Essex Scout Section

Most Scout Sections had at least two operational bases. 

One possible OB is the one at Copford, which is not associated with any other Home Guard Patrol. 

The OB is on publicly accessible land at Pits Wood in Copford. Pits Wood is a community resource in Copford. The interpretation board makes no mention of the secret wartime goings on that occurred here.

Though almost completely collapsed, the overall design and construction can still be made out. It was built in area of previous sand and gravel extraction, which had left the land with a variety of pits and mounds, which obviously meant it was relatively easy to hide an OB and there was also good drainage of the site. The OB itself is built at the top of a bank between one of the main paths and a deep hollow. At the top of the bank is a rectangular chamber with a tunnel leading off into the main OB. The main OB has vent pipes in the side banking, which may indicate that they originally came out of either the upper wall of top of the roof. It is likely that other pipes entered the bottom of the OB to create a through flow of fresh air. One extant pipe has been traced over 6 feet into the bank, without identifying its exit! From the main corrugated iron elephant shelter chamber, there was an escape exit that curved away behind a large tree to exit into a deep pit. This would have allowed Patrol members to escape out of site of anyone who had found the entrance. A small wooden bridge, erected in recent years, now crosses the escape tunnel and provides a convenient landmark to locate the OB.

Reportedly photographs were taken inside the OB prior to its collapse, which showed corrugated iron end walls. We would obviously be keen to locate these old photographs and bring them to a wider audience. Please contact us if you know where they are.