grayson
08/1944 - 12/1944: Lt.-Col. Ingham Clarke

Commandant of Group B (Finishing Schools, Beaulieu area)
03/1941 - 09/1941: Lt.-Col. Munn
09/1941 - 01/1943: Lt.-Col. Woolrych
01/1943 - 05/1943: (vacancy unfilled)
05/1943 - 06/1945: Lt.-Col. Woolrych

Commandant of Group C (Preliminary and Holding Schools)
01/1943 - 01/1944: Lt.-Col. Spooner
01/1944 - 04/1944: Lt.-Col. Grayson
04/1944 - 12/1944: Lt.-Col. Spooner
12/1944 - 07/1945: Lt.-Col. Grayson


8.1.2 Soldiers in Key Functions
It is interesting to see not only the development of the key functions, but also of the soldiers involved. For a presentation from this perspective, two additional schools were included in addition to the functions mentioned above: S.T.S. 103 in Canada was not only a prestige project but also marked the beginning of cooperation with the United States, which had not yet entered the war at the time of its establishment. Military Establishment No. 65 is the other project that was established in cooperation with the United States to train personnel in the joint Jedburgh scheme.

S.T.S.17 was also included, but for the sole purpose of illustrating the central role played by “Jimmy” Munn in setting up the Training Section; other senior personnel at this school were not included.

The three groups established over the time deserve closer consideration, as they differ both from other schools and from each other.

Group A, the Para-military Schools in the Arisaig area:
- S.T.S. 21 was the headquarters of the group and a lieutenant-colonel's command. As such, it was sometimes regarded as one school covering S.T.S. 21 to S.T.S. 25.
- The second in command in S.T.S. 21 was officially called "Chief instructor (major)" in war establishment issues. No sources could be found that allow this function to be represented with personnel.
- The schools S.T.S. 22 to S.T.S. 25 were entities below that level and major's commands.

Group B, the Finishing Schools in the Beaulieu area:
- S.T.S. 31 was the headquarters of the group and also a lieutenant-colonel's command. It was sometimes regarded as one school, covering S.T.S. 31 to S.T.S. 38.
- The second in command of S.T.S. 31 was officially called just so ("Second-in-command (major)") in the war establishment issues, but this role was perceived more as that of chief instructor, which is also mentioned in most sources.
- The schools below the headquarters (S.T.S. 32 to S.T.S. 38) were also entities but occasionally classified as lower than those of Group A even in internal documents; their commandants are sometimes denoted as adjutant, house adjutant or housemaster, whereby this places administrative activities above the activities as commandants and instructors. This may be because all instructors were kept centrally at S.T.S. 31 headquarters and dispatched from there every morning. However, given the compact training schedules and the fact that the commanders spent most of their time with the students, it can be assumed that the commanders of the individual schools also conducted training outside these hours. From December 1941, the finishing schools (S.T.S. 32 to S.T.S. 38) were reduced from major’s to captain's commands.

Correction:
Delete: Group C, instituted to manage the Operational Holding Schools scattered throughout England, had no headquarters or support staff. The schools were separate entities.

Add: Group C, instituted to manage the Operational Holding Schools scattered throughout England for ease of administration, had its headquarters in London. Lt.-Col. Spooner was initially assigned a staff captain and a secretary; after a short time, the headquarters, which was formed unofficially and without its own establishment from the S.O.E. headquarters in London, consisted of two officers, two other ranks and two civilian secretaries. The schools were separate entities. End

A similar rule applied to the Signal Section/Directorate as to Groups A and B; with effect from 23.11.1942, S.T.S. 52 and 54, which of course also had their own commanders, had been placed under the authority of the Chief Signal Officer of Station 53.

The schools were generally identified by their numbers. The letters merely represented a further distinction for the houses assigned to the respective schools. Thus, for example, a commander who was referred to S.T.S. 23a was also the commander of S.T.S. 23b. While all schools whose numbers were supplemented by letters were located in close proximity to each other, S.T.S. 54 was an exception, as the two houses were about 400 miles apart; the War Establishment Committee did not follow the S.O.E.'s suggestion to assign a new number (S.T.S. 55) to the house in Scotland.

The stations whose houses were supplemented by letters (53 and 62) were also located at a certain distance from each other. Additionally, in the winter of 1941/42, the packing station of Station 61 was located far away from the main station.


S.O.E. Training Units – Key Functions showing the personal development of the soldiers involved

 

8.2 Personnel Employed
The dates and periods given are taken from the sources and do not usually represent absolute start or end dates. Documented start and end dates are shown in BOLD.

The presentation is restricted by HTML limitations of the forum and follow the specimen below:
Name - First Name
Rank - From (On) - To (On) - Institution - Function
Remarks

___


Adams,James “Paddy”
From 22.12.1941, S.T..S 103, Signal Instructor
Major, on 03.03.1944, Station 53a, Grendon Hall, Commandant
Major, on 28.04.1944, Station 53b, Poundon House, Commandant
From 07.10.1942, VIII/339/2 provided for each of the two stations (53A and 53B) a Station Commandant (major) of their own.

Allen, J.A.
Lieutenant, on 27.09.1942 and on 02.01.1943, S.T.S. 25c, Instructor

Amies, Edwin Hardy
Until 11/1941, Group B, Instructor
Liaison officer from H.Q London, to become 2nd-in-command and later head of Belgian Section.
Head of famous couture house.

Anderson, P.C.
Lt.-Col., from 10/1941 until 05/1942, Group A, Commandant

Angelo, Robert Henry
Captain, from early 1941, Group B, Instructor
One of the first members of the staff at Beaulieu, one of the school’s longest serving instructors.

Anson, -
Major, in 05/1942 and in 09/1942, S.T.S. 2, Commandant

Balden, A.D.
Major, in 05/1942, Group A, Chief-instructor
Major, on 01.01.1943, S.T.S. 22, Commandant
Lt.-Col., from 01/1943 until 04/1944, Group A, Commandant
Acting Commandant of the Arisaig Group during the interim between Anderson and Young (05/1942).
Posted to India.

Balfourd-Melville, -
Lieutenant, on 19.03.1943 and on 17.04.1943, S.T.S. 25c, Instructor

Bank, Aaron
1st Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 05.02.1944 - 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor

Barcroft, John Henry Percy
Captain, in 1940, Station 17, Adjutant
Captain, in 1941, S.T.S. 33 and S.T.S. 34, House Adjutant
Major, in 1942, S.T.S. 46, Commandant
Major, on 01.01.1943 until 1943, Parachute Packing Station of S.T.S. 61, Officer in command of Packing Station
Looked after running of S.T.S. 33 and 34 together with Captains Barry and Tidmarsh. Joined Records Section of S.O.E. in charge of “Special Duties”.
Retired in 1945 as Lieutenant-Colonel.

Barry, Arthur Percivale
Captain, in 1941 and 1942, S.T.S. 33 and S.T.S. 34, House adjutant
Looked after running of S.T.S. 33 and 34 together with Captains Barcroft and Tidmarsh.

Blackden, William
On 10.12.1941, Station 17, Instructor
In 07/1945, S.T.S. 17, Chief-Instructor
Recruited in December 1941 to assist Major Cecil “Nobby” Clarke.

Blake, -
Captain, in mid-1941, S.T.S. 42, Thame Park, Instructor

Blomfield, V.E.
Major, until 04/1944, S.T.S. 42, Roughwood Park, Commandant

Boal, A.M.
Major, on 03.03.1944 and in 04/1944, S.T.S. 2, Commandant

Boggis-Rolfe, Paul
In 03/1942, Group B, Instructor

Brooker, Richard Melville “Bill”
Captain, from 18.03.1941 until 09/1941, Group B, Instructor
Major, from 09/1941 until 11/1941, Group B, 2nd-in-command
Major, from 12/1941 until 08/1942, S.T.S. 103, 2nd-in-command
Lt.-Col., from 08/1942 until 03/1943, S.T.S. 103, Commandant
Recruited from Intelligence Centre, Matlock.
Joined O.S.S.

Brown, G.A.
Major, on 01.03.1943, S.T.S. 2, Commandant
Major, until 19.01.1944, Students Assessment Board/S.T.S. 7, Deputy President and Second-in-command
Lt.-Col. from 20.01.1944 until 01.11.1944, Students Assessment Board/S.T.S. 7, President and Commandant

Brown, Oliver H.
Major, on 01.03.1943, S.T.S. 45, Commandant
Major, from 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Chief-instructor
Deployed as Jedburgh.

Bruce, Maurice William Home
From 07/1941, Group B, Instructor

Buckland, Gerald Charles Balfour
Colonel, from 11/1940 until 11/1941, Training (Sub-) Section MT, Deputy to Gubbins,
Head of Training (Sub-) Section
General co-ordination of training matters and in particular for obtaining the necessary accommodation and personnel.
As a resident of the Beaulieu area, he suggested several suitable houses.

Buckmaster, -
Captain, from 10/1941 until 04/1942, Packing Station of Station 61 at Audley End, Officer Commanding packing station
Not to be confused with Maurice James Buckmaster of French Country Section (F).

Burgess, Guy Francis de Moncy
Mr, from 06/1940 until 12/1940, Station 17, Second-in-command, Instructor (political subversion)
Received his “conge” from CD* after taking over by S.O.E. Only after the war it emerged that he was one of the Cambridge Five ring of spies for the Soviet Union.

Burgess, Howard Benjamin
Captain, from 07/1941 until 05/1942, Group B, Instructor
Captain, from 05/1942 until 06/1942, S.T.S. 103, Instructor
Officially, he died on 26.06.1942 from stroke while teaching a class. Lynn Phillip Hodgson, author of “Inside Camp X”, claims that years after the war, by questioning the head nurse who was there at the time, he discovered that he had been killed by a shot to the right temple.

Burn, Hamish Pelham
Captain, around 1943/44, S.T.S. 103, Instructor

Burnes, Alan
Captain, from 03/1944, Group B, Instructor
As a trained agent he preferred to stay following a training course at Beaulieu.

Burr, Harry Rudolph Fox
In 03/1944, Group B, Instructor

Bush, John
Captain, from early 1941, Group A, Instructor
Major, S.T.S. 25, Commandant
Expert on explosives.

Bushell, Arthur Jackson
Major, Canadian Army, from 06.12.1941, S.T.S. 103, Adjutant Quartermaster

Byrne, H.J.
Major, on 01.03.1943, S.T.S. 54, Commandant
Major, on 03.03.1944, S.T.S. 52, Commandant
Major, in 04/1944, S.T.S. 52, Commandant

Cameron, D.A.
In 12/1944, Group B, Instructor

Campbell, Alan
Group B, Instructor
Became British Ambassador in Rome post-war.

Campbell, Alan Hugh
Captain, Group B, Instructor
From the Intelligence Corps. As a trained agent, he stayed as instructor.

Carr, Richard M.
From 1941 until 1945, S.T.S. 34, Commandant
Captain, on 01.03.1943, S.T.S. 34 and 37, Commandant
Captain, in 04/1944, S.T.S. 34, Commandant

Carroll, -
Captain, U.S. Army, around 1942, Group B, Instructor

Castello, E.J.
Major, on 01.03.1943, S.T.S. 24, Commandant
Major, on 03.03.1944 and on 28.04.1944, S.T.S. 5, Commandant

Charley, -
Lt.-Col., from 06/1943 until 20.01.1944, Students Assessment Board/S.T.S. 7, President and Commandant

Charley, Lesley William
From early 1941, Group B, Instructor
From Intelligence Training Centre in Matlock.

Childs, John Hughes
In 12/1944, Group B, Instructor

Clark, William “Nobby”
Captain, from 1941 until 1945, S.T.S. 35, Commandant
Pre-war, King George’s gamekeeper at Sandringham. Instructing survival and poaching.

Clarke, Cecil “Nobby”
Lieutenant, from 06/1940 until 12/1940, Station 12, Aston House, Instructor
Major, from 12/1940 until 04/1942, Station 17, Commandant
Gubbins made Clarke commandant of Station 17 as D/DP and promoted him to major.
Clarke left to help Stuart Macrae run The Firs ("Winston Churchill's Toyshop"), Whitchurch, run by MD1.

Conein, Lucien E.
1st Lieutenant, U.S. Army, from 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor

Coomber, A.W.C.
Captain, from 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor
Deployed as Jedburgh.

Cooper, A.
Captain, from 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor

Corrie, William James
Captain, on 03.03.1944 and on 28.04.1944, S.T.S. 33, Commandant

Corry, Joseph
Group B, Instructor

Crosby, Michael George Marsh “Bing”
2nd Lieutenant, on 17.07.1941 and on 19.11.1941, S.T.S. 25b, Instructor
Major, on 01.01.1943, S.T.S. 44, Water Eaton Manor, Commandant
Major, from 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Officer Commanding B Company
Deployed as Jedburgh.


---
* Undated note from CD to Gladwyn Jebb, TNA HS 8/334

 

Darby, S.L.
Major, on 03.03.1944, I.S.R.B. Workshop, Commandant
Deployed to cover up the traces of “The Cooler” after the school had been closed at the end of February 1944.

Davies, F.T. “Tommy”
Major, 23.08.1940* until 22.09.1940, S.O.E. Training Section
Major, 23.09.1940 until 12/1940, S.O.E. H.Q., Personal assistant to Head of S.O.E.
Major, from 12/1940, S.O.E. Technical and Research Section, Head
Explorer of the Arisaig region. He prepared a paper which formed the basis of all subsequent developments: Long-term (organising of networks in occupied countries) and short-term (“suicide squads”) activities and describing several types of schools. At the end of the war, he held the rank of colonel.

Debenham-Taylor, John
From 03/1944, Group B, Instructor
Preferred to stay as instructor following a course at S.T.S. 34.
Took over instructing criminal skills from Donald Green.

de Geillard, -
Lieutenant, S.T.S. 51, Instructor

de Wesselow, R.C.V.
on 01.03.1943, S.T.S. 5, Commandant

Dehn, Paul Edward
Captain, 05/1941 until 02/1943, Group B, Instructor
Major, 03/1943 until 20.04.1944, S.T.S. 103, Chief-Instructor
One of Beaulieu’s original instructors, instructing propaganda and political warfare, codes, ciphers and secret inks.
Post-war scriptwriter, songwriter and film critic.

Delves, Douglas Granville
From 03/1943, Group B, instructor

Denning, Arthur du P.
Lieutenant, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor
Deployed as Jedburgh.

di Giovanni, Gregory A.
1st Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor

Dobie, Marryat Ross
Captain, from early 1941until ~1944, Group B, Instructor
Born 1888, he was the oldest instructor at Beaulieu.

Doneux, Jacques
From 12/1944, Group B, Instructor
As a trained agent, he was later deployed in the field.

Donovan, Philip W.
Captain, U.S. Army, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor
Deployed as Jedburgh.

Dorsey, Harry A.
Major U.S. Army, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Officer Commanding A Company
Deployed as Jedburgh.

Drake, Havilland Anthony Mackworth
From 03/1943, Group B, Instructor

Dreux, William B.
Captain, U.S. Army, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor
Deployed as Jedburgh.

Dumbrell, J.H.
Major, on 01.03.1943, S.T.S. 6, Commandant
Major, on 03.03.1944 and on 28.04.1944, S.T.S. 41, Gumley Hall, Commandant

Dundas, Vivien Mary
From 06/1944, Group B, Instructor
She married fellow instructor Richard Martyn in 1945.

