Added: Jun 7, 2010

From: UKWMO

Duration: 1:4

A short video, taken on Sunday 6th June 2010 taken at Newhaven Fort in East Sussex, showing a full scale mock up of a Cold War Royal Observer Corps Underground Monitoring Post. Since its inception in 1925 as an integral part of the UK air defence system, the primary role of the Royal Observer Corps (ROC) was the recognition and identification of hostile aircraft. With the start of the cold war and the increasing threat of nuclear attack in the 1950's, the ROC was given the added responsibility of reporting nuclear bursts and monitoring fall-out which necessitated the construction of 1563 underground monitoring posts throughout Great Britain Northern Ireland. Most of the furniture (such as the bunk beds) and instrumentation was removed when the post closed, however some familiar parts remain such as the water sump pump, etc. The first prototype underground post was built at Farnham, Surrey in 1956 and consisted of a 15ft entrance shaft which gave access to two rooms, one containing a chemical toilet and the larger (15ft X 7ft 6ins) monitoring room which was furnished with canvas chairs, folding table, shelf, cupboard and a pair of metal-framed bunk beds. This became the standard furniture for all underground posts although some were customized to suit individual needs with more cupboards and tables, Dexion racking, comfy chairs, bedside curtains and at one, (in Hertfordshire) a large office desk! A ventilation shaft with two louvered vents was located alongside the entrance shaft with a second air shaft at the other end of the room. Lighting was provided by a 12 volt battery located behind the monitoring room door. With a few exceptions, where the post was constructed within existing buildings, this layout remained the same at all locations. For more details on Newhaven Fort please visit the following; http://www.newhavenfort.org.uk/index.htm

Channel: Travel

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