Whitburn, Royal Observer Corps Monitoring Post

HER Number:
5884

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 moved here in June 1940 as post 1 in cluster E of 30 Group from a site on the southern outskirts of Whitburn (HER 5883). In December 1952 it was renumbered post 3 in cluster N of 23 Group. In June 1959 it moved underground. It closed in October 1968. 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:
407

Northing:
624

Grid Reference:
NZ407624

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 5884 >> 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