WW2 Observation Post

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A small stone-lined pit stood as an observation post for an Auxiliary Unit Operational Base in Castleton's North York Moors. The pit was just large enough for a man to stand upright, with eyes scanning down into a valley through a narrow stone slit. A small ledge of stone at the rear likely served as a spot to lean or sit. Phone cables were reportedly found running from this post to a base roughly 100m southwest. The post would have provided an early warning system for any activity in Danby, Castleton, and Whitby, particularly on the road leading inland from the latter town. If an invasion had occurred, men using this secret base would have gone underground, carrying out sabotage, disruption tactics, and assassinations until captured or killed. Hundreds of "Auxiliary Units" operated covertly during World War II, but many physical remnants are now non-existent. These abandoned ruins offer a rare glimpse into the wartime secrets that once lay hidden at the heart of rural communities across Britain.