Shipley Zero Station, Sussex
Myself and the Mutt had a free Sunday afternoon, the wife and kids were out and the weather was hot, hot, hot! We decided to finally visit Shipley Zero Station.
Sadly this main chamber has completely collapsed bar the exit room, escape tunnel and entrance. It was still a nice find and a beautiful walk in the Sussex countryside.
Strangely the highlight was seeing the aerial once hidden behind the bark of a nearby oak tree and even a spy 35mm film canister hidden in one of the ventilation shafts. (Geocache)
Little bit of history about this underground station:
The Special Duties Organisation, branch of the Auxiliary Units, was formed after the sabotage side of the resistance had already been established. Its members were never told of the many patrols in existence all around the country. The Special Duties Organisation's role involved radio communications and spying.
The main people recruited for this role were people whose jobs allowed plenty of movement - doctors, midwives, postmen, vicars and farm workers. These people were trained separately in their own areas, being taught how to make simple intelligence reports. In the event of a German invasion they would have carried on their usual business or routine, making reports of any German troop movements, or anything else of interest they had observed.
Once a report was completed the spy needed to pass the information on to a radio operator. This was achieved by use of a secret 'letter box'. This could take many forms. For instance an old tin can, or hole in a tree or under a rock could be adopted. All that was required was a place where the report could be hidden and be accessible to the radio operator.
Myself and the Mutt had a free Sunday afternoon, the wife and kids were out and the weather was hot, hot, hot! We decided to finally visit Shipley Zero Station.
Sadly this main chamber has completely collapsed bar the exit room, escape tunnel and entrance. It was still a nice find and a beautiful walk in the Sussex countryside.
Strangely the highlight was seeing the aerial once hidden behind the bark of a nearby oak tree and even a spy 35mm film canister hidden in one of the ventilation shafts. (Geocache)
Little bit of history about this underground station:
The Special Duties Organisation, branch of the Auxiliary Units, was formed after the sabotage side of the resistance had already been established. Its members were never told of the many patrols in existence all around the country. The Special Duties Organisation's role involved radio communications and spying.
The main people recruited for this role were people whose jobs allowed plenty of movement - doctors, midwives, postmen, vicars and farm workers. These people were trained separately in their own areas, being taught how to make simple intelligence reports. In the event of a German invasion they would have carried on their usual business or routine, making reports of any German troop movements, or anything else of interest they had observed.
Once a report was completed the spy needed to pass the information on to a radio operator. This was achieved by use of a secret 'letter box'. This could take many forms. For instance an old tin can, or hole in a tree or under a rock could be adopted. All that was required was a place where the report could be hidden and be accessible to the radio operator.
