The following is an incomplete list of training centres, research and development sites, administrative sites and other establishments used by the Special Operations Executive during the Second World War.
Establishments concerned with experimental work, storage and production were given Roman numerals (mostly in Hertfordshire). Training schools had Arabic numbers. (These included paramilitary schools around Arisaig, "finishing" schools around Beaulieu and operational schools in various counties including Gloucestershire, Leicestershire, Oxfordshire.)
Station VI - Bride Hall near Ayot St Lawrence, Hertfordshire - the weapons acquisition section.
Station VIIa - Bontex Knitting Mills, Beresford Avenue, Wembley - Wireless Section Production
Station VIIb - Yeast-Vite factory, Whippendell Road, Watford - Wireless Section, packing and dispatch
Station VIIc - Allensor's joinery factory, King George's Avenue, Watford - Wireless Section Research
Section VIId - Kay's garage, Bristol Street, Birmingham - Wireless Section Production
Station IX - The Frythe estate near Welwyn Garden City, which began as a wireless research unit (Special Signals), then became a weapons development & production centre, then a research and development station. Now a factory belonging to GlaxoSmithKline
Station IXa - P O Box 1, Ashford, Middlesex - Submersibles work at Staines reservoir.
Station IXc - Fishguard Bay Hotel, Goodwick, Pembrokeshire - Submersibles work in Fishguard Bay.
Station XI - Old Gorhambury House near St Albans, Hertfordshire - Accommodation.
Station XII - Aston House near Stevenage, Hertfordshire - Production, packaging and dispatch.
Station XIV - Briggens, near Roydon, Essex, contained the Forgery Section.
Station XV - The Thatched Barn - road house on the Barnet bypass at Borehamwood, Hertfordshire - Camouflage Section. Much of the work of this station involved the final equipping of agents who came through the Thatched Barn prior to going to France. Typical of the work was reproducing French clothing which was copied from newspaper photographs, catalogues etc. and had to be perfect down to the last stitch and button. Maps were hand sewn into silk underwear, agents were made up with false humped backs etc. to enhance their disguise. Strict anonymity was observed. The station was also concerned with the development of booby traps including very original devices such as bicycle pumps which were swapped and exploded when used. Other work included packing hand grenades into tins labelled as fruit. The labels were reproduced by skilled artists to look like the real thing. Plaster of Paris was moulded and painted to resemble a log and inside was a Sten gun.
Station XVa - 56 Queen's Gate, Kensington, London SW7 - Camouflage Section - prototypes.
Station XVb - The Demonstration Room, Natural History Museum in London. Camouflage Section - A training centre for agents and for briefing officials.
Station XVc - 2-3 Trevor Square, Knightsbridge, South Kensington - Camouflage Section, photographic and make-up section.
Station XVII - Brickendonbury, Brickendon, Hertford - Explosive trials
Station unknown - Spartan factory, North Circular Road, Wembley - Unknown
STS 1 - Brock Hall, Flore, Northamptonshire
STS 2 - Bellasis, Box Hill Road, Dorking, Surrey - training of ex-German PoWs - also training and holding centre used by Czech section.
STS 3 - Stodham Park, Liss, Hampshire (later STS 47) - specialised in mines and the use of enemy weapons.
STS 4 - Winterfold House, Cranleigh, Surrey
STS 5 - Wanborough Manor, Puttenham, Guildford, Surrey - initial training establishment for SOE operatives ('F' Section)
STS 6 - West Court, Finchampstead, Wokingham, Berkshire
STS 7 (formerly STS 4) - Winterfold, Cranleigh, Surrey - Students Assessment Board
Station 14 Briggins, Roydon, Essex
STS 17 - Brickendonbury Manor - sabotage
Station 17 (originally XVII) Brickendonbury Manor, Brickendon, Hertford, Hertfordshire
STS 19 - Gardener's End, Ardeley, Stevenage, Hertfordshire - Bonzos for Operation Periwig
Station 19 - Gardener's End, Ardeley, Stevenage, Hertfordshire
STS 20a & 20b - Pollards Park House, Chalfont St Giles - Polish section
Station 20 Pollards Park House, Chalfont St Giles - Polish section
STS 21 - Arisaig House, Arisaig, Inverness-shire - commando-style training
STS 22 - Rhubana Lodge, Morar, Inverness-shire
STS 22a - Glasnacardoch Lodge, Mallaig, Inverness-shire - weapons store where weapons were serviced and checked for accuracy.
