Creech Barrow Auxiliary Hide

Creech Barrow Auxiliary Hide; I've searched for this site several times over the years using NGR's found in books or on-line and until today had had no success. It would appear that all the sources I'd used had shown inaccurate locations and erroneous grid references, intentionally or not I'm uncertain. I first tried to find it in the late 90's, no luck and regular surveys over the following years ended similarly, I began to think the sites entrances had been covered over, the degrading site becoming hazardous.  Today I found it, in the right area, but no where near any of the suggested locations.  Auxiliary Hides were commissioned in 1940, over 40 were located in Dorset alone and were intended to provide operational bases for small groups of well trained resistance fighters; the Creech Barrow hide unit had 7 members, a Sgt., a Cpl. and 5 privates. In case of invasion these units were to continue a gorilla warfare campaign against the German invaders; creating the nucleus of a British resistance force.  The public never knew of they're existence or the double lives of the men, sworn to upper most secrecy, who manned them. Of course, they were never called upon to act and after the war their hides lay forgotten and neglected as the men went on with their lives continuing to maintain secrecy and silence about their wartime activities

The site was subterranean and would have comprised of a concealed entrance leading to two rectangular rooms, all block built, with a angled connecting passage to deflect explosions, the second room also had an emergency exit; the rooms were topped with a concave strong (elephant) corrugated iron roof  covered in a couple of feet of soil. The site is much diminished.  The entrance, the joining wall with passage, along with the escape exit, all being build in block and concrete remain in good condition, although all their fittings have long since disappeared or perished.

Reports from the 70's and 80's suggested that the hide remained pretty much intact, photos taken in 2003 show that sections of the roof have collapsed, though it's clear that sections still remained in situ, unfortunately all but fragments of the roof remain in situ and it looks some years since the remaining roof fell.  The collapse in not yet complete, there are several visible voids and I'm sure more unseen. 

The two rooms served different uses, the first room after the entrance was the store room,  where equipment and materials were kept and where preparation activities would have taken place; planning, arming explosives, weapons maintenance as well as the day to day activities such cooking.  The second room, reached through the angled passage was smaller, 7 hammocks would have been slung from a central pole, with a small bolt hole escape exit in the far wall.

These sites are a rare glimpse into a period of national fear.  In the face of a potential invasion by a devastatingly effect army, who had swiftly and with ease decimated and dominated several European armies, including our B.E.F, we faced some harsh possibilities. We were obviously planning for invasion and our potential defeat as well as  what came afterwards.  This site is a hard to find and mostly forgotten, which is sad, as it represents a little known episode of our World War Two home front experience.