Edwards, C.J.
Major, 11.03.1941 until 08/1945, S.T.S. 51, Commandant
The only Commandant of the Parachute School.

Egdell, R.H.
Major, in autumn 1943 and on 28.04.1944 and in 12/1944, S.T.S. 63, Commandant
S.T.S. 63 was a school of the Polish Minorities Section (EU/P).

Enthoven, Adrian Charles
From early 1941, Group B, Instructor

Ettenfield, Bernard Caldwell
From 1941, Group B, Interpreter, Field Security
Based at S.T.S. 33 and 34.

Evans, I.
Lt.-Col., 01/1941 until 10/1941, Group A, Commandant

Fairbairn, William Ewart
Captain, from early 1941, Group A, Instructor
Captain, from time to time, Group B, Instructor
Major, from 1942, S.T.S. 103, Instructor
He came from the Shanghai Municipal Police and was the co-inventor of the Fairbairn & Sykes Dagger. Specialist in unarmed combat.
Joined the O.S.S.

Fenton, R.
Captain, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor
Deployed as Jedburgh.

Fenwick, I.
Major, on 01.03.1943, S.T.S. 4, Commandant

Fernandez, Leslie Percival
Group B, Instructor
Instructing unarmed combat and interrogations.
Later, he worked as agent in France and trained Italian soldiers.

Ferris, Paul
Group B, Instructor

Folliss, Peter Leo Archer
Lieutenant, Captain, 07/1941 until 06/1944, Group B, Instructor
Major, 06/1944 until 06/1945, Group B, Chief-instructor

Forty, Gerald Marcel
From 08/1941 until 04/1943, Group B, Instructor
Major, from 04/1943, Training Section of S.O.E., Staff Officer to the Director of Training
Major Forty wrote the official “History of the Training Section of S.O.E.”.
On a list of the London Headquarters Establishment with effect from 06.09.1945, he is listed as a G.S.O. 2 in the Archives and History Section.**

Franks, A.T.
From 01/1945, Group B, Instructor

Freeth, L.E.
Captain (F.A.N.Y.), in 04/1944, S.T.S. 46, Commandant
The F.A.N.Y. Training was performed at S.T.S. 46.

Fuller, Horace W.
Major, U.S.M.C., 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Second-in-command
Deployed as Jedburgh.

Fyffe, Aonghais Adamson
Lieutenant, 27.04.1941 until 09/1941, S.T.S. 42, Thame Park, Instructor
Captain, 09/1941 until 27.02.1944, “The Cooler”, Commandant
He was a member of 49 Field Security Section, when he joined S.O.E. and was commissioned on the spot on 27.04.1941. “The Cooler” was officially called “No. 6 Special Workshop School”.

Gallie, Walter Bryce
Captain, 1942 until 07/1943, S.T.P. “Hackett School”, Pertenhall, Instructor
Captain, 07/1943 until 09/1943, S.T.S. 39, Instructor
Major, from 09/1943, S.T.S. 39, Commandant
The “Hackett School” had been run on civilian lines, and the topic “Propaganda” was thus brought back to S.O.E. by the establishment of S.T.S. 39.

Gilmour, B.W.
Major, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Officer Commanding C Company
Major, 1944, S.T.S. 5, Commandant
Major, from 03/1945, M.E. 65, Commandant
Following Major Castello as commandant of S.T.S. 5.

Gough, Victor A.
Captain, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor
Deployed as Jedburgh.

Gray, Stanley H.
S.T.S. 54a and S.T.S. 54b, Chief-instructor

Grayson, T.H.H.
Major, in 04/1941, S.T.S. 44, Gumley Hall, Commandant
Major, in 06/1941, S.T.S. 42, Thame Park, Commandant
Major, on 01.01.1943, S.T.S. 41, Gumley Hall, Commandant
Major, in 08/1943, S.T.S. 3, Commandant
Lt.-Col., 01/1944 until 04/1944, Group C, Commandant
Lt.-Col., 04/1944 until 08/1944, Group A, Commandant
Lt.-Col.,12/1944 until 07/1945, Group C, Commandant

Green, Donald Ernest Farrance “Killer”
Captain, from 03/1942 until 04/1944, Group B, Instructor
Major, 04/1944, S.T.S. 17, Instructor
A chartered accountant lectured in “criminal skills”: lockpicking, key-making, housebreaking and safe-blowing.
He may well have learnt his burglary tricks from safebreaker Johnny Ramenski and his forgery skills from officers at Scotland Yard.

Guthrie, R.D.
Major, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, G-2
Deployed as Jedburgh.

Gyth, Volmer L.U.
In 1943, Group B, Instructor
Danish intelligence officer performing as guest instructor.

---
* M.I.(R) War Diary, TNA HS 8/263
** TNA HS 8/209 - Committees War Establishment Board, 1944-1945 - S.O.E. H.Q. File 17

 

Hackett, John Whittingham
Mr, from 1941 until 10/1941, Group B, Instructor (propaganda, political warfare)
Captain, from 10/1941 until 07/1943, S.T.P., Pertenhall, Commandant
Major, 07/1943 until 09/1943, S.T.S. 39, Commandant
He replaced Kim Philby in the Beaulieu Group as instructor for propaganda and political warfare.
Set up the “Hackett School”, run on civilian establishment.
Shortly after the transfer of the school to Wall Hall, he was moved to London to act as liaison officer between S.O.E. and P.W.E.
He left for U.S.A. to work for O.S.S. in November 1943.

Hale, Harry
01/1941 until 02/1941, S.T.S. 25a, Instructor
From 03/1941, S.T.S. 24, Instructor

Hall, -
Captain, 20.05.1942 until 10.07.1942, S.T.S. 2, Instructor

Hamilton, -
Lieutenant, 09/1941 until 11/1941, S.T.S. 25b, Instructor

Hampton, Charles S.
Major, on 01.01.1942 and on 01.03.1943, S.T.S. 26, Commandant
Major, in 04/1944, ,Station 61, Gaynes Hall, Commandant

Harper, J.W.
Major, on 12.05.1943, S.T.S. 63, Commandant
Major, from 12.05.1943 and on 03.03.1944, S.T.S. 46, Commandant
Major, in 01/1945 until 31.05.1945, S.T.S. 63 and S.T.S. 64, Commandant
S.T.S. 46 is listed under the Polish Section. S.T.S. 63, only established the month before, belongs to the Polish Minorities Section (EU/P).
In 1945, he was commandant of both S.T.S. 63 and S.T.S. 64, both belonging to EU/P; the latter only existed from 02.02.1945 to 18.04.1945.

Harris, Reginald Harrison
Captain, in 1942 until 03/1944, S.T.S. 37a and S.T.S. 37b, Commandant
Captain, from 03/1944, S.T.S. 36, Commandant

Hart, D.
Major, on 03.03.1944, S.T.S. 47, Commandant
Major, from 04/1944, S.T.S. 45, Commandant

Hatfield, Leonard
In 1941, S.T.S. 34, Instructor

Heyland, -
Lieutenant, on 08.01.1943 and on 12.03.1943, S.T.S. 25c, Instructor

Hill, George Alexander “Uncle”
Major, in 1940, Station 17, Instructor (sabotage)
Major, in 03/1941, Group B, Instructor
He had already been trained as intelligence officer during World War I.
When World War II started, he was recalled with the rank of major and joined Station 17 of S.I.S. at Brickendonbury.
Together with Kim Philby, he joined the Finishing Schools at Beaulieu as one of the first instructors. When he left Beaulieu, he became S.O.E.’s Senior Liaison Officer to the Soviet Union, also known as “Man in Moscow”, working with N.K.V.D.
At the end of the war, he was promoted to Brigadier.

Hilton, D.P.
Captain, in 1941, Training Section H.Q., students’ administration and movement
Major, in 04/1943, Training Section, Staff Officer to the Director of Training
Major, 11/1942 until 01/1943, Training Section, Director of Training (acting)
Major, from 04/1943, Staff of Brigadier Gubbins
Major, on 03.03.1944 and in 04/1944, S.T.S. 26a and S.T.S. 26b, Commandant
School of Norwegian Section and home of Kompani Linge.

Hinde, Arthur Reginald
Captain, on 01.03.1943 and on 04/1944, S.T.S. 32a, S.T.S. 32b and S.T.S. 32c, Commandant

Hodgar, -
Lieutenant, 17.07.1942 until 19.09.1942, S.T.S. 25c, Instructor

Hodgart, Matthew John Caldwell
In 11/1942, S.T.S 44, Water Eaton Manor, Instructor
Student in Group B in October 1942.

Holland, Charles Geoffrey
In 02/1941 and in 06/1941, S.T.S. 33, Interpreter, Field Security

Homan, F.G.
Major, on 03.03.1944, S.T.S. 54a and S.T.S. 54b, Commandant
Major, in 04/1944, S.T.S. 54a and S.T.S. 54b, Commandant

Hornsby, Frederick William Dickinson
In 1942 and in 1944, Group B, Instructor

Howard, Cyril Charles
In 03/1942, Group B, Instructor

Howard, George
Station 17, Instructor
Instructing small arms.

Howard, T.
In 1944, Group B, Instructor

Howe, A.G.
Captain, in 02/1941, Training Section H.Q., dealing with routine administration (MZ.1) under Wilson
Besides his work for the Training Section, he was responsible for the administration of establishments other than the S.T.S. under the Training Section, outside the jurisdiction of the Director of Training.
Later, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel.

Hoyne, Ken
03/1945 until 06/1945, S.T.S. 51c, Instructor
Training students from the PERIWIG BONZO scheme at York House.

Hunt, Hugh Sydney
In 06/1943, Group B, Instructor

Ingham Clarke,F.
Lt.-Col., 08/1944 until 12/1944, Group A, Commandant

Isaac, -
Lieutenant, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor
Deployed as Jedburgh.

Jarret, -
Mr, in 1940, Station 17, Instructor
Instructing physical training.

Kaplowitch or Kaplowich, -
Captain, from early 1941, S.T.S. 35, Commandant, Instructor (signals section)
Instructing W/T he set up and developed the preliminary signals training for agents in S.T.S. 35 “The Vineyards” in early 1941. He moved with his training when it was transferred to the Signals Section in the summer of 1941.

Kennedy, Alexander M.
Lt.-Col., on 03.03.1944 and in 04/1944, Station 18, Station 19, Station 20a, Station 20b and S.T.S. 43, Commandant
In command of most of the schools and stations used by the Polish Sections; there was second level of commandants at house level, quite like in Group A.

Kenney, G.S.
Captain, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor

Kent, E.J.
Captain, in 05/1944 until 31.05.1945, S.T.S. 63 and S.T.S. 64, Adjutant and Quartermaster
Polish Minorities Section (EU/P).

Kirkby, R.
Lieutenant, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor

Knox, Bernard M.W.
Captain, U.S. Army, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor

Lasarewitz, Steve W. jr.
Captain, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor
Deployed as Jedburgh.

Lassen, Lawrence
On 01.01.1942, S.T.S. 26, Adjutant and Quartermaster
School of the Norwegian Country Section.

Leirvaag, Olav Martin
Station 17, Instructor
First Norwegian instructor.

Lewis, J.G.
Captain,05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Signal Officer

Lindsay, Thomas Graham
Major, 17.12.1941 until 02/1941, S.T.S. 1, Commandant (acting)
Major, 03/1941 until 12/1941, S.T.S. 41, Fawley Court, Commandant
He arrived at Brockhall (S.T.S. 1) on 17.12.1940 to take temporary charge of the building. The owner was Lieutenant-Colonel T.A. Thornton, being reactivated to the Home Guard after retirement. He was allowed to be commandant in his own house, moving with his family into a cottage on the estate. It may have taken some time to release Thornton from the Home Guard, during which time Lindsay stood in for him.
In a letter from M (Gubbins) to CD dated 11.09.1941, Lindsay (to quote Gubbins "one of the soundest commandants I have got") was “provisionally selected” to become the first commandant of S.T.S. 103 in Canada. In the end, Lieutenant-Colonel Roper-Caldbeck was preferred. Major Lindsay signed off from S.O.E. with effect from 01.01.1942 to return to regimental duties (Irish Guards).

Lofts, Frank
Captain, in 1942/43 and in 1945, Group B, Administrative Officer

Lonsdale, John MacMillan
In 09/1943, Group B, Instructor

 

Maclean, N.M.
Major, on 03.03.1944 and on 28.04.1944, S.T.S. 23 and S.T.S. 23a, Commandant

Mallinson, Vernon
In 03/1942, Group B, Instructor

Maniere, Cyrus E. jr.
Captain, U.S. Army, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor
Deployed as Jedburgh.

Marchant, J.J.
Captain, in 1941, S.T.S.41, Thame Park, Instructor
Captain, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor
Deployed as Jedburgh.

Martyn, Richard Francis Gerald "The Baron"
In 02/1944, Group B, Instructor
He married fellow Beaulieu instructor Vivien Mary Dundas in 1945.

Maxwell, Gavin
Lieutenant, 17.07.1942 until 15.08.1942, S.T.S. 25c, Instructor
Major, in 1943 until 04/1944, S.T.S. 22 and S.T.S. 22a, Commandant
Also, armoury officer in the armoury at Glasnacardoch.

McCoy, George
Captain, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Medical Officer

McFie, Prudence Helen A.J.
In 05/1944, Group B, Instructor
Conducting Officer of French Section (F). Instructing codes and ciphers.

McLallen, Richard V.
Major, U.S. Army,05.02.1944 until 02.05.1944, M.E. 65, Deputy Chief-Instructor
Major, U.S. Army, 03.05.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Deputy Commandant

Metherell, R.J.
Major, on 03.03.1944, S.T.S. 47, Commandant
Major, on 28.04.1944, S.T.S. 45, Commandant

Millar, R.S. “Bob”
Major, in 02/1941 until 1944, S.T.S. 25a, S.T.S .25b and S.T.S. 25c, Commandant
Posted to the Middle East in 1944.

Miller, “Dusty”
Captain, in the summer of 1941, Group A, Instructor

Milner, Frederick Stanley
Lieutenant, in 11/1941, S.T.S. 103, Instructor

Mockler-Ferryman, Eric Edward
Brigadier, from 09/1943, Head of Training Section MT of S.O.E.,
He succeeded Gubbins as Head of the Training Section and had laid down coup-de-main procedures for operations and training in 1942.*

Morton, G.
In early 1941, Group B, Instructor

Munn, John Willy “Jimmy”
Major, from 06/1940, Special Training Centre Lochailort, Second-in-command
Major, 11/1940 until 01/1941, Group A, Commandant
Major, 01/1941 until 02/1941, Station 17, Advisor
Lt.-Col., 03/1941 until 09/1941, Group B, Commandant
Lt.-Col. and Colonel, 09/1941,11/1942, Training Section MT, Director of Training
Promoted to colonel in December 1941.
After having left the Training Section, Munn became commander of ISSU 6, better known as Massingham, S.O.E.’s training base in Algeria.
Later, he became Head of Training for the S.I.S.

Musgrave, George Richard
Lt.-Col., 08.04.1944 until 11/1944, M.E. 65, Commandant
Posted to Military Establishment No. 25 in Trincomalee, a school intended to be a replica of M.E 65, with effect from 01.12.1944.

