List of SOE establishments facts for kids
During World War II, a secret British organization called the Special Operations Executive (SOE) had many hidden locations. These places were used for training secret agents, developing special tools, and managing their important work. This article lists some of these secret sites.
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Secret SOE Locations
The SOE used different numbering systems for its secret sites. Places where they did experimental work, stored items, or made things were often given Roman numerals (like I, II, III). Many of these were in Hertfordshire, England. Training schools and active operation centers used regular Arabic numbers (like 1, 2, 3). These included tough commando-style schools in Scotland and "finishing" schools in Hampshire.
Active Radio Stations
These were the SOE's important radio stations. They were set up to send and receive secret messages. Before June 1942, the SOE shared its signal work with other spy groups at Bletchley Park. After that, they got their own dedicated radio sites.
- Station 53a - Grendon Hall in Grendon Underwood, Buckinghamshire. This was a main signals center. Today, it's a prison.
- Station 53b - Poundon House, Buckinghamshire. This station listened to and sent radio messages.
Experimental and Development Sites
Many of the SOE's secret labs and workshops were in Hertfordshire. Here, they created and tested all sorts of clever gadgets and weapons.
- Station VI - Bride Hall near Ayot St Lawrence, Hertfordshire. This was where they found and got secret weapons.
- Station VII - Various locations in Wembley and Watford. These sites focused on making, packing, and researching wireless (radio) equipment.
- Station IX - The Frythe estate near Welwyn Garden City. This place started as a radio research unit. It then became a center for developing and making weapons. Later, it was a general research and development station.
- Station IXa - Ashford, Middlesex. This site worked on Submersibles, which are small underwater vehicles.
- Station IXc - Fishguard Bay Hotel, Goodwick, Pembrokeshire. More work on submersibles happened here, testing them in Fishguard Bay.
- Station XII - Aston House near Stevenage, Hertfordshire. This was a key place for researching and developing explosives and sabotage weapons.
- Station XIV - Briggens House, near Roydon, Essex. This station was home to the Forgery Section. They were experts at creating fake documents.
- Station XV - The Thatched Barn in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. This was the Camouflage Section. They helped agents blend in by making perfect fake French clothes. They even sewed maps into silk underwear! They also invented tricky booby traps, like bicycle pumps that exploded or hand grenades hidden in fruit tins.
- Station XVII - Brickendonbury, Brickendon, Hertford. This site was used for testing explosives.
Agent Training Schools
The SOE had many training schools, often called STS (Special Training Schools). Here, agents learned everything from commando skills to how to use secret radios and blend in.
- STS 1 - Brock Hall, Flore, Northamptonshire.
- STS 2 - Bellasis, Box Hill Road, Dorking, Surrey. This school trained SOE staff and agents from Denmark and Italy. It later became a holding center for Czech and French agents.
- STS 3 - Stodham Park, Liss, Hampshire. This was a school for Norwegian agents and staff training. They also taught how to use mines and enemy weapons.
- STS 4 / STS 7 - Winterfold, Cranleigh, Surrey. This was a preliminary school for Dutch and Belgian agents. Later, it became a place to assess new students.
- STS 5 - Wanborough Manor, Puttenham, Guildford, Surrey. This was the first school for French agents.
- STS 21 - Arisaig House, Arisaig, Inverness-shire. This was a commando-style training center.
- STS 22a - Glasnacardoch Lodge, Mallaig, Inverness-shire. This was a weapons store where guns were checked and serviced.
- STS 26 - Drumintoul Lodge, Aviemore, and Glenmore Lodge, Inverness-shire. This was the main headquarters for the Norwegian Linge Company.
- STS 31 to STS 36 - Beaulieu, Hampshire. These were known as "Finishing Schools." Agents went here for their final training, including security and radio skills. STS 36 was only for female agents.
- STS 38 - Briggens House, near Roydon, Essex. This school focused on training Polish agents.
- STS 40 - Howbury Hall, Bedford. Agents learned to use special radio devices like EUREKA and REBECCA here.
- STS 43 - Audley End House, Essex. Another important training center for the Polish section.
- STS 44 - Water Eaton Manor near Oxford.
- STS 45 - Hatherop Castle, Fairford, Gloucestershire. This was a holding school and headquarters for Danish agents.
- STS 46 - Chichely Hall, Buckinghamshire. This school trained agents for the Czechoslovak Section.
- STS 51 - Dunham House, Altrincham, Cheshire. This site was used for parachute training near RAF Ringway.
- STS 51b - Fulshaw Hall, Wilmslow, Cheshire. Also used for parachute training near RAF Ringway.
- STS 52 - Thame Park, Oxfordshire. This school focused on security training for wireless operators.
- Station 53c - Poundon, Buckinghamshire. This site trained American forces in SOE communication methods.
- STS 54a - Fawley Court, Henley on Thames. This was a Signals Section for wireless operators.
- STS 61 - Audley End, Saffron Walden. This location was used for packing parachute containers.
- STS 62 - Anderson Manor, Anderson, Dorset.
- STS 102 - Mount Carmel, above Haifa in Mandate Palestine (now Israel). This was a training center with parachute training at RAF Ramat David.
- STS 103 - Camp X - Whitby, Ontario, Canada. This camp trained Canadian and American agents.
