Springwell, Royal Observer Corps Monitoring Post

HER Number:
5879

District:
Sunderland

Site Name:
Springwell, Royal Observer Corps Monitoring Post

Place:
Springwell

Map Sheet:
NZ25NE

Class:
Defence

Site Type: Broad:

Site Type: Specific:
Royal Observer Corps Site

General Period:
Modern

Specific Period:
C20

Form of Evidence:
Documentary Evidence

Description:
In August 1954 Springwell ROC post moved here from Birtley (HER 5878). In or before May 1959 the post moved underground. It closed in October 1968. During WW2 there was a pillbox and a bombing decoy in this vicinity (HER 5397 and 5516). This was a visual observation post to track aircraft movements. Early Observer Corps Posts had a simple instrument for plotting the plan position of the aircraft. Throughout WW2 the ROC had a more sophisticated "Post Instrument" which also recorded the height of the aircraft. WW2 posts were frequently simply sand bagged emplacements, or more sophisticated examples were of domestic brick construction, some two-storey, with an open observation post and a crew room. Some had latrines.

Easting:
286

Northing:
589

Grid Reference:
NZ286589

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 5879 >> C.S. Dobinson, 2000, Twentieth Century Fortifications in England, The Cold War, Vol XI, 2, p 211 Council For British Archaeology, 1995, Twentieth Century, Defences in Britain - An Introductory Guide Handbook of The Defence of Britain Project, p 32; D. Wood, 1992, Attack Warning Red; http://subbrit.org.uk