Newman, Denis
Lieutenant, Station 17, Instructor

Newnham, Maurice Ashdown
Wing Commander, S.T.S. 51a, Instructor
Parachute trainer.

Nicholson, Dennis T.M.
Lieutenant, from 22.08.1942 and on 17.04.1943, S.T.S. 25c, Instructor
Instructor for several Czech courses.
He volunteered to join the Greek Section of S.O.E. in the summer of 1943.

Nielson, D.J.
Captain, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor
Deployed as Jedburgh.

Ogden-Smith, C.M.
Captain, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor
Deployed as Jedburgh.

Oughton, John Henry
In 1941, Group B, Instructor
He had completed the agent's training as member of the French Country Section (F).
Left for Massingham.

Palmer, Harold John
Major, in 1941 until 1942, Group B, Adjutant
He helped organise the Beaulieu group of schools.
Later, he went on to Africa, posted as missing in December 1943.

Parsons, -
Captain, in 1941, Group B, Administrative Officer
Deputy to Major Palmer. Head of Administration from 1941.

Parsons, I.D.
Major, on 06.11.1941, S.T.S. 24a and S.T.S. 24b, Commandant
Major, on 03.03.1944 and on 28.04.1944, S.T.S. 24a and S.T.S. 24b, Commandant

Patterson, Eric James
Professor, in 1940 until 03/1941, Station 17, Instructor (propaganda)
From 03/1941, Group B, Instructor (code, ciphers, secret inks)
Well-known academic, specialising in adult education.

Peters, Frederick “Fritz”
Commander, 06/1940 until 12/1940, Station 17, Commandant
Taken over from S.I.S. together with the station, he declined to work with S.O.E. and left.
He won the V.C. at Oran but died in a plane crash in Devon on the way home (13.11.1942).

Petherick, J.C.
Major, on 01.03.1943, S.T.S. 42, Roughwood Park, Commandant

Petrák, Antonin
Lieutenant, Czechoslovakia, 22.08.1942,17.04.1943, S.T.S. 25c, Instructor
After absolving the training, he stayed at S.T.S. 25c as instructor for a number of Czech courses.
Subsequently, he joined the newly formed Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade Group and received numerous military decorations. In post-war Czechoslovakia, he lived a life marked by political intrigue but was rehabilitated and promoted to Major General in 1990 at the age of 78.

Philby, Harold Adrian Russell “Kim”
Mr, 06/1940 until 12/1940, Station 17, Instructor (propaganda and basic espionage)
Mr, from 04/1941 until autumn 1941, Group B, Principal Instructor (propaganda warfare)
He left for the S.I.S. and worked with Sefton Delmer. Only after the war it emerged that he was one of the Cambridge Five ring of spies for the Soviet Union.

Phillips, D.
Major, on 01.03.1943, S.T.S. 52, Commandant
Major, on 03.03.1944 and on 28.04.1944, Station 53a, Commandant

Pollock, G.
Lt.-Col., on 01.03.1943, Station 53,

Powell-Evans, P.E.
03/1943 until 09/1943, Group B, Instructor
Posted to School of Eastern Interpreters, Calcutta.

Price, George Edgar
From 1941 until 12/1941, Group B, Instructor
From 12/1941 until 04/1942, S.T.S. 52, Instructor
From 05/1942, Station 53, Grendon Hall
Instructing wireless and morse. He moved to S.T.S. 52, Thame Park and subsequently helped set up Station 53 at Grendon Hall, where he attained the appointment of chief signalmaster.

Prout, L.E.
Major, on 28.04.1944, Station 61, Gaynes Hall, Administrative Officer

Rainsford-Hannay, Ramsay William
Captain, 01/1943 until 04/1944, S.T.S. 103, Instructor
Captain, from 04/1944, Group B, Instructor
Worked for S.O.E. in New York and Washington in 1942 before he was sent to Canada.

Rake, Denis-Joseph
From late 1943 until early 1944, Group B, Instructor
Also conducting officer in the French Country Section (F) in between his work as a radio operator. His ill-treatment in prisons and detention camps in France and Spain following his first mission had led to him being temporarily unfit for operational work in the field.

Ramensky (aka Ramsey), Johnny
Civilian, Group B, Instructor
In Beaulieu, he was the first instructor in criminal skills. As a convicted safebreaker and burglar, he had been released from prison. He had unrivalled knowledge of explosives and safe blowing. Following his service in Group B, he joined the Commandos and earned a Military Medal.
After the war, he returned to a life of crime and prison.

Ramsay, S. (Hon.)
Captain, on 28.04.1944, S.T.S. 23 and S.T.S. 23a, Commandant
Following Major N.M. Maclean as commandant of S.T.S. 23.

Ramsden, Brian
Lieutenant, in 1941, Group A, Instructor and Weaponry officer
He checked also the weaponry at “The Cooler” in Inverlair.

Reith, Antony John
In 1941, Group B, Administrative Officer

Revell, J.A.
Captain, 05.02.1944 until 21.05.1944, M.E. 65, Transport Officer

Rhead, E.R.
Major, on 28.04.1944, Station 61, Gaynes Hall, In command Packing Station

Rheam, George Turner Tatham
Major, 24.08.1941 until 22.11.1942, Station 17 and S.T.S. 17, Instructor (industrial sabotage)
Major/Lt.-Col., from 23.11.1942, 06/1945, S.T.S. 17, Commandant
An expert in modern industrial sabotage. Formerly member of the Central Electricity Board. Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in February 1943.

Rhodes, Frederick William
Captain, on 03.03.1944, S.T.S. 37, Commandant
Captain, on 28.04.1944 and until 1945, S.T.S. 36, Commandant

Richardson, J.W.
Major, on 03.03.1944 and on 28.04.1944, S.T.S. 3, Commandant
Major, in 06/1944, S.T.S. 50, Water Eaton Manor, Commandant

Robinson, E.T.
Captain, 05.02.1944 until 21.05.1944, M.E. 65, Quartermaster

Roper-Caldbeck, Arthur Terence “Terry”
Lt.-Col., 12/1941 until 08/1942, S.T.S. 103, Commandant
Lt.-Col., on 01.03.1943, S.T.S. 43, Commandant
Later in the war, he was posted to Italy.

Rose, -
Major, 10/1941 until 04/1942, Packing Station 61 at Audley End, Commandant


---
* TNA HS 8/435, p. 54
** M.R.D. Foot, in his “Memories of an S.O.E. Historian”, describes the story of his recruiting. Hester Marsden-Smedley, wife of Basil Marsden-Smedley, an S.O.E. officer, had been the Daily Mirror’s correspondent in Brussels, when the Germans launched their “Westfeldzug”. On her way back home in June 1940, she met Kim Philby, The Times’ man from the British Expeditionary Force, in a train from Southampton to London. After having shared a bottle of champagne to celebrate their escape, she put him in touch with her husband who secured him a job in S.O.E.

 

Searle, Humphrey
S.T.S. 6, Instructor
S.T.S. 41, Gumley Hall, Instructor
From early 1945, S.T.S. 6, Instructor
During his second period at S.T.S. 6, he trained anti-Nazi Germans of the BONZO scheme.

Sherwood, John
Major, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Officer Commanding H.Q. Company
Major, from 06/1944, S.T.S. 3, Commandant

Sinclair, -
Major, from 11/1943, No. 205 Selection Board, President
Major, 01/1944 until 31.10.1944, Students Assessment Board/S.T.S. 7, Deputy President and Second-in-command
Lt.-Col., from 01.11.1944, Students Assessment Board/S.T.S. 7, President and Commandant
No. 205 Selection Board was established temporarily at S.T.S. 3, Stodham Park, in November 1943 to select Jedburgh personnel. There is no separate war establishment for this board, as it was partially staffed by the Students Assessment Board.

Skilbeck, Cuthbert
Captain, 04/1941 until 11/1941, Group B, Instructor
Major, 11/1941 until 30.07.1942, Group B, Chief-Instructor
Major, 09/1942 until 03/1943, S.T.S. 103, Chief-Instructor
Lt.-Col., 03/1943 until 20.04.1944, S.T.S. 103, Commandant
Recruited from Intelligence Training Centre, Matlock.
Followed Brooker as last commandant of Camp “X” in March 1943.

Smallwood, William Frances Dayrell St. Clair “Bill”
From 03/1942, Group B, Instructor

Smith, Philip Sascha
From 12/1941, Group B, Instructor

Smith, P.S.
Major, on 03.03.1944 and on 28.04.1944., S.T.S. 44, Gorse Hill, Commandant

Spooner, Frank Vivian
Major, until 08/1942, S.T.S. 45, Commandant
Lt.-Col., 08/1942 until 01/1943, Training Section, Inspector of Schools
Lt.-Col., 01/1943 until 01/1944, Group C (Operational and Holding Schools), Commandant
Lt.-Col., 01/1944 until 08.04.1944, M.E. 65, Commandant
Lt.-Col., 08.04.1944 until 12/1944, Group C (Operational and Holding Schools), Commandant
Colonel, 12/1944 until 07/1945, Training Section MT, Director of Training
The results achieved at S.T.S. 45 were largely attributed to his skilful and prudent leadership as commandant. This may have led to his appointment as Inspector of Schools, which allowed his skills to benefit a larger number of schools.

Stern, D.L.
Captain, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor
Deployed as Jedburgh.

Steward, Robert James Louis
From 04/1944, Group B, Instructor

Stewart, Gilbert Reginald S.
Civilian, in 1941, Group B, Doctor
General practitioner with a local practice, unlike the medical officer in Group A. Dr Stewart only worked with S.O.E. for a short time before being called up. He was replaced by his colleague Dr Basil Thompson.

Stirling, William Joseph “Bill”
From 17.10.1942 until 05/1943, S.T.S. 62 and Station 62, home of 62 Commando, Commandant
Member of the early operation KNIFE, of the ski battalion 5th Scots Guards (both cancelled) and of Layforce. Instrumental for developing the idea of the Special Air Service, led by his brother David.
On 17.10.1942, he was appointed commanding officer of S.T.S. 62, soon renamed Station 62, a unit operated by S.O.E. and Special Operations.
In May 1943, he was appointed commanding officer of the newly established 2nd Special Air Service.

Swank, Lawrence E.
1st Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor

Sykes, Eric Anthony “Bill”
Captain, from 07/1940, Special Training Centre Lochailort, Instructor (Close combat: firearms and blunt, sharp and improvised weapons; unarmed combat; silent killing and self-defence)
In 1941, Group A, Instructor
Major, from 01.01.1942, Station 17, Instructor
In 1942, Group B, Instructor
In 1944, M.E. 65, Instructor (assisting with training of Jedburgh teams).
Ex-member of the Shanghai Police.
One of the inventors of the Fairbairn & Sykes knife.
Crack rifle shot.
Served in S.T.S. 103 and several other S.O.E. training schools.

Tew, A.W.
Captain, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Accounts Officer

Thompson, P.H.
Captain, in early 1942, S.T.S. 26, Instructor

Thornton, -
Captain, 1942 until 1943, S.T.S. 51, Instructor

Thornton, A.
Captain, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor

Thornton, Basil Muschamp
Civilian, 1941 until 06/1945, Group B, Doctor
General practitioner with a local practice. He took over from Dr Stewart when he was called up.

Thornton, T.A. “Tommy”
Lt.-Col., from 02/1941, S.T.S. 1, Commandant
Owner of Brockhall, home to S.T.S. 1. After retirement, he had been reactivated to the Home Guard in 1940. S.O.E. offered him the position of commandant in his own house, while he moved with his family into a cottage on the estate. Major Lindsay stood in for him during the release process from the Home Guard.
After taking over from Lindsay, Thornton remained the only commandant of this school.

Thornton, Steve W. jr.
Captain, U.S. Army, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor

Threlfall, Henry McLeod
04/1941 until 12/1941, Group B, Instructor
From the Intelligence Corps. Expert on German army and Nazi organisations
Was posted to the Scandinavian Country Section in January 1942.
He attained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

Tice, C.R.
Major, on 28.04.1944, Station 61, Gaynes Hall, Liaison Officer

Tidmarsh, Percy James
Captain, in 1941 and on 01.03.1943, S.T.S. 33, Commandant
Major, on 03.03.1944 and on 28.04.1944, S.T.S. 40, Commandant

Trebilcock, H.L.
Major, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Adjutant

Trevor-Wilson, -
From 04/1941, Group B, Instructor
Fellow instructor Kim Philby described his areas of expertise as being France and China.
Posted to Hanoi as British Consul in Vietnam.

Truelove, -
Serjeant, Group B, Instructor
Instructing unarmed combat and firearms, he acted as armourer and kept all types of firearms for training in a small room at S.T.S. 31, The Rings.

Tudor, Owen
Lieutenant, in mid-1941, S.T.S. 42, Thame Park, Instructor

Turberville, Daniel
From 12/1944, Group B, Instructor
A trained saboteur, he had previously been a French Section agent.

van Maurik, Ernest Henri “Van”
01/1941 until 09/1941, S.T.S. 25a, Instructor
He came after having absolved a course at Special Training Centre Lochailort.
Left to join the Air Liaison Section in S.O.E. headquarters.

Vass, Simon
Lieutenant, The Cooler, Adjutant

Vibert, Ralph
Captain, 05/1941 until 09/1943, Group B, Instructor
Instructing codes, ciphers and secret inks. He used his skills as a barrister to rehearse students in their cover stories to test their resistance to interrogations.
Posted to the “Beaulieu of the Far East” near Calcutta (School of Eastern Interpreters* as chief-instructor and major.

Waddicor, Thomas Booth
Mr., 1942 until 07/1943, S.T.P. or “Hackett School”, Pertenhall, Instructor (propaganda)
Captain, 07/1943 until autumn 1943, S.T.S. 39, Instructor (propaganda)
Captain, autumn 1943 until 02/1944, S.T.S. 37a as School of Micro-photography, Commandant
During his time in the S.T.P. Pertenhall, which was run as a civil establishment, Waddicor had no military rank.
He was commissioned while transferred from the civil establishment in Pertenhall to S.T.S. 39, Wall Hall.
After S.T.S. 37a had been closed, he was transferred to AD/M Section in S.O.E.’s London headquarters for liaison work in connection with propaganda matters, where he was promoted to the rank of major.

Walker, John Henry
From 08/1943, Group B, Instructor

Waller, J. de W.
Captain, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor
Deployed as Jedburgh.

Walsh, -
Lieutenant, in 1943/44, S.T.S. 103, Instructor

Walters, Robert Twining
In 04/1943, Group B, Instructor
Major, in 04/1944, S.T.S. 42, Roughwood Park, Commandant

Wante, Lucien
1st Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor

Warden, Richard Henry Atkinson "Dicky"
In 1941, Group B, Interpreter, Field Security
Intelligence Corps

Watt, D.H.
Major, on 01.03.1943, S.T.S. 23, Commandant

Watts, Douglas
Major, in early 1942, S.T.S. 22, Commandant

Watts, H.G.
Major, on 28.04.1944, S.T.S. 25a, S.T.S. 25b and S.T.S. 25c, Commandant

Wedgwood, John Hamilton
Captain, 05/1941 until 07/1942, Group B, Instructor
Major 07/1942 until 06/1944, Group B, Chief-Instructor
Recruited from the Intelligence Training Centre, Matlock.
Close friend of Stanley Woolrych.

