Royal Observer Corps Monitoring Post
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Royal Observer Corps
Monitoring Posts are underground structures all over the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, constructed as a result of the Corps' nuclear reporting role and operated by volunteers during the Cold War
between 1955 and 1991.
In all but a very few instances the posts were built to a standard design consisting of a 14-foot-deep access shaft, a toilet/store and a monitoring room. The most unusual post was the non-standard one constructed in a cellar within Windsor Castle
.
A third of the total number of posts were closed in 1968 during a reorganisation and major contraction of the ROC. Several others closed over the next 40 years as a result of structural difficulties i.e. persistent flooding, or regular vandalism. The remainder of the posts were closed in 1991 when the majority of the ROC was stood down following the break-up of the Communist Bloc. Many have been demolished or adapted to other uses but the majority still exist, although in a derelict condition.
Scientific Advisory Branch, were sealed inside with rations bedding and barracks
equipment. With a few minor changes, mainly to the hatch and air ventilation louvres, the posts were built as per the prototype. The protection provided by the concrete roof and compacted earth mounded above the post was estimated to reduce any external nuclear radiation by a factor of 1,500:1.
Construction of the original 1,563 posts was overseen by the Air Ministry
Works Department and the ROC and undertaken by local contractors. Once a site was chosen (usually the site of an aircraft observation post) a hole approximately 9 feet deep was excavated. Within this hole a monocoque
structure was cast using re-enforced concrete
with a floor about twelve inches thick, walls about seven inches thick and a roof about eight inches thick. The whole structure was then bitumen 'tanked' for waterproofing purposes. Soil was compacted over the structure to form a mound leaving the access shaft, doubling as an airshaft, protruding above ground. At the opposite end of the building a further air shaft was formed. Two metal pipes, one 5 inches in diameter and one 1 inch in diameter protruded from the roof and above the four-foot mound to be used with operational instruments. The air vents were covered by downward-sloping louvres above ground and sliding metal shutters below ground to control air flow during contamination by radioactive fallout.
The Home Office
wanted 100 posts built in the first year (1957) and 250 a year thereafter. By mid-1958 only 94 posts had been handed over to the ROC with 110 under construction.
The cost of building the underground posts was approximately £1000, but rose to nearer £8000 in some instances.
, has been incorporated in to a house and forms a handy cellar.
A small number of posts have been purchased and either restored to how they were and usually opened as museums with guided tours by prior arrangement. One such post is the former 20 Group York, 37 Post (Brandsby
) post north of York, which has been painstakingly restored to how it was in the final summer of operation in 1991. It is the nearest restored Monitoring Post to the only restored ROC Group Control in Britain, HQ 20 Group York
, Shelley House at Acomb, York.
Other known restored posts include Skelmorlie Scotland
, Veryan Cornwall
. Skipsea, Yorkshire
, Chop Gate Yorkshire
, Rushton Spencer Staffordshire
, Broadway Worcestershire
and Portadown County Armagh
. Several more are planned or are under development.
Royal Observer Corps
The Royal Observer Corps was a civil defence organisation operating in the United Kingdom between 29 October 1925 and 31 December 1995, when the Corps' civilian volunteers were stood down....
Monitoring Posts are underground structures all over the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, constructed as a result of the Corps' nuclear reporting role and operated by volunteers during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
between 1955 and 1991.
In all but a very few instances the posts were built to a standard design consisting of a 14-foot-deep access shaft, a toilet/store and a monitoring room. The most unusual post was the non-standard one constructed in a cellar within Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
.
A third of the total number of posts were closed in 1968 during a reorganisation and major contraction of the ROC. Several others closed over the next 40 years as a result of structural difficulties i.e. persistent flooding, or regular vandalism. The remainder of the posts were closed in 1991 when the majority of the ROC was stood down following the break-up of the Communist Bloc. Many have been demolished or adapted to other uses but the majority still exist, although in a derelict condition.
Construction
The first prototype post was built at Farnham, Surrey, in 1956 and on 29/30 September of that year a trial was conducted to ascertain the usefulness of the underground posts. Of the two crews of four personnel engaged in staffing the post during this trial, the second group of four, two ROC and two Home OfficeHome Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
Scientific Advisory Branch, were sealed inside with rations bedding and barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
equipment. With a few minor changes, mainly to the hatch and air ventilation louvres, the posts were built as per the prototype. The protection provided by the concrete roof and compacted earth mounded above the post was estimated to reduce any external nuclear radiation by a factor of 1,500:1.
Construction of the original 1,563 posts was overseen by the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
Works Department and the ROC and undertaken by local contractors. Once a site was chosen (usually the site of an aircraft observation post) a hole approximately 9 feet deep was excavated. Within this hole a monocoque
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
structure was cast using re-enforced concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
with a floor about twelve inches thick, walls about seven inches thick and a roof about eight inches thick. The whole structure was then bitumen 'tanked' for waterproofing purposes. Soil was compacted over the structure to form a mound leaving the access shaft, doubling as an airshaft, protruding above ground. At the opposite end of the building a further air shaft was formed. Two metal pipes, one 5 inches in diameter and one 1 inch in diameter protruded from the roof and above the four-foot mound to be used with operational instruments. The air vents were covered by downward-sloping louvres above ground and sliding metal shutters below ground to control air flow during contamination by radioactive fallout.
The Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
wanted 100 posts built in the first year (1957) and 250 a year thereafter. By mid-1958 only 94 posts had been handed over to the ROC with 110 under construction.
The cost of building the underground posts was approximately £1000, but rose to nearer £8000 in some instances.
Restorations
Today most posts lie derelict and abandoned. Approximately half of the posts built have been demolished, either on stand down by the ROC or by private owners in subsequent years. One post, in YorkYork
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, has been incorporated in to a house and forms a handy cellar.
A small number of posts have been purchased and either restored to how they were and usually opened as museums with guided tours by prior arrangement. One such post is the former 20 Group York, 37 Post (Brandsby
Brandsby
Brandsby is a village in North Yorkshire, England. The village toponymy is of Danish origin named after a Norseman called Brand....
) post north of York, which has been painstakingly restored to how it was in the final summer of operation in 1991. It is the nearest restored Monitoring Post to the only restored ROC Group Control in Britain, HQ 20 Group York
York Cold War Bunker
The York Cold War Bunker is a two-storey semi-subterranean Cold War bunker in the Holgate area of York, England, built in 1961 to monitor nuclear explosions and fallout in Yorkshire in the event of nuclear war....
, Shelley House at Acomb, York.
Other known restored posts include Skelmorlie Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Veryan Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. Skipsea, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, Chop Gate Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, Rushton Spencer Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, Broadway Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
and Portadown County Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
. Several more are planned or are under development.
See also
- Commandant Royal Observer CorpsCommandant Royal Observer CorpsThe Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps was the Royal Air Force commander of the Royal Observer Corps. All the holders of the post were RAF officers in the rank of Air Commodore, initially retired reserve officers then Auxiliary officers and, since the end of World War II, serving officers...
- Aircraft recognitionAircraft recognitionAircraft recognition is a visual skill taught to military personal and civilian auxiliaries since the introduction of military aircraft in World War I. It is important for air defense and military intelligence gathering....
- Operational instruments of the Royal Observer CorpsOperational instruments of the Royal Observer CorpsThe Royal Observer Corps was a civil defence organisation operating in the United Kingdom between October 1925 and 31 December 1995, when the Corps' civilian volunteers were stood down....
- AWDREY
- Bomb Power IndicatorBomb Power IndicatorBomb Power Indicator known by the acronym BPI was a detection instrument, located at the twenty five British Royal Observer Corps controls and nearly 1,000 ROC underground monitoring posts, across the United Kingdom, during the Cold War that would have detected any nuclear explosions and measured...
- Ground Zero IndicatorGround Zero IndicatorThe Ground Zero Indicator, known by the acronym GZI was a specially designed shadowgraph instrument used by the British Royal Observer Corps during the Cold War to locate the Ground Zero of any nuclear explosion.-Overview:...
- Fixed Survey MeterFixed Survey MeterThe Fixed Survey Meter was a specialist detection instrument used by the Royal Observer Corps during the Cold War between 1958 and 1982 to detect ionising radiation from nuclear fallout generated by a ground burst...
- United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring OrganisationUnited Kingdom Warning and Monitoring OrganisationThe United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation was a British civilian organisation operating between 1957 and 1992 to provide the authorities with data about nuclear explosions and forecasts of likely fallout profiles across the country in the event of war.The UKWMO was established and...
- Four-minute warning
- Royal Observer Corps MedalRoyal Observer Corps MedalThe Royal Observer Corps Medal is a long service medal awarded in the United Kingdom to members of the Royal Observer Corps relating to service between 1941 and December 1995, when the ROC was stood down. The medal was initiated in 1950 by HM King George Vl...
- Skywatch marchSkywatch marchSkywatch is the official regimental march of the Royal Observer Corps. The march was composed and scored in 1972 by Wing Commander Roy R C Davies RAF , at the time leader and conductor of the Central Band of the Royal Air Force...
- RAF Bentley PrioryRAF Bentley PrioryRAF Bentley Priory was a non-flying Royal Air Force station near Stanmore in the London Borough of Harrow. It was famous as the headquarters of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain and the Second World War. The RAF Bentley Priory site includes a Grade II* listed Officers' Mess and Italian...
- Aircraft Identity Corps (Canada)Aircraft Identity CorpsThe Aircraft identity Corps was a Canadian civil defence organisation operating between 1940 and 1945. It was formed in 1940 by Air Vice-Marshal George Croil. By war's end it had over 30,000 members....
- Volunteer Air Observers Corps (Australia)Volunteer Air Observers Corps (Australia)The Volunteer Air Observers Corps was an Australian air defence organisation of World War II. The VAOC was formed on 31 December 1941 to support the Royal Australian Air Force by sighting and observing aircraft over Australia. The VAOC swiftly established observation posts across Australia and...
- Ground Observer Corps (USA)Ground Observer CorpsThe Ground Observer Corps was a series of Civil Defense programs in the United States to protect against air attack. First begun in World War II by the Army Air Forces, the 1.5 million civilian observers at 14,000 coastal observation posts used naked eye and binocular searches to find invading...
- Civil Air Patrol (USA)Civil Air PatrolCivil Air Patrol is a Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force . CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and...
- List of ROC Group Headquarters and UKWMO Sector controls
- List of Royal Observer Corps / United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation Posts (A-E)
- List of Royal Observer Corps / United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation Posts (F-K)
- List of Royal Observer Corps / United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation Posts (L-P)
- List of Royal Observer Corps / United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation Posts (Q-Z)