Whitley Bay, Royal Observer Corps Monitoring Post

HER Number:
5886

District:
N Tyneside

Site Name:
Whitley Bay, Royal Observer Corps Monitoring Post

Place:
Whitley Bay

Map Sheet:
NZ35SE

Class:
Defence

Site Type: Broad:

Site Type: Specific:
Royal Observer Corps Site

General Period:
Modern

Specific Period:
C20

Form of Evidence:
Documentary Evidence

Description:
Post 2 in cluster M of 23 Group moved here from Tynemouth (HER 5885) in around November 1963. In October 1964 the post moved underground.In October 1968 it was renumbered post 2 in E cluster of 23 Group. 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:
3516

Northing:
7126

Grid Reference:
NZ35167126

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 5886 >> C.S. Dobinson, 2000, Twentieth Century Fortifications in England, The Cold War, Vol XI, 2, p 261 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; (1) Migrated Defence of Britain Project database http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/specColl/dob/index.cfm; Subterranea Britannica. 1998-2007. Royal Observer Corps-An online survey of the UK R.O.C and UK W.M.O Monitoring Posts, Subterranea Britannica http://www.subbrit.org.uk [Accessed 06-JUN-2007]; (3) Vertical aerial photograph reference number NMR OS/88052 0195 14-APR-1988