Werner, -
Mr (Austrian), Station 17, Instructor

White, Leland
Captain, U.S. Army, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, FX Officer

Whittaker, P.B. "Pip"
Captain, in 04/1943, Group B, Instructor
Left for S.I.S.

Wilkinson, Allan Scott
Major, 1942 until 1944, Group B, Adjutant
Taking over from Major Palmer.

Wilson, John Skinner “Belge”
Major, from 06/1940, Special Training Centre Lochailort, Instructor
Major, from 11/1940, Training Section, Staff Officer, Training
Lt.-Col., in 1941, Training Section H.Q. Staff Officer, Training, responsible for actual training (MZ)
Lt.-Col.,10/1941 until 01/1942, Training Section H.Q.
In 1939, Wilson was the Director of the International Bureau of the World Organisation of the Boy Scout Movement.
He was promptly recruited to help in directing the training of the Independent Companies, when STC Lochailort started.
Together with Major Davies, he explored the Arisaig region.
He left the Training Section in January 1942 to take command of the Norwegian Section. At the end of the war, he had been promoted to the rank of colonel.

Woolrych, Stanley Herbert Cunliffe
Major, 03/1941 until 09/1941, Group B, Chief-Instructor
Lt.-Col., 09/1941 until 01/1943, Group B, Commandant
Lt.-Col., 01/1943 until 05/1943, Training Section MT, Director of Training
Lt.-Col., 05/1943 until 06/1945, Group B, Commandant
Spy trainer and spy catcher in Paris during World War One.
In July 1939, he was mobilised from retirement and appointed captain at the Field Security Police School at the Corps of Military Police Depot at Mychett.
After being recruited into S.O.E., he entered a flexible modular schedule according to each student’s particular requirements.
He succeeded “Jimmy” Munn as commandant of Group B in September 1941 until these schools closed in June 1945, with a short break at the time while he was Director of Training, when the vacancy remained unfilled.

Wort, Donald Arthur
From 09/1943, Group B, Instructor

Young, James “Jimmy” T.
Major, 02/1941 until 04/1942, S.T.S. 25, Commandant
Lt.-Col., 05/1942 until 01/1943, Group A, Commandant
Lt.-Col., from 05/1943/Colonel from 07/1943 until 12/1944, Training Section MT, Director of Training
Released from the Army in December 1944.
He married the S.O.E.’s head of F.A.N.Y.s at the end of the war.

Young, L.
Lieutenant, 05.02.1944 until 05.06.1944, M.E. 65, Instructor

---
* TNA HS 7/115

 

9. Training Units Abroad
As already reported in Major Forty's story, training of agents and own personnel and respective schools in the individual theatres of war were the responsibility of the local S.O.E. directors. Therefore, one cannot expect a consistent history that would complement Major Forty's account by describing the entire training programme of S.O.E. abroad. Research of theatres produced a file containing a history of training in the Indian Command: HS 7/115 - Force 136*: S.O.E. training in India 1942 – 1945 (S.O.E. History File No. 80). Over 200 pages with several reports, statistics, syllabus of training, exercise reports and even war establishments result in a work comparable to that of Major Forty. As a detailed account would exceed the scope of this publication, it will be limited to a brief description of the schools listed individually, which are almost exclusively designated as military establishments abroad. A more detailed treatment of these units is planned.

If such reports no longer exist, a systematic investigation is at least difficult and time-consuming given the state of the sources – Forty himself encountered insurmountable problems regarding certain details at the time – and dependent on chance discoveries. At a lower level of detail, Professor Mackenzie's History on Special Operations Executive, Volume V, which deals with the Far East and Australia (CAB 102-653), provides some information.

Research from the perspective of the war establishments is also not very promising. Only a few allow us to conclude with certainty that they belong to the schools we are looking for.

There are only two war establishments that could be found by the term “Special Training”:
- VIII/212 - Military Establishment No. 102 (originally Special Training Centre No. 102**), effective 26.03.1941 – 08.09.1945. This is the school at Haifa, already mentioned by Major Forty.
- VIII/217 - Special Training School, No. 101*** (originally Special Training Centre, Far East, I.S.R.B.****), effective 23.04.1941 – 12.08.1942. This early school was situated in Singapore and fell soon into Japanese hands; the effective end of the war establishment was a belated administrative correction of the fate of the school.

Two more war establishments indicate the same purpose by comparing them with FFC reports for S.O.E. (Field Force Committee Reports):
- VIII/665/1 - Eastern Warfare School, India
- VIII/666/1 - School of Eastern Interpreters

Both appear for the first time in the same A.C.I. (15.03.1944), much later than the start of their effective period, which once again reveals an administrative correction or remedy for a pending missing authorisation.

Some of the military establishments were schools, but the term was also used for numerous other units, so that a reliable connection can only be established with further evidence.

In this respect, only an incomplete list of the known schools and, at best, a brief description of known facts can be given here, without any claim to completeness.


9.1 India
From 1942 to the Spring of 1943, the only training school in India was the Eastern Warfare School (India) in Poona, which was founded in July 1942 under the name “Guerilla Training Unit” and was designed as a para-military school. It was located at Kharakvasla on the shore of Lake Fife with the P.W.D. bungalow as Headquarters and a detached camp on the Mahratta fort site at Singarh, 3 1/1miles away and 2,000 ft. above the lakeside.

Mackenzie writes in his fifth and additional volume of the History of Special Operations Executive, which deals with the Far East and Australia in Appendix “F”*****:
‘The Training Section of Force 136
Training for S.O.E. India followed much the same pattern as in Europe, starting in 1942 on an ad hoc basis and gradually developing into a comprehensive system, with a standard, though flexible, routine comprising a filter (student’s assessment board), basic and advanced operational training establishments, an agent and propaganda instructional centre and finally its own parachute school. From the training point of view the problem was scarcity of the right type of Asiatic agent, of British operational personnel, particularly W/T operators, of instructors with any local expertise on which to base operational plans and training and of interpreters. Finally there was a dire lack of equipment – W/T sets and generators, radar, and some of the weapons most suitable to the area, notably light automatic rifles.

During 1944 the situation improved and the schools were able to compete in a fair manner with the sudden expansion required for carrying out the more aggressive plans then being evolved; only on the instructional side was an adequate supply of the right trainee material still lacking.

Including repatriation on medical grounds and normal releases from 1942 to VJ-Day the instructor staff of 36 officers was “turned over” some 150 per cent, a total of 84 officers having served on it at one time or another – of this figure 33 came direct from the schools in the United Kingdom.

During the initial and middle periods, from mid-1942 to September 1944, the bulk of recruits were Asiatics, the variety of whom put a severe strain on the few available instructing officers and interpreters. The approximate dimension of the problem emerges from the fact that S.O.E. India handled altogether approximately 1,500 non English-speaking personnel requiring interpreters in eleven different languages.
…
The figure of 1,500 Asiatic students represented only 60 per cent of the total trainees. The European balance included over 450 British officers and N.C.Os. and 400 French. There was also a Dutch contingent working through the Anglo-Dutch Combined Section …’

‘The only school at this time [in 1942] was the Eastern Warfare School (India) at Poona, started in July 1942. … In January 1943 arrangements were made for parachute training at Chaklala, near Rawalpindi, the S.O.E. wing being given the name of “Syndicate F”. The first of the new schools was the School of Eastern Interpreters, for propaganda and agent training. It was situated in the zenana****** of the Rajah Kumaon of Tagore, on the banks of the Hoogly, outside Calcutta and was commanded by a seconded army officer with an ex-Burma policeman and a senior member of the Indian communist party as his instructors. Another para-military school, Military Establishment 25*******, opened in June 1943 near Trincomalee on the east coast of Ceylon. It was designed to deal with sea operations and it had the advantage that in addition to facilities for boat trading at sea, its climate was akin to that of the target areas. …’
…
‘Towards the end of that year [1943] ME 25 set up nearby a new para-naval group, the Marine Research and Training School, and a camp was built on the west coast of Ceylon so that the north-east and the south-west monsoons could not upset the continuity of sea training. In January 1944 the need for holding students on completion of training had become critically important and a depot for them was built in Ceylon with an instructor in residence, aided by a signals officer, to organise jungle exercises and refresher courses.

The Burma section obtained a similar camp in some inaccessible hill country not far from Calcutta, but after all plans had been made it was condemned on medical grounds. This blow was followed by another, a demand by the Navy for the new ME 25 station. In the end an ex-R.A.F. camp near Colombo was commandeered and developed into a depot for final training and equipment for all Force 136 para-military parties (ME 87). In the circumstance and in the light of military events in 1945 this solution proved the best for, despite the inconvenience of having to stream parties from all sections, including those in Calcutta, through Ceylon, the large amount of accommodation available in the camp was the decisive point.

Meanwhile strenuous efforts were being made to obtain an airfield entirely devoted to special operations, to include its own packing station and parachute-training wing. After many vicissitudes Jessore R.A.F. station (ME 89) was allotted to the clandestine services in October 1944. Parachute training began in December and gradually the necessity of sending students to distant Chaklala lessened. After the fall of Rangoon and shortly before the enemy surrender, plans had been made to establish a complete ME 25 in Burma. The armistice put an end to these and pressure was applied to liquidate all training establishments as quickly as possible.’

The History of S.O.E. training in India (HS 7/115) provides detailed information on the following schools:
Military Establishment No. 141: Eastern Warfare School, Poona, India (E.W.S. (I))
The school served as the Basic Training School of all untrained operational personnel and as a Rehabilitation Camp, offering the following:
- Filter and Selection Board
- Basic Para-military Course
- Elementary Jungle Course
- Basic W/T Training Wing
- Marine Course

The Filter and Selection Board was located at a detached camp of the school. It was originally formed in February 1944 and intended as the preliminary to the training syllabus of the school. The object of the two weeks’ course was to settle in students before commencing the more serious aspect of para-military training. During this period, opportunity was taken to subject students to elementary tests to determine their grade of intelligence and knowledge of general military subjects. Gradual improvements to the course reduced its duration to one week. The Filter then became a separate course, Filter and Selection Board, and was eventually shortened to three to four days based on the experience gained in the United Kingdom (Students’ Assessment Board).

After completing the Filter and on the recommendations of the Board, students attended the six-week para-military course (extended to seven weeks to include additional Japanese intelligence training) prior to jungle and advanced training. The school was ideally situated for training purposes; it could accommodate and train, up to 140 students at any one time, including the outlying camp at Singarh, i.e. it was roughly comparable in capacity to all the Group A schools (S.T.Ss. 21 to 25) in Scotland.

In addition to the para-military training, students usually completed an elementary jungle course of three weeks duration at a jungle camp at Belgaum.

An elementary marine and boating course of ten days duration was also offered for personnel requiring this instruction. During non-Monsoon periods, this training took place at the Harnai camp, situated on the coast, south of Bombay (now Mumbai), while during the Monsoon it took place at Kharakvasla Lake, from the school’s training establishment.

In a course of three weeks duration, training in industrial sabotage was available for specialist parties and individuals at the request of the Country Sections. The course included visits to various industrial plants, the Bombay docks, power stations and telecommunication systems.

All elementary W/T instruction was carried out at a wing of the school set up for this purpose. Basic W/T instructions normally required a course of 13 weeks duration.

The corresponding war establishment was VIII/665/1, one issue (retained) and one amendment (not retained), effective 20.04.1942 - 31.03.1946. It allowed for 230 all ranks under a Lieutenant-Colonel’s command, with 39 British and 83 Indian soldiers and 108 enrolled non-combatants.


Military Establishment No. 99: School of Eastern Interpreters, Calcutta (S.E.I.)
This Agent and Propaganda School formed the counterpart to the Group B schools in the Beaulieu area in the United Kingdom. In the early stages of training in 1943, the majority of students passed a comprehensive six weeks’ course covering all phases of agent and propaganda work. As the functions of Force 136 became clearer, two separate courses were set up, one for students with the role of agent, covering all aspects and lasting six weeks, and one for operatives whose role was not necessarily that of agent and propaganda, lasting four weeks. Later, refresher courses were offered to bring students of the four weeks course up to the level of the longer course if their role had changed to that of an agent.

The six weeks course included a complete covering of personal security and agent training, Japanese intelligence, propaganda and clandestine press, codes and ciphers, memory training and practical schemes and exercises.

Specialist short courses of up to ten days duration were arranged on request from the Country Sections to cover the latest Japanese intelligence available, prior to the students’ departure for the field.

Photographic courses of varying degrees and various other specialist courses dependent upon the students’ operational role were available on request from the Country Sections.

The corresponding war establishment was VIII/666/1, one issue (retained), effective 13.05.1943 - 31.12.1945. It allowed for 43 all ranks under a Lieutenant-Colonel’s command, with 18 British and 11 Indian soldiers and 14 enrolled non-combatants.


Military Establishment No. 25: Advanced Operational Training School
The school was originally set up in Trincomalee, Ceylon. When the Royal Navy decided that this camp was essential for their expanded needs at Trincomalee, the school had to move at such short notice that an existing camp had to be found at any cost. Horana, a former R.A.F. camp one hour southeast of Colombo, was found, with a capacity for 1,000 all ranks. By September 1944 the new camp was ready.

Originally, the school functioned in the same way as the Eastern Warfare School (India). The school’s move to Horana was a stroke of luck in that it coincided with the decision to revise the training system, making the Eastern Warfare School the basic para-military training centre and M.E. 25 the base for advanced operational training and the depot for all Force 136 operational personnel. During this period, all students, including officers, were grouped together with their W/T operators for operations, and exercises in the field were carried out as near as possible to operational conditions, including supply dropping and W/T communications between the groups and the school.

Another task of the school was the control of holding camps. Both M.E. 87 at Avissawella and M.E. 90 at Kosgoda, situated in Sri Lanka, came under the control of M.E. 25.

The corresponding war establishment for M.E. 25 was VIII/455, two issues (retained), and two amendments (not retained). VIII/455/1 was effective from 12.03.1943 until 29.12.1944. It allowed for 76 all ranks under a Lieutenant-Colonel’s command, with 22 British and 39 Indian soldiers and 15 enrolled non-combatants.

VIII/455/2 was effective from 30.12.1944 until 15.05.1946. It allowed for a total of 271 under a Lieutenant-Colonel’s command, with 81 British and 69 Indian soldiers, 114 enrolled non-combatants and 7 non-military personnel (clerks).


Holding Camps
- Military Establishment No. 87: Holding Camp, Avissavelia
- Military Establishment No. 90: Holding Camp, Kosgoda
The function of these camps was threefold, but the main purpose was to give operational parties a change of air and climate before despatch, as well as to segregate them from parties still in training at M.E. 25. They handled students whose despatch to the field was delayed, and in addition personnel on return from operations were accommodated awaiting disposal. Both camps were also used as overflow training camps in the event of undue pressure on M.E. 25.

The corresponding war establishments:
M.E. 87: VIII/804/1, one issue (retained), and one amendment (not retained). Effective from 09.05.1944 until 31.12.1945. It allowed for 41 all ranks under a Major’s command, with 3 British and 13 Singalese soldiers and 25 enrolled non-combatants.

