Secret bunker of the Second World War ‘scallywags’ found deep in Borders forest
● Bolt hole would have been used to fight Nazi invasion
They were known as the “scallywags” – and ordered to fight to the death.
Now, a secret underground bunker that housed “Churchill’s secret army” during the Second World War has been discovered deep in a forest in the Borders.
The bunker, in Craigieland Forest, near Moffat, was used as an operational base for an auxilliary unit, a secret branch of the Home Guard, known as “Churchill’s secret army”.
Local estate workers who had in-depth knowledge and experience of the land often served in the units.
The bunker was discovered during a tree-felling operation by Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) which owns the wood.
Matt Ritchie, an archaeologist at FLS, said: “This discovery gives us an insight into one of the most secretive units that were operating during WW2.
“It’s quite rare to find these bunkers as their locations were always kept secret – most were buried or lost. From records, we know that around seven men used this bunker and at the time were armed with revolvers, Sten gun submachine guns, a sniper’s rifle and explosives.”
Auxiliary units were a secret resistance network highly trained to be Britain’s last ditch line of defence during the Second World War.
They operated in a network of cells from hidden underground bases around the UK, such as the one found at Craigieland Forest.
When the units were stood down, many of the men joined the SAS or other special forces for D Day and served with distinction.
This particular bunker was found by FLS survey technician Kit Rodger. Describing the search for the site, he said :“The bunker was missing from our records but as a child I used to play in these woods and visit the bunker so I knew it was there somewhere.
“It was 40 years ago so I only had vague memories of the location and the vicinity had changed a lot and was overgrown with bracken. However, I stumbled across a shallow trench and this led to the bunker door.”
The recently rediscovered bunker was built to a standard design and was accessed via a hatch at the end of a narrow passage. A second escape hatch was reached at the end of a ladder leading from the other end of the bunker.
The bunker space was formed by an arch of riveted corrugated iron sheets over a cement floor measuring only 7 metres in length by 3 metres wide. It would have contained bunk beds, a table and cooking stove and all the equipment needed. None of the materials survived, although broken timbers found on the floor may be the remains of the original timber bed frames.
According to the British Resistance Network, more that 100 auxilliary unit patrols were formed in Scotland during the early war years.
Units were established from Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis down the east coast to the scottish Borders. The chief threat was coming from German in Denmark and Norway while Luftwaffe reconnaissance flights took hundreds of photographs of the British coastline before war broke out.
Just over 650 men were in the Scottish units, most of them working the land by day.
The exact location of the bunker will not be revealed due to health and safety reasons but given it is likely to attract roosting bats, bat boxes have been installed there.
“We know that around seven men used this bunker, armed with revolvers, Sten gun submachine guns, a sniper’s rifle and explosives”
MATT RITCHIE
FLS archeologist