Plympton Auxiliary Unit and OB 

By Nina Hannaford (cartdevon@gmail.com)

This page last updated:

Observations at the Operational Base

PLEASE NOTE THESE OB'S ARE ON PRIVATE LAND

Bottle Hill Operational Base - north east of Plympton.

Location of the first Operational Base which was soon abandoned. Location given to Peter Stabb by Geof Johnson in 1988. Grid reference SX 567 588

Photographs taken in 2011 by Nina Hannaford and copies of maps and letters written to Peter Stabb by Geoff Johnson.

Fernhill Wood Operational Base, north of Plympton.

Location given to Peter Stabb by Auxilier Geof Johnson in 1988. Exact grid reference withheld ( given to CART on Fiedwork report dated 7/3/20111), general area SX 55 59.

Entrance to the OB in 1992

Inside the OB (left) and the escape tunnel (right)

Entrace to escape tunnel in 1992

Photographs above taken in 1992 by Peter Stabb.

Picture taken inside the OB in March 2009. The OB has now been destroyed. Image provided by www.cyber-heritage.co.uk

Fernhill Woods, Standing in the OB looking SW.

The land is owned by the Forestry Commission but leased by Recon Paintball, www.reconpaintball.co.uk

The ground around the OB undulates as the area was used for tin mining in the past. Some mine are shafts present.

There is a depression in ground (see imgae directly below) where the OB once was. It is approx rectangular in shape, long and thin leading off in ground to block built rectangular exit of escape tunnel.

There appears to be one entrance made from two block walls remain approx 80 cm high and 50 cm apart. The long thin depression is approx 50cm wide and 3m long. The main depression in the ground is approx 4.5m by 6.5m.

The main depression is East/West facing and the long thin depression coming off at South East corner runs North to South.

The escape tunnel.

Photographs above taken in 2011 by Nina Hannaford .

Photos of entrance, escape tunnel depression and main body depression, view from OB entrance showing lay of land.

Observation Post/s: Not known but both locations are surrounded by high, open moorland over looking Plymouth.

Possibly the main nearby train line and A38 leading away from Plymouth and out of the South West

Planned Follow Up

To send letters to two local papers asking for information on the Unit and its members. Use Findmypast and FreeBMD to find family members.

Steve Johnson, Paul from Hidden Plymouth and Peter Stab.

Can you help with this patrol or OB? Please email cartdevon@gmail.com