M.E. 90: VIII/926/1, one issue (retained). Effective from 07.09.1944 until 31.12.1945. It allowed for 93 all ranks under a Major’s command, with 8 British and 58 Indian soldiers, 23 enrolled non-combatants and 4 non-military personnel (clerks).


Military Establishment No. 89: Air Training and Radar Aids School, Jessore
Prior to the commencement of the Parachute School at M.E. 89 during December 1944, this training was carried out at the R.A.F. Parachute Training School Chaklala (Rawalpindi). During this period students were trained by R.A.F. instructors allotted to Force 136 detachment stationed at Chaklala known as Syndicate “F”. On completion of M.E. 89, training commitments were gradually taken over. Until February 1945, all operatives, with the exception of very large parties, were trained at M.E. 89. The course lasted one week, and improvements led to increasing the weekly number to 45 students. Further efforts to increase this number were cancelled owing to the cessation of hostilities.

Selected students attended the pick-up course. It started in January 1945 and lasted one week.

A Radar aids course suffered from the non-availability of equipment and specialist personnel. In January 1945, Eureka and S-Phone training commenced but there was never sufficient equipment available.

The corresponding war establishment for M.E. 89 was VIII/909/1, one issue (retained), and one amendment (not retained). Effective from 06.09.1944 until 31.12.1945. It allowed for 81 all ranks under a Major’s command, with 7 British Army, 18 Royal Air Force, 34 Indian soldiers and 22 enrolled non-combatants.


Military Establishment No. 95: Marine Research and Training Centre, Trincomalee, Ceylon (M.R.T.C.)
This establishment, located at Trincomalee, was originally formed in January 1944 as a base for operational craft, including Welmans, Sleeping Beauties, power driver rubber boats and country craft. Instruction included navigational training, training in special craft and final advanced training of operational parties. The Centre undertook also research into boats and navigational aids.

Unfortunately, the war establishment for M.E. 95 was not retained, neither in TNA’s WO-series otherwise nearly complete collection of Military Establishments under the title “Military Establishment No. 95” nor under the title “Marine Research and Training Centre”, nor in TNA HS 7/115 which contains the war establishments of all other schools shown.


Military Establishment No. 96: F.A.G.U.
This was a holding camp for trained parties in Calcutta (Group “A” personnel). Neither the Military Establishment nor the abbreviation F.A.G.U., taken from an organizational chart, are described in the history of S.O.E. training in India.

The corresponding war establishment for M.E. 96 was VIII/997/1, one issue (retained). Effective from 30.12.1944 until 31.03.1946. It allowed for 159 all ranks under a Lieutenant-Colonel’s command, with 18 British Army, 67 Indian/Asiatic soldiers and 74 enrolled non-combatants. An inner structure is given as Headquarters and one British and two Indian/Asiatic Sections.


---
* Force 136 was the cover name for S.O.E. in India, originally set up as India Mission.
** WESC 445/1, 15.08.1941; TNA WO 24/1057
*** WESC 445/2, 15.08.1941; TNA WO 24/1057
**** WEC 682/15, 09.01.1942; TNA WO 24/1024
***** TNA CAB 102/653, p. 45
****** Women's living quarters
******* “Advanced Operational Training School”

 

9.2 Australia
Already in November 1940 SOE’s five-man Military Mission 104, led by Lieutenant-Colonel J.C. Mawhood, arrived in Australia. It established the Independent Company Training Centre at Wilsons Promontory, Victoria for training Australian and New Zealand soldiers in para-military skills.

Mackenzie in his additional volume covering South-East Asia and Australia provides some details about S.O.E. schools in Australia*:
‘… a new camp under the cover name of “Z” Experimental Section (Z.E.S.), was set up at Cairns in North Queensland. The security problem raised by having civilians and personnel of the three Services under one roof was solved by the creation of a special entity, known as Z Special Unit; with no war establishment and no war equipment table, it had blanket authority to draw from Ordnance. Run and paid for by I.S.D.** it had a unique position in the Australian forces.’

Set up in June 1942, it replaced the training of agents at the army guerilla warfare school in Victoria whose temperate climate and general conditions of life had been too far removed from what the agent would face in the field. It became a holding camp for agents for New Guinea and the Solomons. When Inter-Allied Services Department ceased to exist in April 1943, Z.E.S. was taken over by the Allied Intelligence Bureau, though its staff and students continued to be drawn largely from Services Reconnaissance Department.

Hampered, as it continued to be throughout the war by a lack of specialist staff, the training of agents had improved considerably by 1945. At this time the following establishments were in existence***:
“Z” Experimental Section (Z.E.S.)


The School of Eastern Interpreters (S.E.I.), Melbourne
It was founded on SOE lines to train agents for espionage, sabotage and the planning and developing of clandestine networks. Starting at Mount Martha in June 1944, it was transferred for a better site even nearer to Melbourne in August. Students from almost every race learnt enemy methods and how to counter them, lock-picking, photography and the Malay language. 122 agents had passed the school before it was closed in August 1945.


Fraser Commando School (F.C.S.), Queensland
Mackenzie doesn’t describe it. In December 1943, the first medical officer was seconded from the army to Z special unit and appointed Services Reconnaissance Department’s Director of Medicine. He was posted to Fraser Commando School.


Careening Bay Camp (C.B.C.), Western Australia
Situated a few miles south of Fremantle, as a base for small boats. Sleeping Beauties, motorised submersible craft (MSCs) and Welmans were tried out and their crews trained.


Camps 6 and 8, Mount Martha, near Melbourne
Camp 6 opened in June 1944 for small operational parties requiring technical help and advice before going into the field. Attacks on military and industrial targets, the use of folboats and W/T procedure were taught.

Camp 8 opened in February 1945 to take additional trainees.


Advanced Training Camp, Morotai
The camp started in June 1945 to provide refresher courses for those awaiting despatch on operations.


Advanced Training Camp, Darwin
Like Morotai. It was established for agents being infiltrated into Timor and the Sunda islands. The advantage of this camp lay particularly in the climatic and topographical conditions which were similar to those in the target area. It started as an advance base for the Inter-Allied Services Department.


Services Reconnaissance Department Western Base (S.R.D.)
S.R.D. was set up on Garden Island, about 15 miles south of Fremantle, Western Australia, as a depot for Careening Bay Camp. It operated for a period of 14 months. Before its closure in June 1945, it was administratively responsible for the Careening Bay Camp as well as for another establishment nearby where demolitions were taught. In addition, some of the ships of the SRD flotilla were built there.

By arrangement with the Australian Director of Military Training the following army schools also provided facilities for the Services Reconnaissance Department:
- Australian Parachute Training Centre, Richmond, New South Wales
- Small Arms Establishments, Liverpool, New South Wales
- Signals Training Centre, New South Wales

No war establishments are known for these units. Some Military Establishments have not yet been “unmasked” with certainty, meaning that the unit behind them has not yet been discovered or named explicitly.


9.3 Other Training Units
Special Training School No. 101****, Singapore
(originally Special Training Centre, Far East, I.S.R.B.*****)
In April 1941, S.O.E established its first overseas training establishment, S.T.S. 101, for its “Oriental Mission” in Singapore, training agents in sabotage and guerilla warfare; in a special wing, signal training took place******. The students were trained for despatch into Malaya, Thailand and French Indo-China, to prepare resistance to expected Japanese invaders. Until October 1941, Captain A.E.S. Trappes-Lomax was commandant of the school. He was then ordered to proceed to Australia in the view of the likelihood of war with Japan. But it was impossible for him to leave his job. After the fall of Singapore, he escaped to Java and arrived in Perth on 11.03.1942.*******

The corresponding war establishment for S.T.S. No. 101 was VIII/217, two issues with one amendment each, effective 23.04.1941 – 12.08.1942. Only the last amendment is retained in form of the minutes of meeting.


Military Establishment No. 102, Haifa
(originally Special Training Centre No. 102********)
Located near Haifa in Mandate Palestine, now Israel, and established in August 1941 with a separate parachute training wing. Training was largely for S.O.E. operations in the Balkans and eastern Mediterranean on behalf of S.O.E.’s Force 133 with its headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.

The corresponding war establishment for M.E. No. 102 was VIII/212, five issues and three amendments, effective 26.03.1941 – 08.09.1945. Only the last three issues are retained:
- VIII/212/3, effective 06.04.1942 – 24.09.1942: 49 all ranks under a Major’s command, structured in a headquarters and administrative wing and an instructional wing.
- VIII/212/4, effective 25.09.1942 – 16.04.1945: 168 all ranks under a Lieutenant-Colonel’s command, structured in a headquarters and administrative wing, a para/military wing, a signal wing and a special intelligence wing.
- VIII/212/5, effective 17.04.1945 – 08.09.1945: 196 all ranks under a Major’s command, structured in a headquarters and administrative wing, a finishing wing, a holding wing, a parachute wing, a para-military wing and a signals wing. It superseded not only its predecessor war establishment, but also VIII/741/1 (for M.E. 56) and VIII/674/1 (for M.E. 75), which means that the school absorbed these units. The purpose and full names of these establishments is unclear.


Olokemeji, West Africa
A well-documented but undated report*********, answering to letters dated 29.07.1942 and 05.08.1942, vividly describes this school during 1942.
Located in a Forestry Research Station, 75 miles north-east of Lagos, Nigeria (106 miles by road to Lagos and 30 miles to Ibadan). A railway station was nearby (¾ mile).

The description of the staff and their duties is intended to highlight the desperate conditions under which the school operated. European Staff: Major John Crosthwaite Eyre, in his own words acting as commandant, adjutant, training officer and instructor, and Serjeant H. Quigley**********, R.E., acting as quarter-master, camp labour officer, instructor in demolitions and drill, musketry, intelligence work, patrol work, and Physical Training, who functions also as doctor. African N.C.Os.: Corporal Charles Davis, Corporal Charles Morgan, Serjeant-Major Ali Zebo.

Purpose and target groups for the courses changed constantly:
- A first course lasted about six weeks, for 54 members of the Native Administration Police to produce a sort of Super Home Guard and guerillas; the idea was abandoned.
- The second and third course were given to certain selected Patrols from the Army, supposed to employ harassing tactics behind enemy lines: 12 Officers and British N.C.Os. and 15 African N.C.Os. and men each. After two courses, the scheme was abandoned.
- The fourth course was given for 18 Haussa from W.7 at Kano; to carry out raids, sabotage and subversion.
- The fifth course was in progress on time of writing, for 10 Haussas from Sokoto and 12 assorted Yorubas.

Only a single van was attached to school.

Danish S.O.E. agent Anders Lassen, VC, who later transferred to S.A.S. and S.B.S., was attached as an instructor for several months following his participation in operation POSTMASTER.*#*


Nanwa Training School, Gold Coast and Sierra Leone area
Under the cover name P.E.R.O. (Political and Economic Research Office), S.O.E. settled in the Gold Coast and Sierra Leone area. In the Ashanti region (since 06.03.1957 Ghana), 8 miles from the village of Konongo, the Nanwa Gold Mines Ltd. that never started due to war, was used to establish a school.#** A report, dated 31.12.1942, describes a first “admirable” course with 11 students that ended in early December 1942 – and that the school has closed down “since”. That suggests that only one or two courses were held. European Staff: Acting commandant: W.30#***, N.C.O. instructor: Serjeant H. Quigley, African Staff: Corporal Mama Gruma.

The war establishments for East and West African headquarters and units were held in three separate volumes in the British War Establishment System (I AF to III AF). Although they were introduced in August 1940 and held a considerable number of war establishments, issues (1,904) and amendments (2,550), only 42 per cent of the issues were retained, and not a single amendment. In practical terms, the collection was only started in 1944 (TNA WO24/1000 to WO24/1009). So, no war establishments are retained for the two schools mentioned above.


Polish Training School at Ostuni, Italy
The History of the Polish Country Section (MP) of S.O.E. in its Chapter VIII reads:#****
[At the end of 1943] ‘… It was therefore decided that a Polish Training School should be established in Italy for the training of recruits from the Mediterranean theatre, so at the same time as the operational base (known as TORMENT), first under Captain Oranowski, then under Major Jazwinski, was established at Latiano, a Polish training school (known as IMPUDENT) under Major Krizar was established at Ostuni. … Lt. Col. T. Roper-Caldbeck was in charge of the advance party …’

Attached is a list:
‘Total number of students trained, January to October 1944: 173. 23 were sent to the Field, 39 sent for further training to the United Kingdom, and 3 had died.’#*****

Lt. Col. Roper-Caldbeck had been the first commandant of S.T.S. 103 in Canada. Following his return from Canada, he was in charge of the Polish Special Training School at Audley End. Therefore, we meet him again here in this context.


Training School in the Bari region, Italy
The Signals History of S.O.E. tells of a reorganisation and the construction of a new Signal Station in Italy in late 1943:
‘To meet further demands for additional circuits, work was started on a new Signal Station. This was sited at Torre-a-Mare and again planned on the N.W. European style#******.

Country Section Staffs, Training Schools, Despatching Depots, Balkan Air Force Wings, moved forward and took up positions in the areas around Bari, Mola, Torre-a-Mare, Monopoli and Brindisi.’#*******


It is highly probable that war establishments exist for the units mentioned under the “Military Establishment” label, but it has not yet been possible to confirm this with certainty and precision.


---
* TNA CAB 102/653, p. 70
** Inter-Allied Services Department, cover name for S.O.E. Australia
*** TNA CAB 102/653, p. 122
**** WESC 445/2, 15.08.1941; TNA WO 24/1057
***** WEC 682/15, 09.01.1942; TNA WO 24/1024
****** TNA HS 7/42
******* TNA CAB 102/653, p. 69
******** WESC 445/1, 15.08.1941; TNA WO 24/1057
********* TNA HS 3/80
********** Serjeant Quigley had been a demolition instructor at one of the Scottish Special Training Schools.
#* Harder, Thomas: A Special Hero, p. 106
#** A detailed description can be found in TNA HS 3/80 – P.E.R.O. relations
#*** Cover name for a West African S.O.E. agent, in this case Captain Desmond Longe.
#**** TNA HS 7/184
#***** Also, Appendix N of Polish History, Chapter VII, dated 30.12.1944 (TNA HS 7/183)
#****** Like Station No. 53
#******* TNA HS 7/42

 

Appendices
A - Military Establishment No. 71
From 01.01.1944, Military Establishment No. 71 was established as a support unit to M.E. 65; it was also accommodated at Milton Hall.* Its obvious purpose was that of a holding unit for fully trained British Jedburgh personnel. The war establishment was endowed with comparatively high ranks, so that a rush for promotions began immediately, accompanied by a lively exchange of correspondence. A letter from the Director of Training to the Commandant of M.E. 65 dated 21.02.1944 made it unmistakably clear that promotions to fill the positions available could only be granted on condition that the training had been fully completed.

In a letter from M.E. 65 to S.T.S. H.Q., dated 11.04.1944, in which several promotions were proposed, several officers of the Military Establishment No. 71 are marked as “provisionally earmarked for Algeria”. Just three weeks later, on 02.05.1944, Major Fuller brought 15 Jedburgh teams to North Africa, which necessitated his replacement as 2nd-in-Command of M.E. 65 by Major McLallen.

