Child Okeford is a village 3 miles east of Sturminster Newton.
At first glance this might seem like two Patrols, but a number of men left to join the Armed Forces shrinking the unit. Harold Tulk joined the unit in December 1941. Cyril Everleigh and Jack Richardson only joined in December 1942 when they had turned 16. Jim Fudge and Ted Arnold do not appear in the nominal roll but are mentioned in accounts of the Patrol.
| Name | Occupation | Posted from | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sergeant Alfred Henry Chambers | Cowman |
19 Jun 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Edward Morris Arnold | Gardener |
Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Harry Bee | Cow and Poultry Man |
19 Jun 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Stanley Leonard Brown | Avon & Stour Catchment Board |
27 Feb 1942 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Frederick George Cooper | Baker |
09 Sep 1940 | 14 Apr 1943 |
| Private Cyril Raymond Eveleigh | Father is Baker |
12 Oct 1942 | 17 Jul 1944 |
| Private James Francis Fudge | Possibly a Butchers Roundsman |
Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Jack Richardson | Father Farm Labourer |
12 Oct 1942 | 11 Sep 1944 |
| Private Samuel John White Rogers | Permanent Way Railway Worker |
25 Jul 1941 | 14 Apr 1943 |
| Private Henry George Tuffin | Butchers Journeyman |
06 Sep 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Private Harold Ernest Tulk | Estate Woodman |
12 Nov 1941 | 03 Dec 1944 |
The OB is on private land in a small wood on Hambeldon Hill, opposite Hod Hill, a prehistoric Hill Fort and Roman fortress. Short sections of elephant shelter can be seen but the structure is largely collapsed and filled with soil.
Various paths lead to and from the area and would have allowed the Patrol access hidden by the trees in this remote part of Dorset. The OB reportedly had a living area, kitchen, toilet and a 200 gallon water tank. It was linked to lookout points by field telephone.
CART had permission for a visit in March 2018 to record the remains of the OB site.
Child Okeford Patrol
The main military targets would have been the military camp in Blandford and the railway through it. There were few targets in the immediate area of Child Okeford and it may be that the Patrol was intended to disrupt German traffic on the narrow roads to the north in the event of an invasion.
In addition to the normal activities, the Patrol had special training from Lord Lovat's No 4 Commando, who were based in Dorset for a period.
The National Archives WO199/3390, 199/3391
Child Okeford, A Dorset Village, Child Okeford Millennium Book Committee, 1999.
O.B. photos: M.Allen