This target was probably erected during World War II for use by SOE agents training at nearby Glasnacardoch House.
The following is an incomplete list of training centres, research and development sites, administrative sites and other establishments used by the Special Operations Executive during the Second World War.
Numbered stations
Establishments concerned with experimental work, storage and production were given Roman numerals (mostly in Hertfordshire). Active stations and training schools had Arabic numbers. These included paramilitary schools around Arisaig in Scotland, "finishing" schools around Beaulieu in Hampshire and operational schools in various counties including Gloucestershire, Leicestershire, Oxfordshire.
Active stations
These were SOE's radio stations, established when SOE's signals establishments were separated from that of SIS / GCCS at Bletchley Park (originally "Station X"). This formally took place on 1 June 1942.
Station IX - The Frythe estate near Welwyn Garden City, which began as a wireless research unit (Special Signals), then became a weapons development & production centre, then a research and development station. Now a factory belonging to GlaxoSmithKline
(Station X - the original name for Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire that continued to be used as a nickname for BP after it went on to greater things.)
Station XV - The Thatched Barn - road house on the Barnet bypass at Borehamwood, Hertfordshire - Camouflage Section. Much of the work of this station involved the final equipping of agents who came through the Thatched Barn prior to going to France. Typical of the work was reproducing French clothing which was copied from newspaper photographs, catalogues etc. and had to be perfect down to the last stitch and button. Maps were hand sewn into silk underwear, agents were made up with false humped backs etc. to enhance their disguise. Strict anonymity was observed. The station was also concerned with the development of booby traps including very original devices such as bicycle pumps which were swapped and exploded when used. Other work included packing hand grenades into tins labelled as fruit. The labels were reproduced by skilled artists to look like the real thing. Plaster of Paris was moulded and painted to resemble a log and inside was a Sten gun.
Station XVa - 56 Queen's Gate, Kensington, London SW7 - Camouflage Section - prototypes.
Station XVb - The Demonstration Room, Natural History Museum in London. Camouflage Section - A training centre for agents and for briefing officials.[7]
Station XVc - 2-3 Trevor Square, Knightsbridge, South Kensington - Camouflage Section, photographic and make-up section.
STS 2 - Bellasis, Box Hill Road, Dorking, Surrey - training of SOE staff and Danes, Italians. Became training and holding centre used by Czech Section and for F Section coup de main parties. Later used for initial assessment of German Army PoWs as BONZO agents.
STS 3 - Stodham Park, Liss, Hampshire - Norwegian depot school, staff training courses, British and OSS Jedburghs initial assessment centre, specialised course in mines and the use of enemy weapons, training of German and Russian (German Army) former POWs.[8]
STS 4 - Winterfold, Cranleigh, Surrey - Preliminary School for N (Dutch) and T (Belgian) Sections. From June 1943 became STS 7, Students' Assessment Board (SAB).
STS 5 - Wanborough Manor, Puttenham, Guildford, Surrey - initially the Preliminary School for F (French) Section, later (from June 1943) holding depot for Dutch agents and training of German Army PoWs as BONZOs.
Station 53c - Poundon, Buckinghamshire, near Bicester. - Training American forces in SOE communications techniques. Station 53b and Station 53c were physically separate establishments but close to each other. Some of the staff from Station 53b were transferred when Station 53c opened.
STS 63 Warnham Court, Warnham, Horsham, West Sussex. Used by EU/P (Polish Minorities) Section, including for (aborted) Operation Bardsea[19] and Operation Dunstable.
STS 102 (also ME 102 and STC 102) - Mount Carmel, above Haifa in Mandate Palestine, now Israel. With parachute training at RAF Ramat David, weapons training at Athlit (now Atlit), paramilitary training at Megiddo and (Palmach training) at Mishmar HaEmek.
STS 103 - Camp X - Whitby, Ontario, Canada - used to train Canadian and American agents[1]
Other sites
Other stations, whose code numbers are unknown, included:
The Firs, Whitchurch - a large house in Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire, home of the semi-independent section MD1
Henley-on-Thames - quartermaster
Norgeby House,[21] 83 Baker Street, London - headquarters of European country sections
No 6 Special Workshop School, Inverlair, Inverness-shire. Known colloquially as "The Cooler" and possibly ISRB Workshops, agents who had either failed their training or been recalled from operations were sent here.[22][23][24]
Pictures of many of the sites in the southeast of England[25]
Messrs Carpet Trades Ltd of Kidderminster packed about 18,500 containers after November 1943.[8]
Erlestoke Park (near Devizes) - Another stately home used for the 'Senior Officers School'.
Station unknown - Spartan factory, North Circular Road, Wembley, London - Unknown
^Frederic Boyce and Douglas Everett (2003). SOE: The Scientific Secrets. "Appendix A: Research and Development Establishments". Sutton Publishing. ISBN0-7509-3165-5. (p.289)
^"Aston House Stevenage a". 4 December 2006. Archived from the original on 4 December 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
Nigel West (1992). Secret War: The Story of SOE, Britain's Wartime Sabotage Organisation. Hodder & Stoughton.
Arthur Christie (2004). Mission Scapula SOE in the Far East. Panda Press. ISBN0-9547010-0-3.
Rees, Neil (2005). The Secret History of the Czech Connection: The Czechoslovak Government in Exile in London and Buckinghamshire During the Second World War. Buckinghamshire: Neil Rees. ISBN0-9550883-0-5. OCLC62196328.
Des Turner (2011). SOE's Secret Weapons Centre STATION 12. History Press. ISBN978-0-7524-5944-8.
Des Turner. BRIGGENS SOE's Forgery and Polish Agent Training Station.