Although a hundred three-man Jedburgh teams, including a significant proportion of British soldiers, were deployed during the Normandy invasion on 05./06.06.944, the monthly strength reports show a relatively constant strength.

Date of report – Totals – Officers - Other ranks
WE – 102 – 62 - 40
30.04.1944 - 91 - 53 - 38
30.06.1944 - 97 - 57 - 40
31.07.1944 - 97 - 57 - 40
30.09.1944 - 94 - 53 - 41

This can be explained in part by the fact that several M.E. 65 instructors were deployed after the course had ended. These positions naturally had to be filled in M.E. 65, as this war establishment regarding instructor positions was not changed before 1945.


Summary of War Establishments
1. VIII/652/1, 01.01.1944 - 08.07.1945
1a - Amendment No. 1 to VIII/652/1, 13.09.1944, not available
1b - Amendment No. 2 to VIII/652/1, 08.11.1944, not available
1c - Amendment No. 3 to VIII/652/1, 17.01.1945, not available


War Establishments in Detail
1. VIII/652/1 – Military Establishment No. 71,
01.01.1944 - 08.07.1945
(Not an Army Establishment)
Personnel
7 Lieutenant-colonels
2 General staff officers, 2nd grade (majors)
20 Majors
20 Captains
13 Subalterns
62 Total, officers
R. Signals
40 Operators, wireless and line (serjeants)
40 Total, other ranks
102 Total, military establishment, No. 71


No transport.


---
* TNA HS 3/181 - War Establishment: ME 71

 

B - Special Training Centre Lochailort
The origin of the para-military special training schools.

Excerpt from appendix (B/6) to the M.I.(R.) Unit War Diary entry for 01.06.1940*, written under the impression of Operation Dynamo, the withdrawal from the continent:
‘Special Training Centre
1. The specialised training required for personnel undertaking work in different parts of the world on Missions, irregular operations by forces such as the Independent Companies, and on individual missions such as those to the Azores, made it necessary for a Special Training Centre to be set up, in as wild and hilly part of the British Isles as possible, where officers could undergo courses in Scouting, Demolitions, moving at night, etc. The object of the School would be to produce highly mobile units of self-reliant men, expert in weapons and capable of concealment and endurance for long periods in mountainous country and adverse weather conditions.

2. On 07.05.1940, the D.M.I. minuted the D.M.T.** asking that such a Training Centre for Irregular Activities should be agreed upon. Various meetings were held and on 28.05., the V.C.I.G.S.*** agreed to the School being opened at Inverailort Castle, near Fort William, by the 04.06., its War Establishment allowing for 13 officers, 16 N.C.Os. and 109 O.Rs., as permanent staff, with up to 600 Officers and O.Rs. under instruction at one time.’

Lieutenant-Colonel J.F.C. Holland describes in his report “Duties and Activities of M.I.R.”, dated 22.07.1940****:
‘The Centre was started in June 1940, with two objects:
(i) The training of particular parties for objects which can be foreseen – e.g. the Independent Companies.
(ii) A more general training for selected officers, N.C.Os., and agents to provide a pool against the time when parties are required for special tasks which cannot be foreseen but which are certain to arise.

A special wing will also shortly be established at the School for training individual officers in duties connected with the Organisation of British Communities Abroad (see 7 (d)); for training officers sent from the Dominions and Colonies (see 7 (e)); while the Admiralty, Air Ministry, and Secret Service will be asked to send students for special training on all forms of irregular warfare.

The Director of Military Training administers the School now, but M.I.R., having provided practically the entire instructional staff, retains influence.’


The Houses
The above-mentioned ”special wing” may have overstretched the spatial possibilities once again. The school was mainly established under the influence of the training for the Independent Companies; there were eleven of them, each with a total strength of 272 all ranks. The war establishment “promised” 600 soldiers under instruction, but that was impossible at Inverailort.

The Independent Companies gradually worked their way through the Special Training Centre at Inverailort. One company in turn was based at another shooting lodge a few (Commando) miles over the hills from Lochailort. This was the Special Training Centre Holding Unit at Achnacarry Castle, Home of Lochiel, chief of Clan Cameron, and later world-famous as the Commando Basic Training Centre.*****

Two more houses were added:
- Achdalieu on Loch Eil side, west of the village of Corpach, a smaller lodge, and
- Inverlochy Castle, just three miles west of Fort William, the home of Lord Abinger; it housed the Polish Independent company commanded by Major Mackworth-Praed.******


The Staff
The first commandant of the Special Training Centre was Lieutenant-Colonel Mayfield who was relieved late in 1940 by Lieutenant-Colonel Stockwell******* of the Welch Fusiliers. He, in turn, was relieved early in 1941 by Lieutenant-Colonel Lt.-Col. A.G. Brown of the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry.

Among the instructors were individuals who, in view of the impending German invasion, were instrumental in the efforts of that time. When the school was authorised on 07.05.1940, it turned out to be a stroke of luck that a group of M.I.R. officers had already started planning a, what they thought, ideal training centre on their own. These were the already mentioned members of the cancelled Operation KNIFE:
Major Bryan Mayfield (commander),
Major John Gavin,
Captain Bill Stirling,
Captain Ralf Farrant,
Captain Peter Kemp and
Lieutenant David Stacey.

After the operation had been cancelled, M.I.R. had told them to stay somewhere with a telephone, and Bill Stirling took the now effectively unemployed team to Keir House, the family estate near Dunblane. They refined their ideas in terms of terrain, facilities and premises and identified suitable sites from among the dozens of shooting and fishing lodges in the Highlands, lying largely unused in that first year of the war. Discreet enquiries were made among family and friends, and through the good offices of the 17th Lord Lovat, otherwise Lieutenant Simon Fraser, serving with the Lovat Scouts and cousin to the Stirling brothers, a suitable location was found: The Inverailort estate. It had everything needed for a special forces’ training school: accommodation, staff, remoteness and rough terrain; a railway station was nearby. Based on their proposal, the creation of the school was approved immediately.********

Bryan Mayfield was appointed Commandant and promoted Lieutenant-Colonel.*********
Bill Stirling was appointed Chief-instructor and promoted Major.
Captain Alexander Scratchley was won as Adjutant, heading the administration team.
The initial instructor staff included:
Major Ralf Farrant
Major John Gavin (demolitions)
Captain Peter Kemp (fieldcraft)
Major Martin Lindsay (Polar explorer; fieldcraft)
Captain Freddie Spencer Chapman (Polar explorer; fieldcraft)
Captain Charles Scott
Captain Simon Fraser (17th Lord Lovat) (chief-instructor fieldcraft).

The latter came from the Lovat Scouts and brought three serjeants from the Lovat Scouts with him:
Serjeants Chisholm, Davidson and MacLennan, previously ghillies on highland estates. After being mobilised in 1939 they had been trained at the Small Arms School, Hythe, as weapons instructors and snipers. At the school, they were joined by three locally enlisted instructors, also ghillies.

Later, more instructors joined the school:
Bill’s brother David Stirling joined the school as a student to become after completion a fieldcraft instructor under his cousin Simon.
Mike Calvert (demolitions)
Jimmy Munn, instrumental for the S.O.E. Special Training Schools.
Fairbairn and Sykes.


Advantage for S.O.E.
S.O.E. was formed after the school had commenced training. It was an obvious move of Majors Davies and Wilson to pay the school a visit while they toured Scotland to find suitable places for S.O.E. schools. This led to Arisaig, a branch of the school in Lochailort, being taken over as headquarters for S.O.E.'s para-military schools. Meanwhile, S.O.E. obtained agreement from the War Office that pending the identification, requisition and opening of S.O.E.’s own schools, small parties sent by S.O.E. could receive training at the Special Training Centre Lochailort. An interim solution, not least to begin training for the future instructors, while the two Majors got on with creating what would become the “Group A” Para-military Schools (S.T.S. 21 – 25) in the West Highlands.**********


The War Establishments
There is no mention in A.C.Is. of V/227/1, No. 1 amendment to V/227/1 and V/227/2, maybe due to the general confusion in the administration of war establishments between the end of May and 06.11.1940, or perhaps because the Training Centre was deemed too secret for publication. Volume VIII, introduced for these cases, didn’t appear before the end of October 1940. Accordingly, they don’t appear in the TNA WO 24-series. They were found as advance copies, a method to inform units concerned early and before the time-consuming printing process, in TNA WO 260/8 - Special Training Centre at Inverailort, June 1940.


Summary of War Establishments
1. V/227/1, 04.06.1940 – 04.07.1940
1.a - Amendment No. 1 to V/227/1, 31.05.1940
1.b - Amendment No. 2 to V/227/1, 20.06.1940 (never promulgated)
2. V/227/2, 05.07.1940 – 31.12.1940
3. V/227/3, 01.01.1941 – 07.04.1943 (A.C.I.), not available
3.a - Amendment No. 1 to V/227/3, 05.02.1941 (A.C.I.), not available
3.b - Amendment No. 2 to V/227/3, 13.03.1941, not available
3.c - Amendment No. 3 to V/227/3, 01.04.1941, not available
3.d - Amendment No. 4 to V/227/3, 07.05.1941 (A.C.I.), not available
3.e - Amendment No. 5 to V/227/3, 04.06.1941 (A.C.I.), not available
3.f - Amendment No. 6 to V/227/3, 01.10.1941 (A.C.I.), not available
3.g - Amendment No. 7 to V/227/3, 01.10.1941(A.C.I.), not available
3.h - Amendment No. 8 to V/227/3, 15.10.1941 (A.C.I.), not available
3.j - Amendment No. 9 to V/227/3, 12.11.1941 (A.C.I.), not available
3.k - Amendment No. 10 to V/227/3, 24.12.1941 (A.C.I.), not available
3.l - Amendment No. 11 to V/227/3, 07.01.1942 (A.C.I.), not available
3.m - Amendment No. 12 to V/227/3, 17.06.1942 (A.C.I.), not available


War Establishments in Detail
1. V/227/1: Special Training Centre,
04.06.1940 – 04.07.1940
(i) Personnel
1 Lieutenant-colonel
6 Majors or captains
5 Subalterns (k)
1 Quarter-master
1 Regimental serjeant major (warrant officer, class I)
1 Regimental quarter master serjeant (warrant officer, class II)
1 Company quarter master serjeant (staff-serjeant)
13 Serjeants
4 Corporals
105 Privates (a)
138 Total, all ranks
13 (Total, officers)
2 (Total, warrant officers)
14 (Total, staff-serjeants and serjeants)
109 (Total, rank and file) (b)
100 Under instruction - officers
500 Under instruction – rank and file (b)
738 Total, special training centre

Attached
1 R.A.M.C. medical officer
739 Total, special training centre, including attached

(ii) Distribution of personnel by duties
ADMINISTRATIVE
1 Commandant (lieutenant-colonel)
1 Adjutant (captain)
1 Quarter-master (subaltern)
1 Regimental serjeant major (warrant officer, class I)
1 Regimental quarter master serjeant (warrant officer, class II)
1 Company quarter master serjeant (staff-serjeant)
1 Orderly room serjeant
1 Armourer serjeant (c)
1 Officers’ mess steward
1 Serjeants’ mess caterer
1 Serjeant cook
1 Provost serjeant
8 Clerks, R.A.S.C.
3 Cooks for officers’ mess
2 Cooks for serjeants’ mess
9 Cooks for rank and file messes (d)
1 Butcher
35 General duties (e)
9 Regimental police (j)
5 Officers’ batmen
7 Mess servants for officers’ mess
2 Mess servants for serjeants’ mess
4 Sanitary duties
1 Medical orderly (f)
4 Storemen
4 Drivers, I.C., R.A.S.C.
2 Motor cyclists
1 Instruments mechanic (g)
109 Total, administrative

Attached
1 R.A.M.C. medical officer

INSTRUCTIONAL
1 Chief instructor and second-in-command (major)
2 Mountain warfare instructors (majors or captains)
1 Captain#*
1 Captain, R.E.
2 Sniping, observation and intelligence instructors (subalterns)
1 Security (subaltern)
1 Secret intelligence service (subaltern)
1 Mapreading (subaltern)
7 Assistant instructors (serjeants) (h)
12 Security section
29 Total, instructional

(iii) Transport
2 Motor cycles, solo
1 Cars, 4-seater, 4-wheeled, open
2 Lorries, 15-cwt., 4-wheeled, G.S.

(iv) Table of weapons
15 Pistols, .38-inch (including officers’ pistols)
122 Rifles, .0303-inch

(a) Includes 5 lance-corporals
(b) During summer months. In winter the number of other ranks under instruction may be reduced to 200. These numbers include a few warrant officers and serjeants.
(c) R.A.O.C. Should have experience with optical instruments.
(d) To include 2 corporals.
(e) To include office, orderly room, regimental institutes and bath orderlies, personnel for guards and officers’ (students) servants.
(f) Lance-corporal
(g) R. Signals
(h) 2 R.E., 4 sniping, observation and intelligence, 1 R. Signals
(j) Includes 1 corporal
(k) Includes 1 A.E.C.


1.a Amendment No. 1 to V/227/1: Special Training Centre, 31.05.1940#**
Under INSTRUCTIONAL
Delete
1 Security (Subaltern)
12 Security section
Add a note to the end:
A Headquarters Section Field Security Police (V/1931/198/2), consisting of the undermentioned personnel and transport, will be attached to this centre:
1 Major or captain
1 Warrant officer, class II
1 Serjeant
1 Corporal
3 Lance-corporals

2 Motor cycles

The war establishment of this added section (V/198/2) had not yet been promulgated; this would take another two months. Another evidence of the confusion in the administration of war establishments after the Dunkirk evacuation.


1.b Amendment No. 2 to V/227/1: Special Training Centre, 20.06.1940#***
Under “ADMINISTRATIVE”
Add
6 Drivers, I.C., R.A.S.C.
1 Corporal, R.A.S.C., (for H.T.)
15 Drivers, H.T., R.A.S.C.
4 Motor cyclists

Under “INSTRUCTIONAL”
Add
1 G.S.O. II (major) (for duty with parachute training centre)
1 A.P.T.S. instructor (serjeant) (for duty with parachute training centre)
3 Civilian instructors (handwritten: ‘ghillies#**** – pay rates outstanding’)
1 Subaltern, R.A.S.C.
1 Serjeant, R.A.S.C.
1 Corporal farrier, R.A.S.C.