STS 23 - Meoble Lodge, beside Loch Morar, Inverness-shire
STS 23b - Swordland, Tarbet Bay, beside Loch Morar, Inverness-shire
STS 24a - Inverie House, Knoydart, near Mallaig, Inverness-shire
STS 24b - Glaschoille, Knoydart, Mallaig, Inverness-shire
STS 25a - Garramor, South Morar, Inverness-shire
STS 25b - Camusdarach, South Morar, Inverness-shire
STS 25c - Traigh House, South Morar, Inverness-shire
STS 26 - Drumintoul Lodge, Aviemore, Inverness-shire and Glenmore Lodge, Inverness-shire - Norwegian Holding School / Main Headquarters of Linge Company
STS31 to STS27b - Beaulieu, Hampshire - Finishing Schools
STS 31 - The Rings, Beaulieu, Hampshire - security training for agents
STS 31 - The House in the Woods, Beaulieu, Hampshire
STS 36 - Boarmans, Beaulieu, Hampshire
STS 37a - ??? - advanced photography
STS 39 - (Hackett School), ??? - subversive propaganda
STS 40 - Howbury Hall, near Waterend, Bedford - training in use of EUREKA, REBECCA and S-Phone. Reception Committee School.
STS 41 - Gumley Hal, Market Harborough
STS 42 - Roughwood Park, Chalfont St Giles, Bucks
STS 43 - Audley End House, Essex - Polish section
STS 44 - Water Eaton Manor near Oxford
STS 45 - Hatherop Castle, Fairford, Gloucestershire - Danish Holding School / Headquarters
STS 46 - Chichely Hall, Buckinghamshire - Czechoslovak Section
STS 47 - ??? - advanced training on mines
STS 49 -Forthampton House, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire
STS 50 - Gorse Hill, Witley near Godalming in Surrey
STS 51 - Dunham House, Altrincham, Cheshire - parachute training (near RAF Ringway)
STS 51b - Fulshaw Hall, Wilmslow, Cheshire - parachute training (near RAF Ringway)
STS 52 - Thame Park, Oxfordshire - security training for wireless operators
Station 53a - Grendon Hall in Grendon Underwood, near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire - signals centre. Now Spring Hill Prison.
Station 53b - Poundon House, Buckinghamshire, near Bicester - radio listening and transmission station.
Station 53c - Poundon, Buckinghamshire, near Bicester. - Training American forces in SOE communications techniques. 53b and 53c were physically separate establishments but close to each other. Some of the 53b staff was transferred when 53c opened.
STS 54a - Fawley Court, Henley on Thames - Signals Section (Wireless Operators)
STS 54b - Belhaven School, Dunbar - Signals Section (Wireless Operators)
STS 61 - Audley End, Saffron Walden - packing parachute containers
STS 61 - Gaynes' Hall, St Neots (after April 1942)
Station 62 - Anderson Manor, Anderson, Dorset
STS 63 Erlestoke Park (near Devizes) Another stately home used for Operation Bardsea but also used earlier for the 'Senior Officers' School'
STS 101 - Tanjong Baili, Singapore.
STS 102 (also ME 102) - Mount Carmel (with parachute training at RAF Ramat David, Haifa)
STS 103 - Camp X - Whitby, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada - used to train Canadian and American agents
Other stations, whose code numbers are unknown, included:
Gaynes Hall near St Neots in Cambridgeshire - Norwegian section.
The Firs, Whitchurch a large house in Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire
Henley-on-Thames - quartermaster
Norseby House, 83 Baker Street, London - headquarters of European country sections
No 6 Special Workshop School - Inverlair, Invernessshire. According to the RCAHMS and Major Fyffe but Fyffe writes that within three weeks this was changed to simply "Inverlair". Also known colloquially as "The Cooler" and possibly ISRB Workshops.
Pictures of many of the sites in the South East of England
Messrs Carpet Trades Ltd of Kidderminster packed about 18,500 containers after November 1943.
Erlestoke Park (near Devizes) Another stately home used for the 'Senior Officers School' and later for Operation Bardsea as STS 63 an operation for dropping Polish emigres into occupied France. (see above)
