West Fallodon OB and Auxiliary Unit

This O.B. is not very far from the Swinhoe O.B. I suspect the cell members for both O.B.s would have known about each other. It is again not too far from RAF Brunton Airfield just like the Swinhoe O.B. Other factors to do with the site are some secret organization based in the near by Doxford Hall. There was something to do with code breaking and early radar based there. Three old wood huts remain to the rear of the hall near the Doxford Newhouses. The staff were supposed to be from Bletchley Park, but I have not been able to find out more.

The O.B. is located in some woods midway between Doxford Newhouses and West Fallodon. From the A1 main road turn off at Rock or South Charlton and follow the minor road for Christon Bank. Just past the left hand turn to Doxford Newhouses there is a small bridge over a stream, this is where the public footpath starts.

There is a second public foot path from West Fallodon that meets this by crossing a wide field. Follow the track into the woods on the east side of the stream, after approx. quarter of a mile you pass the gate where the other footpath enters the woods. Continue on through the trees for a couple of hundred yards the O.B. is located on the west side of the Kittycarter Burn.

The site is fairly obvious; there is a lot of corrugated sheeting laying around and one pipe facing the burn. This is the end of the bolt hole. Care should be taken approaching the site as the bolt hole and bolt hole store have holes in them and it would be easy to fall into them. The O.B. was destroyed and abandoned after constant raids from the at one time large camp around the RAF Brunton site, security breached.
 
The site itself is still of interest and could be reconstructed very easily. The main entrance is down a corrugated metal pipe into a brick and concrete built chamber.

The internal blast wall is still in place. The rest is open to the air as all the corrugated iron is missing. Walking down the O.B. to the bolt hole end the concrete wall has a small embrasure with a field drain pipe protruding out on the surface, probably for message drops. The bolt hole has a lot of wood shuttering holding it up.

The bolt hole tunnel is complete with a small store part way in. Two wooden trap doors can be seen under the plants and moss. The site suffered from water seeping in and was built twice  because of this.

Built by 184 (s) Tunnelling Company R.E.

WW2  Map reference; qU680435. Modern; NU 187 232

 Patrol / cell members as told by Danny Moralee

    B. Dixon
    G.H. Dixon
    A.H. “Danny” Moralee
    T.F. Maxwell
    A.D. Turnbull
    R. Manors

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Page text and images & video supplied by Stephen Lewins.