Under
(iii) Transport
Delete existing detail and substitute:
6 Motor cycles, solo
3 Cars, 4-seater, 4-wheeled
6 Vans, 15-cwt.
30 Mules or ponies

The necessary amendments to the war establishment will be made in due course.#*****


2. V/227/2: Special Training Centre,
05.07.1940#****** – 31.12.1940
(i) Personnel
1 Lieutenant-colonel
1 Major (2nd in command)
2 Majors or captains
3 Captains
14 Captains or Subalterns
6 Subalterns
1 Quartermaster
28 Total, officers
1 Regimental serjeant-major (warrant officer, class I)
1 Regimental quartermaster-serjeant (warrant officer, class II)
1 Warrant officer, class II
3 Total, warrant officers
1 Company quartermaster-serjeant (staff-serjeant)
30 Serjeants
31 Total, staff-serjeants and serjeants
9 Corporals
127 Privates (a)
136 Total, rank and file
4 Civilians
4 Total, civilians
202 Total, all ranks
100 Under instruction - officers
500 Under instruction – rank and file (b)
802 Total, special training centre

Attached
1 R.A.M.C. medical officer
803 Total, special training centre, including attached

(ii) Distribution of personnel by duties
ADMINISTRATIVE
1 Commandant (lieutenant-colonel)
1 Adjutant (captain)
1 Quartermaster (subaltern)
1 Subaltern (P.R.I.) (c)
1 Regimental serjeant-major (warrant officer, class I)
1 Regimental quartermaster-serjeant (warrant officer, class II)
1 Company quartermaster-serjeant (staff-serjeant)
1 Orderly room serjeant
1 Armourer serjeant (R.A.O.C.) (d)
1 Officers’ mess stewards (serjeant)
1 Officers’ mess stewards (civilian)
1 Serjeants’ mess caterer
1 Serjeant cook
1 Provost serjeant
11 Batmen
1 Butcher
10 Clerks, R.A.S.C.
4 Cooks for officers’ mess (e)
2 Cooks for serjeants’ mess
10 Cooks for rank and file (f)
10 Drivers, I.C., R.A.S.C.
16 Drivers, H.T., R.A.S.C. (g)
35 General duties (h)
1 Instruments mechanic (R. Signals)
6 Motor cyclists
1 Medical orderly (j)
7 Mess servants for officers’ mess (g)
2 Mess servants for serjeants’ mess
9 Regimental police (g)
4 Storemen
4 Sanitary duties
147 Total, administrative

Attached
1 R.A.M.C. medical officer

INSTRUCTIONAL
1 Chief instructor and second-in-command (major)
2 Majors or captains (mountain warfare instructors)
1 Captain, R.E.
14 Captains or subalterns (k)
1 Intelligence officer (captain)
5 Subalterns (l)
1 Warrant officer, class II (A.E.C.)
24 Assistant instructors (serjeants) (m)
1 Farrier (corporal)
2 Corporals (signal duties)
3 Civilian instructors
55 Total, instructional
100 Officers
500 Other ranks (b)
600 Total, under instruction
803 Total, special training centre, including attached

(iii) Animals
30 Mules or ponies

(iv) Transport
6 Motor cycles, solo
3 Cars, 4-seater, 4-wheeled
6 Vans, 15-cwt., 4-wheeled

(iv) Table of weapons
29 Pistols, .38-inch
173 Rifles, .0303-inch

(a) Includes 6 lance-corporals
(b) During summer months. In winter the number of other ranks under instruction may be reduced to 200. These numbers include a few warrant officers and serjeants.
(c) May be unfit for general service.
(d) Should have experience with optical instruments.
(e) Includes 1 corporal and 1 lance-corporal.
(f) Includes 2 corporals.
(g) Includes a corporal.
(h) includes office, orderly room, regimental institutes, bath orderlies, personnel for guards and officers’ (students) servants.
(j) Lance-corporal
(k) Includes 2 for special intelligence duties.
(l) Includes 2 instructors in sniping, observation and intelligence, 1 for special intelligence service, 1 instructor in map reading, and 1 instructor R.A.S.C.
(m) Includes 4 R.E.; 4 sniping, observation and intelligence; 2 R. Signals; 1 artificer
(n) May be group ‘B’ tradesmen if qualified

Note
A Headquarters Section Field Security Police (W.E. III/1931/62 R/1) will be attached to this centre as required:
(i) Personnel
1 Major#*******
1 Warrant officer, class II
2 Staff-serjeants or serjeants
10 Lance-corporals (a)
1 Batman-driver
15 Total, field security police section

(ii) Transport
13 Motor cycles (b)
1 Car, 2-seater, 4-wheeled

(iii) Tables of weapons and ammunition
14 Pistols, .38-inch, (ammunition: 12 on man, 84 reserve, 252 total)
1 Rifles, .303-inch, (ammunition: 20 on man, 0 reserve, 20 total)

(a) 50 per cent. to be unpaid.
(b) In the case of a F.S.P. section for L. of C. the number of motor cycles will be reduced from 13 to 8 and 3 bicycles will be added.


Between the six weeks of the amendment No. 1 to issue 1 from 31.05.1940 until this second issue of 05.07.1940, the Field Security unit had changed from a headquarters (WE V/198/2, still not promulgated) to a proper section (WE III/62R/1, promulgated already on 06.03.1940). This meant more than doubling the personnel and a significantly improving motorisation using motor-cycles, which took into account the remote location of the Training Centre at Lochailort.

---
* HS 8-263 – M.I.(R.) Unit War Diary, 1939-1940 - S.O.E. H.Q File 71
** Director of Military Training
*** Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff
**** TNA HS 8/256 - MI(R) functions and organisation, and Appendix “B”, dated 06.06.1940.
***** Mackay, Francis: Overture to Overlord, page 61
****** Harrison, David: The Special Operations Executive: Para-military Training in Scotland 1940 – 1944, p. 24
******* Formerly officer commanding No. 2 Independent Company.
******** Mackay, Francis: Overture to Overlord, p. 54 – The list of instructors was combined by comparing Mackay’s Overture to Overlord, who confused Peter Kemp with Peter Fleming in his list (the latter definitely had other things to do at the time) and Peter Kemp's own account in his book No Colours or Crest.
********* Mike Calvert in his book Fighting Mad states that Lieutenant-Colonel (James Stuart) Coats, late commanding Officer of 5th Scots Guards, the short-lived ski battalion, in which Calvert also served, was Commandant of the School. That doesn’t fit with Coats’ postings to 20th/The Queen’s Regiment on 10.05.1940 and as head of the Coats Mission from October 1940. Major Brian Mayfield had been second-in-command of the ski battalion.
********** TNA HS 8/435, p. 3
#* This officer is missing in the original type-written text. One more officer appeared hand-written under (i), not explained under (ii), and the position denotes a captain. The totals together with the hand-written addition correspond with the entry in the M.I.(R.) war diary.
#** Meeting of the War Establishment Sub-Committee, where the amendment was approved. After the introduction of effective dates in the War Establishment System, this would be the relevant date.
#*** A letter dated 20.06.1940 informed about another amendment of V/227/1; untypically, this one was not (yet) numbered.
#**** Ghillies: a Gaelic word for sportsman’s attendant. Ideal instructors for fieldcraft.
#***** The amendment was never promulgated and not mentioned in A.C.Is. Perhaps, because more changes led to the second issue only 15 days later, making more amendments unnecessary.
#****** Date of the advance copy, because no promulgation took place.
#******* III/62 R/1 usually allowed for “1 captain or lieutenant”. The letter sending the advance copies of V/227/2, dated 05.07.1940, informed that in case of the Field Police Section attached to the Special Training Centre, approval had been given “for the officer at present commanding the F.S.P. Section […] to hold the rank of major.” The respective war establishment was NOT amended. This was a measure to keep this officer, who was in actual command of the unit at the time and had already been promoted to major, in this rank on an exceptional basis. A possible successor would be “captain or lieutenant”, according to his personal qualification. This shows how exactly the British system of promotion worked, and what time was still left to decide on the rank of a single soldier.

 

C - The Protected Areas in Scotland
Early in 1940, a Protected Area was established in Scotland to gain better control over the sparsely populated area. Roughly speaking, this area stretched across the Scottish mainland north of the Caledonian Canal between Fort William and Inverness, making use of the natural barriers of Loch Lochy and Loch Ness. Residents had to obtain permits to leave the area and return; anyone else who wanted to go there had to apply for the relevant permits from the Military Permit Office. Checkpoints were placed throughout the north, with the army patrolling one main barrier built at Beauly. Soldiers examined permits at road and rail junctions, and travellers by rail and bus had to produce their pass or, if living within the protected area, a certificate of residence.

Because this was a measure taken by the military (and not by the police), one should find corresponding traces in the War Establishment System. However, the term “protected area” does not appear before 04.03.1942. A closer look reveals once again some of the very rare evidence of earlier authorisations below the official system (i.e. War Office letters and provisional war establishments).

Four blocks can be identified. The wordings below each table are from the superseding remarks and reveal that the areas and the No. 207 Special Field Security Section were introduced in December 1939 and the Permit Office was only opened at short notice on 27.02.1940. These War Office letters can no longer be found today. It is conceivable that the figures were higher than those in the subsequent war establishments.


1. Protected Areas (Nos. 1, 2 and 4 respectively)
WE-No. - A.C.I. - Effective
V/634/1 - 04.03.1942 - 16.02.1942 to 08.04.1944
V/635/1 - 04.03.1942 - 16.02.1942 to 08.04.1944
V/636/1 - 04.03.1942 - 16.02.1942 to 08.04.1944

The war establishments V/634/1, V/635/1 and V/636/1 superseded the war establishment promulgated by War Office letter No. 79/W.E./378 (A.G.1 A), dated 19.12.1939


2. Headquarters, No. 2 Protected Area (Scotland)
WE-No. - A.C.I. - Effective
V/991/1 - 22.09.1943 - 30.07.1943 to 05.03.1945
V/991/2 - 14.03.1945 - 06.03.1945 to 08.08.1945

V/991/1: The war establishment V/991/1 superseded the provisional W.E. issued under W.O. letter 73/W.E./360 (A.G.1(a)), dated 18.12.1939.


3. No. 207 Special Field Security Section – Issue 1 for Scottish Command, Protected Areas, Nos. 1, 3 and 4 and Issue 2 for Scottish Command, Protected and Regulated Areas
WE-No. - A.C.I. - Effective
V/637/1 - 04.03.1942 - 16.02.1942 to 05.03.1945
V/637/2 - 14.03.1945 - 06.03.1945 to 16.08.1945

The war establishment V/637/1 superseded that part of the war establishment relating to No. 207 Field Security Section promulgated by War Office letter No. 79/W.E./378 (A.G.1 A), dated 19.12.1939


4. Permit Office for Protected Areas, Scotland
WE-No. - A.C.I. - Effective
V/653/1 - 08.04.1942 - 08.04.1942 to 26.11.1942
V/653/2 - 23.12.1942 - 27.11.1942 to 05.09.1945

The war establishment V/653/1 superseded the establishment issued with War Office letter No. 20/Misc./1610 (A.G. 1A), dated 27.02.1940.


Contents
No. 1 Protected Area: 105 all ranks under a Major’s command, 3 cars, 1 truck, 4 motor-cycles and 12 bicycles.

No. 3 Protected Area: 91 all ranks under a Major’s command, 1 car, 1 truck, 2 motor-cycles and 12 bicycles.

No. 4 Protected Area: 16 all ranks under a Major’s command, 1 car, 3 motor-cycles and 4 bicycles.

Headquarters, No. 2 Protected Area (Scotland):
- Issue 1: 80 all ranks under a Major’s command, 7 cars and 2 motor-cycles.
- Issue 2: 62 all ranks under a Major’s command and 4 cars.

No. 207 Special Field Security Section:
- Issue 1: 18 all ranks under a Major’s command, 1 car and 13 motor-cycles.
- - Attached: Two Divisional Field Security Sections (Intelligence Corps) on WE II/23/2, each: 15 all ranks under a Captain’s or Lieutenant’s command, 1 car and 13 motor-cycles.
- Issue 2: 23 all ranks under a Major’s command, 3 cars and 13 motor-cycles.


Permit Office for Protected Areas, Scotland:
- Issue 1: 31 all ranks under a Captain’s command, no transport.
- Issue 1: 12 all ranks under a Captain’s command, no transport.


Nearly 400 soldiers ensured the safety of the Protected Areas.


Outside the Protected Areas (PA) there were Protected Places (PP). Inverlochy Castle, one of the houses belonging to the Special Training Centre Lochailort, had been made a Protected Place under the security regulations.


No relevant war establishments could be found for Protected Places.

 

D - Camberley Reception Depot
(originally Stores Depot, I.S.R.B.)

Located at Knoll School, Knoll Road, Camberley, Surrey.

Its first war establishment VIII/211/1 became effective under the name “The Stores Depot, I.S.R.B.” from 26.03.1941; that was the same month in which the war establishments for the first special training schools had been promulgated. It was renamed Camberley Reception Depot, commonly known as C.R.D., and significantly reinforced with amendment No. 1 with effect from 04.03.1942.

Major Forty lists under administrative functions of the Training Section:
‘Stores.
As regards barrack and accommodation stores, the Training Section was merely responsible for checking the requirements of school commandants, who indented directly on Camberley Reception Depot.’

The Training Section submitted demands to E Section, responsible for supply, regularly ‘each month and there were no great problems over supply as quantities were in most cases quite small and urgent deliveries were not as common.’*

For urgent deliveries, the Headquarters in London had to be contacted. The supply of Army stores to S.O.E.’s London Group for Country Sections and Special Training Schools under their control was divided into two headings, i.e. Ad Hoc operations and Planned Container dropping:**
‘Ad Hoc
[…] Many general items of supply such as small quantities of tools, standard clothing items, web equipment, etc. could always be obtained from C.R.D. Camberley through the Training Section at H.Q. Apart from this, War Office branches arranged the supply of all stories required by us.‘

Although this shows certain limitations of C.R.D., it must be borne in mind that ‘it was an accepted fact in the War Office that a telephone call from M.O.1.(S.P.)*** meant a store was required in the quickest possible time.’

In this respect, uninterrupted supply regarding unexpected demand depended on skill and prompt reordering of the staff at C.R.D. The distribution to the requesting Schools and Country Sections was favoured by its convenient location near a major railway line.

Major S.D. Bean is listed as commandant on 01.01.1943, 03.03.1944 and 28.04.1944.


Summary of War Establishments
1. VIII/211/1, 26.03.1941 - 01.09.1943
- 1.a - Amendment No. 1 to VIII/211/1, 04.03.1942
- 1.b - Amendment No. 2 to VIII/211/1, 09.12.1942, not available
2. VIII/211/2, 02.09.1943 - 15.08.1945
- 2.a - Amendment No. 1 to VIII/211/2, 01.03.1944, not available
- 2.b - Amendment No. 2 to VIII/211/2, 07.06.1944, not available


War Establishments in Detail
1. VIII/211/1 - A Stores Depot, I.S.R.B.,
26.03.1941 - 01.09.1943
(i) Personnel
1 Quarter-master (lieutenant)
1 Company quartermaster-serjeant (staff-serjeant)
1 Clerk, R.A.S.C.
3 Storemen (a)
6 Total, a stores depot, I.S.R.B.

(a) May be personnel unfit for general service with fighting units.


No transport.

Transport was provided by the War Office.


1a Amendment No. 1 to VIII/211/1 - Stores Depot, I.S.R.B., 04.03.1942
(a) Amend title to read – Camberley Reception Depot
(Not an Army Establishment)
(b) Delete
1 Quartermaster (lieutenant)
1 Company quarter-master-serjeant
Add
1 Commandant (captain)
1 Regimental quarter-master-serjeant (warrant officer, class II)
1 Armourer, R.A.O.C. (warrant officer, class II)
1 Clerk, R.A.S.C., Staff-Serjeant
1 Clerk, R.A.S.C., Corporal
1 Clerk, R.A.S.C., Private
1 Storeman, R.E.
3 Storeman (other arms)
3 Drivers, I.C.
1 Driver-mechanic
1 Cook, A.C.C.
Against “Total rank and file”
insert foot note (a)
Includes
2 Lance-corporals
(c) Add
(ii) Transport
2 Trucks, 15-cwt., 4-wheeled, G.S.
2 Trucks, 30-cwt., 4-wheeled, G.S.


