Whitburn, Royal Observer Corps Monitoring Post

HER Number:
5883

District:
S Tyneside

Site Name:
Whitburn, Royal Observer Corps Monitoring Post

Place:
Whitburn

Map Sheet:
NZ45NW

Class:
Defence

Site Type: Broad:

Site Type: Specific:
Royal Observer Corps Site

General Period:
Modern

Specific Period:
C20

Form of Evidence:
Documentary Evidence

Description:
Whitburn ROC opened here as post 1 in cluster E of 30 Group in December 1936. In or before June 1940 it was resited nearer to the rifle ranges (HER 5884). 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:
401

Northing:
616

Grid Reference:
NZ401616

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 5883 >> Council For British Archaeology, 1995, Twentieth Century, Defences in Britain - An Introductory Guide Handbook of The Defence of Britain Project, p 32 C.S. Dobinson, 2000, Twentieth Century Fortifications in England, The Cold War, Vol XI, 2, p 261; D. Wood, 1992, Attack Warning Red; http://subbrit.org.uk