CART Auxiliary Unit Research

County Group

Locality

Cairnie is a village near Huntly.

Patrol members

Name	Occupation	Posted from	Until
Sergeant John Maitland Roger	Farmer	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Corporal George Kemp		Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private James Duff	Farmer	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private Alexander Duncan	Farmer	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private Norman Duthie		Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private Ronald George Gray		Unknown	Unknown
Private J. MacDonald		Unknown	Unknown
Private F. MacKenzie		Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private William Mcpherson	Farmer	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private Donald Sey	Farm Worker	Unknown	03 Dec 1944
Private John Symon	Forestry worker	Unknown	Unknown

Operational Base (OB)

The location is about ½ Mile on Ordiquill Hill which is part of Bin Forest. This is basically a wooded area, however currently the location has been forested.

The OB is located at a ruined cottage which is on Forestry Commission land and was accessed under the Land Reform Scotland Act (2003).

This is accessible off B9022 road towards Banff. Walking from parking area at Croft of Dykeside, follow path up hill and follow road round to the right.

One area has a collapsed concrete roof, walls are intact and in good condition. The area next to it is just a depression. It is believed to have been blown up at the end of the war.

Entrance was through a dry stone wall at the back of a ruined cottage. In accessing the entrance, there was a split corridor that went left to one area and right to another.

Patrol & OB pictures

Ordiquill Hill which is part of Bin Forest

Cairnie Auxiliary Unit OB

Cairnie Auxiliary Unit OB from the air

Cairnie Auxiliary Unit OB

Railway bridge over the River Devron

Cairnie Auxiliary Unit OB

OB Status

Collapsed with some visible remains

OB accessibility

The OB site is publicly accessible

Location

Cairnie Patrol

Patrol Targets

Targets would of included the substantial railway bridge over the River Devron, as well as road bridges. Banff would have been a possible landing ground on the coast, with a major airfield there. Huntly is also a main thoroughfare for the Aberdeen Inverness road.

Training

Training was conducted at Blairmore House, Huntly.

Other information

Norman Davidson (Forestry Worker) recalls two other structures in the wood, however is unable to locate them today.

References

TNA ref WO199/3388 201 Bn rolls.

Hancock report held at B.R.A

Most of this info has come from Norman Davidson, who got it from John Strachan of the Patrol. Additional Information from Patrick Scott of Huntly.