2. VIII/211/2 - Camberley Reception Depot,
02.09.1943 - 15.08.1945
(i) Personnel
1 Commandant (major)
1 Administrative officer (subaltern)
2 Total, officers
1 Regimental quarter-master-serjeant (warrant officer, class II)
1 Armourer, R.E.M.E. (warrant officer, class II)
1 Clerk, R.A.S.C., (warrant officer, class II)
3 Total, warrant officers
1 Company quarter-master-serjeant (staff-serjeant)
1 Clerk, R.A.S.C., (serjeant)
1 Armourer, R.E.M.E., (serjeant)
3 Total, staff-serjeants and serjeants
1 Corporal
23 Privates (includes 2 lance-corporals)
24 Total, rank and file
24 Total, other ranks
32 Total, Camberley reception depot

Attached
1 Cook, A.C.C., for Officers’ mess
1 Cook, A.C.C., for Serjeants’ mess
2 Cook, A.C.C., for Rank and file mess
36 Total, Camberley reception depot (including attached)

(ii) Distribution of rank and file by trades and duties.
Tradesmen
4 Clerks, R.A.S.C.
1 Driver-mechanic, R.A.S.C.
1 Storeman, technical, R.E.
1 Storeman, technical, R.A.O.C. (trained in wireless)
7 Total, tradesmen
Non-tradesmen
8 Drivers, I.C.
2 General dutymen
1 Motor-cyclist
1 Orderlies for Officers’ mess
2 Orderlies for Rank and file messes
3 Storemen, non-technical
17 Total, non-tradesmen

(iii) Transport
1 Motor-cycle, combination
1 Car, 2-seater, 4 x 4
5 Trucks, 15-cwt., 4 x 2, G.S.
3 Lorries, 3-ton, 4 x 2, G.S.

Note
(a) All personnel of this establishment may be of low medical category.


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* TNA HS 7/46 Appendix C Army Store, p. 6
** TNA HS 7/46 Appendix C Army Store, p. 5
*** Cover name for S.O.E.

 

E - More War Establishments for S.O.E.
It is difficult to detect war establishments that regulate S.O.E. units in the system, as they are not marked as such. This is, of course, explained by the efforts to keep these war establishments secret. Insofar as they have been preserved, their titles are helpful in a certain way, albeit not directly.

If they have not been preserved, research becomes significantly more difficult. The promulgation of new war establishments in the weekly Army Council Instructions (A.C.Is.) also included the secret ones, but these were only announced by their number and not by their titles (for a short period of time also with an anonymised description of the title, which is generally not very helpful). In these cases, there are two further methods of research, but they are very time-consuming. Both methods also require a complete list of all promulgated war establishments containing all the necessary data.

1. If the war establishment has further issues on the same table that have been preserved, the title can be deduced in a certain way. However, as we saw with the first schools, which were renamed from a more specific designation to standard designations after the first issue (e.g. Central Finishing School became S.T.S. 31), at least determining the correct title does not work.

2. Another method is to search the minutes and agendas of the meetings of the War Establishment Committees. These are available in dozens of volumes and are very numerous, but neither are the minutes themselves complete, nor are all the war establishments under discussion recorded, which can be tracked via the weekly A.C.Is..

Over time, experience with S.O.E. has shown that certain terms are used exclusively:
- relevant code names such as I.S.R.B., M.O.1 or M.O.4.
- Special Training Schools are reserved exclusively for S.O.E. However, as we have seen here, several other details such as purpose, location, clustering, etc. are needed to clearly classify these schools.
- Military Establishments are predominantly reserved for S.O.E., but not exclusively. To a certain degree, that is also true for the term Station, but only if it is not combined with other terms. In addition, there are no summary stories like those for the schools that can help. One must find out the purpose and location for each individual unit.

The directory was combed through with these points in mind. This also requires the inclusion of all conceivable abbreviations, because the wording of the titles was not standardised and, as the war progressed, more and more personnel were assigned to the creation of the war establishments, who abbreviated the increasingly complex titles at their discretion and reproduced their components in a wide variety of orders.

In this respect, not all the listed war establishments can be clearly attributed to the S.O.E., especially those under the heading “Inter-Service”.

Similarly, no clear classification can be assigned to the term “Force” with a numerical supplement; occasionally letters are also used. Some are quite common or reproduced here (133, 136, 266, 399, …), others are very misleading (Force 141 became Headquarters, 15 Army Group on 14.06.1943). Due to the numerous units, especially the subordinate units, most of which do not even mention the leading force in their title, this has been omitted here.

Finally, another method of assigning war establishments to S.O.E. is through the Field Force Committee Reports (F.F.C.), which generally reflect the numbers and titles of the war establishments, clearly assigning them to S.O.E., but are only partially preserved. A table is attached, where details are omitted, primarily to show the totals of S.O.E. at specific times.

The tables show the effective period and an indication of whether the war establishment was retained (Y for yes, N for no).


I.S.R.B.
VIII/204/1 - H.Q., I.S.R.B. - 26.03.1941 to 07.01.1942 - Y
VIII/204/2 - H.Q., I.S.R.B. - 07.01.1942 to 29.07.1942 - N
VIII/204/3 - Headquarters, I.S.R.B. (Other Ranks) - 29.07.1942 to 16.09.1943 - N
VIII/204/4 - Headquarters, I.S.R.B. (Other Ranks) - 16.09.1943 to 30.03.1944 - Y
VIII/204/5 - Headquarters, I.S.R.B. (Other Ranks) - 30.03.1944 to 08.09.1945 - Y
VIII/204/6 - Headquarters, I.S.R.B. (Other Ranks) - 08.09.1945 to 01.11.1945 - Y
VIII/204/7 - Headquarters, I.S.R.B. (Other Ranks) - 01.11.1945 to 06.02.1946 - Y
VIII/211/1 - A Stores Depot, I.S.R.B. - 26.03.1941 to 02.09.1943 - Y
VIII/211/2 - Camberley Reception Depot - 02.09.1943 to 15.08.1945 - Y
VIII/258/1 - Operations 'A' Section, I.S.R.B. - 15.09.1491 to 20.01.1943 - Y


Inter-Service
VIII/9 A/1 - Inter-Services Topographical Section - 29.01.1941 to 12.11.1943 - Y
VI/439/1 - Inter-Service Cipher Printing Centre (Army Section), Middle East - 10.03.1942 to 01.10.1944 - Y
VI/441/1 - Inter-Service G.S.I. (N) Section, Middle East - 25.02.1942 to 28.09.1942 - Y
VIII/422/1 - Inter-Services Distribution Centre - 30.12.1942 to 18.01.1944 - N
VI/954/1 - Inter-Services Security Bureau, Middle East - 21.11.1942 to 05.06.1944 - Y
VIII/9 A/2 - Inter-Services Topographical Section - 12.11.1943 to 20.02.1946 - Y
VIII/813/1 - Inter-Services Publications Directorate, Middle East - 22.12.1943 to 22.09.1944 - Y
XIII/801/1 - Inter-Services Topographical Department, S.E.A. - 06.06.1944 to 22.11.1944 - Y
XII/77/1 - Inter-Service Secretariat (H.Q., B.A.F.) Army Increment, North Africa - 01.07.1944 to 10.07.1945 - Y
VIII/813/2 - Inter-Services Publications Directorate, Middle East - 22.09.1944 to 14.02.1947 - Y
V/1383/1 - Inter-Service Registry Staff, R.A.O.C. - 12.01.1945 to 13.04.1949 - Y
XIII/801/2 - Inter-Services Topographical Department, S.E.A.C. - 22.11.1944 to 29.01.1947 - Y


Special (filtered)
VIII/501/1 - Special Detachment - 01.04.1943 to 01.11.1947 - Y
VIII/212/1+2 - Special Training Centre No. 102 - 26.03.1941 to 06.01.1942 - N
VIII/217/1+2 - Special Training School No. 101 - 23.04.1941 to 12.08.1942 - N
VIII/524/1 - S.F. Staff Section - 24.08.1943 to 01.10.1945 - Y
VIII/525/1 - S.F. Signal Section - 24.08.1943 to 08.07.1945 - Y


Station
This term is used for S.O.E. units continuing the tradition of the S.I.S. However, it appears also in combination with other services (e.g. No. 7 Station Maintenance Company, R.A.S.C.). These are omitted here. Typically, the S.I.S. pattern is “Station No.” followed by a number. The following were identified and at least one issue is retained:
VIII/321/1 - 5 Station No. 7
VIII/318/1 Station No. 8, soon renamed Station No. 14
VIII/767/1 Station No. 8, a new Station in Mai 1944
VIII/319/1 - 4 Station No. 9
VIII/318/1 - 3 Station No. 14
VIII/343/1 - 4 Station No. 15
VIII/353/1 - 4 Station No. 18
VIII/353/2 - 4 Station No. 19
VIII/353/2 - 4 Station No. 20

We must include one more Station with a slightly different name:
VIII/223/1 - 6 Experimental Station No. 6. It included:
Station No. 12 and
Station No. 21.

However, this is not a comprehensive distinction, as we have seen with the “Operational Dispatch Station” that also belonged to S.O.E. Units already described are not repeated here.


Military Establishments
109 Military Establishments have been identified so far; most of the war establishments have been retained.


S.O.E.
Unsurprisingly, not a single war establishment shows “S.O.E.” or “Special Operations Executive” in its title.

There were other code names for S.O.E., with some more war establishments:
(G.S.I.(J))
(G.S.I.(K))
M.O.4, Middle East
Headquarters of an Army G.S.I. (S) Staff, Middle East
Mobile Construction Unit No. 77
Security Establishment No. 2
S.F. Staff Section
S.F. Signal Section
S.F. Staff and Signals Section
S.F. Headquarters Section
G.S.I. (k) 2
Eastern Warfare School, India
School of Eastern Interpreters
Security Establishment No. 3
Special Mobile Printing Section
Force 133 Signals
S.P. Chief Signal Officer, Balkans
S.P. Signals Company Headquarters
S.P. Signal Office, Sub-Section
S.P. Signal Office Sub-Section (Mixed)
S.P. Cipher Section
S.P. Cipher Section (Mixed)
S.P. Signal Park
S.P. Technical Maintenance Section
S.P. Mobile Wireless Detachment
S.P. Wireless Section
S.P. Wireless Section (Mixed)
Special Planning Unit No. 47
Special Planning Unit, No. 24


Field Force Committee Reports (F.F.C.)
Within the system of F.F.Cs., part 19.A refers to S.O.E.
Other parts are:
19.B - “Y” Services
19.C – Ministry of Supply
19.D – Para-military Establishments
19.E – Seaborne Establishment
19.F – Civil Affairs
19.G – Military Missions, Liaison Staffs and Secret Establishments
19.H – Combined Operations
19.J – Control Commission


F.F.C., part 19.A (S.O.E.)
The purpose of this table is to show the strength of S.O.E. “at Home”; “abroad” is not shown in detail.

The difference between Columns “Total Military, all ranks” and “Total Army, all ranks” is reserved for the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy.

The difference between the Columns “Total Army, all ranks” and “Home, total” means abroad (North Africa, Mediterranean, Middle East, India, A.F.H.Q. (Italy)…)

Column “Home, no WE” is included in Column “Home, Total”.

A.T.S and non-military personal are excluded.

Effective Date - TNA File - Total Military, all ranks - Total Army, all ranks - Home, Total - Home, no WE*
15.03.1944 - WO 33/2210 - 12,000 - 10,000 - 5,126 - 581
17.06.1944 - WO 33/2256 - 12,000 - 10,000 - 5,121 - 380
01.04.1945 - WO 33/2422 - 11,655 - 9,655 - 5,263 - 400
08.07.1945 - WO 33/2454 - 7,900 - 6,231 - 2,332 - 200
08.12.1945 - WO 33/2494 - 3,615 - 3,263 - 1,034 - 52


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* Numbers in this column refer exclusively to officers in the London Headquarters who obviously were held on another (non-WE) authorisation. Other ranks in the London Headquarters were held on VIIII/204 with seven issues.

 

10. Conclusion
The history of the S.O.E. Training Section is a testament to rapid institutional evolution, moving from experimental roots to a sophisticated military machine. Its structural success was rooted in early strategic planning, as Mackenzie notes:
‘One result of Col. Davies’s period as P.A.* was a very far-sighted report on training; this laid down a programme for the provision of schools, which never required fundamental alteration.’**

This consistency allowed the organisation to refine its methods without constantly rebuilding its foundation. Ultimately, the section’s legacy is defined by its ability to professionalise a previously unknown field of warfare. Mackenzie concludes:
‘Subversive training in this scale was an entirely new thing in England, and it would be easy to find flaws in the organisation while it was learning its job. But in the end it was very expert and very flexible, and it was indispensable to the operational work of S.O.E. If there is any general lesson to be drawn for the future, it is not that greater weight should be given either to the ‘schoolmasters’ or to the operational and technical experts, but that the two should be more intimately blended and that the idea of training as a whole should be given the highest possible status within the organisation.’***

S.O.E. proved that for irregular warfare to succeed, training must not be a secondary consideration but a top-tier priority where pedagogical theory and field expertise are seamlessly integrated.

For someone who prefers to see success expressed in numbers, S.O.E.'s own description of its history provides some insight:
‘[…] S.O.E. provided things necessary to a Resistance Movement:
By recruiting, training and sending to the field organisers and instructors. 5,766 men and women of this type were trained in England alone. …’****

The number of resisters supported in this way was estimated at 2 to 3 million in Europe alone.


This thread was only made possible by a series of fortunate events.

From a starting point where Churchill trusted politicians, Gubbins, a military commander, eventually rose to the top of the S.O.E. He foresaw the approaching end of the organisation, which had been designed as a “wartime only” unit. In addition, it became apparent that even for him, as a professional soldier, there was no further use in the post-war period, and thus his own experience would not be put to further use in the service. Finally, his notorious opponents succeeded in sending him into retirement with the rank of colonel. As a soldier, he had a lifelong professional interest in documenting results to make the experience and methods gained from successes and setbacks available for future work. This is even more remarkable given that everything related to the organisation was subject to constant secrecy.

In order to maintain the rapid development of the organisation for posterity, he instructed dozens of subordinate offices at an early stage to write down their history; this included not only orders to directorates and sections, but also down to the level of individual specialists (e.g., Lt. Col. Rheam for the topic of sabotage, who wrote his history a year before the end of the war).

Ultimately, the classification and integration of the early war establishments helped, sometimes by creating new connections, to supplement Major Forty's history, particularly regarding the events of the first half of the war.

And finally: Many of the students who were trained here for their missions, as well as a number of their instructors, later found employment as agents in the field. By no means all of them survived their missions, and many had to endure abuse and torture.


Lest we forget!


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* Davies, who had been one of the most successful “amateur” members of M.I.(R), was at first the only representative of the M.I.(R), tradition: he came in as “Personal Assistant” to Sir Frank Nelson and was required in the first instance to advise him on organisation at home.
** TNA CAB 102/649, p. 115
*** TNA CAB 102/652, p. 1134
**** TNA HS 7/1 - History of SOE, 1938-1945