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SOE (SPECIAL OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE) TRAINING SCHOOLS AND ESTABLISHMENTS HERITAGE SITE


COLLECTING WWII SOE HISTORY

The purpose of this site is to gather memories, photographs and documents from the people who have knowledge of, or worked or trained at the seventy odd SOE country houses in Britain. Jokingly called the:
"Stately ‘Omes of England".

The buildings range from small cottages and hunting lodges to huge country mansions. I need help to locate memories and pictures of all of them, wartime vintage, or earlier, to present day.
It is not important what job you did at the establishment, if you have a story, please send it in for inclusion. The project is potentially quite massive, too big for one person. Your help is needed.
If you are fortunate enough to own one of these former ‘stations’, please send me a photograph.

Inevitably, those of you who served are now elderly, but many will have memories, supported perhaps by a diary or maybe some personal photographs. I am finding it difficult to locate SOE veterans so have taken this major step via the world-wide web, in the hope of locating you.

I fear that if this isn’t done now, your stories that form such an important part of the history of the Second World War may be lost.

You are invited to contact me via e mail, desturner@aol.com, with information. If this is technically difficult for you, maybe a relative or friend will assist?
The information and pictures that you send will be archived for use by SOE researchers. You will be identified by name only. No address or other details will be supplied.

My name is Des Turner, SOE researcher and author of ‘SOE's Secret Weapons Centre STATION 12’, and other local history books. I have also just published (December 2017) a book on BRIGGENS SOE's False Document and Polish Agent Training Station'. I am currently working on stations ASTON HOUSE and THE FRYTH as more information and photographs have come to light, so I am especially interested in receiving information regarding these establishments, but my main objective is to collect photographs and memories of ALL the SOE stations before it is too late.

My best source of information and photographs is from the descendants of SOE veterans. I could not have completed the BRIGGENS book without help from the son of a captain who was an engraver/forger, also help from the niece of a Polish printer/forger and in addition the daughter of an artist/forger all of whom located me via this very Blog. I cannot thank them enough. Without the web it could not have happened.

NOTE: This listing of S.O.E. STATIONS is based on the situation as recorded in a SECRET Location List dated 28th April 1944.
I have added other stations to the list, some of which did mot receive designated S.T.S. or STA. numbers. The situation was constantly changing with additions and deletions to designated numbers and also the purpose of station's was always under review. My aim is to collect all the information possible and record changes throughout the wartime period using the April 1944 list as my datum.

S.I.S. (Secret Intelligence Service) country houses such as Bletchley Park, Woburn Abbey and Paris House are nor included at present. I may add them as a separate list.





Friday, January 5, 2018

ASTON HOUSE E.S.6 (WD) STA.12

Address: Aston, Herts
Purpose: Research and Development of weapons plus production, testing and supply.
Current state: All wartime buildings and the house have been demolished.
                      The estate has been converted into the Stevenage Golf Centre and is open to the public.

 
I have produced three versions of my book on this station. The first was a local history that I published myself and printed only 200 copies, A4 size. It is no longer available.
 
 
The second hardback version was published by Sutton Publishing. To comply with their style some pictures and chapters were withdrawn.
 
 
 
 The third revised paperback edition (below) is currently available from bookshops and web sites such as the IWM or National Archives, etc. It is published by History Press.
 
 
 
 
HELP!  I am working on yet another version of the ASTON HOUSE book incorporating THE FRYTHE. The two stations worked closely together, many of the weapons were joint ventures.
If you would like your pictures or memories considered for inclusion please  send them to: desturner@aol.com
Full credit will be given if used. 
 
HELP!   Can you help with names of the card players please?
This is an extremely rare picture of the inside of secret Aston House.
My thanks to the Cowdell family.
 
 
HELP!        A beautifully relaxed group picnicking near Aston House.
It must be after war's end? Godfrey George Cowdell is the only male present.
Can you name anyone else. My thanks to the Cowdell family.
 
The photographs will be included in my next book currently being researched.
It will also contain the individual history of each establishment, relevant SOE training and production programme, details of individuals, artefacts, special finds and stories, etc., where available. The Official Secrets Act make s this task difficult as not all documents have been released and some were destroyed in a fire.
 
So much depends on local knowledge information. You are invited to help  by providing anything of interest to support this project. The book will  acknowledge all such contributions if required.

 

 
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