Dersingham ROC aircraft monitoring post - geograph

The Royal Observer Corps Orlit Post is an observation post used by the

Royal Observer Corps The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) was a civil defence organisation intended for the visual detection, identification, tracking and reporting of aircraft over Great Britain. It operated in the United Kingdom between 29 October 1925 and 31 Decembe ...

during the Cold War to recognise enemy aircraft. Many Orlit Posts can be found near ROC Monitoring Posts.

History

Experience from WW2 identified that there would be a need for increased protection from enemy aircraft if the UK was ever faced with the prospect of being at war again. Although the ROC was finding that aircraft monitoring was becoming increasingly difficult to plot with the development of new faster aircraft, new aircraft monitoring posts were developed to assist observers to monitor aircraft. The idea for these new posts originated in 1947, however it was only during 1951/52 as part of the programme to update the air defences through the Rotor Plan that more substantial buildings were built to offer at least some level of protection from the elements or attack. Although some of these new structures were built of brick, many sites received pre-cast concrete panelled structures known as "Orlit" posts, after the manufacturers of the structures Messrs Orlit Ltd. These Orlit structures were split into two sections. The entrance door led into the smaller roofed section which was used as a shelter and store with a sliding door into the open section which housed the post instrument and chart on top of a wooden mounting. Two types of Orlit posts existed, the Orlit 'A' was at ground level and the Orlit 'B' was raised 6 ft on four legs with a ladder for access.

Operational instruments of the Royal Observer Corps The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) 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. (ROC headquarters staff at RAF Bentley Priory stood down ...

AWDREY Atomic Weapons Detection Recognition and Estimation of Yield known by the acronym AWDREY was a desk-mounted automatic detection instrument, located at 12 of the 25 Royal Observer Corps (ROC) controls, across the United Kingdom, during the Cold Wa ...

Bomb Power Indicator Bomb Power Indicator known by the acronym BPI was a detection instrument, located at the twenty five British Royal Observer Corps controls and nearly 1,500 ROC underground monitoring posts, across the United Kingdom, during the Cold War that woul ...

Ground Zero Indicator Ground may refer to: Geology * Land, the surface of the Earth not covered by water * Soil, a mixture of clay, sand and organic matter present on the surface of the Earth Electricity * Ground (electricity), the reference point in an electrical c ...

Fixed Survey Meter The 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. Overview Fixed Survey Meter Th ...

United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation The United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation (UKWMO) was a British civilian organisation operating to provide UK military and civilian authorities with data on nuclear explosions and forecasts of fallout across the country in the event ...

Four-minute warning The four-minute warning was a public alert system conceived by the British Government during the Cold War and operated between 1953 and 1992. The name derived from the approximate length of time from the point at which a Soviet nuclear missile ...

* Royal Observer Corps Medal *

Skywatch march Skywatch 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. The tune is remin ...

RAF Bentley Priory RAF Bentley Priory was a non-flying Royal Air Force station near Stanmore in the London Borough of Harrow. It was the headquarters of Fighter Command in the Battle of Britain and throughout the Second World War. During the war, two enemy bombs ...

* Aircraft Identity Corps (Canada) *

Volunteer Air Observers Corps (Australia) The Volunteer Air Observers Corps (VAOC) was an Australian air defence organisation of World War Two. The VAOC was formed in December 1941 to support the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) with its main roles of sighting and observing aircraft ov ...

* Ground Observer Corps (USA) * Civil Air Patrol (USA) * List of ROC Group Headquarters and UKWMO Sector controls **

List of Royal Observer Corps / United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation Posts (A-E) This is a list of Royal Observer Corps Monitoring Post and United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation civil defence posts for monitoring aircraft operating over Great Britain. This list has been split into: * List of ROC Group Headquart ...

List of Royal Observer Corps / United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation Posts (F-K) This is a list of Royal Observer Corps Monitoring Post and United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation civil defence posts for monitoring aircraft operating over Great Britain. This list has been split into: * List of ROC Group Headquart ...

List of Royal Observer Corps / United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation Posts (L-P) This is a list of Royal Observer Corps Monitoring Post and United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation civil defence posts for monitoring aircraft operating over Great Britain. This list has been split into: * List of ROC Group Headquart ...

List of Royal Observer Corps / United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation Posts (Q-Z) This is a list of Royal Observer Corps Monitoring Post and United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation civil defence posts for monitoring aircraft operating over Great Britain. This list has been split into: * List of ROC Group Headquart ...

References

{{reflist Royal Observer Corps 1992 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Cold War military equipment of the United Kingdom Cold War military history of the United Kingdom

History

See also

References