大象传媒

No! This is not the cry of a disgruntled commuter whose train has been cancelled for the second time in a week, but the motto of the Royal Observer Corp, that group of dedicated volunters who "spotted" anything that moved in the skies over Britain for many years including 1939-1945. My father was the leading observer in New Cumnock during the Second World War.

Their "posts" were dotted around the countryside, placed where the men had all-round vision for obvious reasons, sometimes in a farm stock yard, sometimes on a little knoll, often unnoticed in spite of the fact that they were manned 24 hours a day and that men came and went in three hourly intervals.

The said posts had to provide shelter and warmth for the two men on duty but at the same time allow them to carry out the constant surveillance of the skies which was their prime reason for being there. A post in this area was a tribute to man's ingenuity. One section provided all the comforts of home - or at least most of them. The other, open to the sky, contained a structure which would have been the delight of any small boy allowed to sample it. A heavy metal tube was stuck into the ground and on its upper end was a revolving crosspiece. On the ends of it were two seats, made from car steering wheels, well padded of course, which revolved individually. Between them was a round table covered by a large-scale map of the area. With phone nearby and binoculars at the ready one man was always "up aloft", ready to spot, identify and track aircraft and report it to the Group Headquarter from where information could be passed on to the Royal Air Force.

Aircraft recognition featured largely in training and in exams held annually at Group Headquarters which were in Prestwick and happy the man who could acquit himself well enough to be awarded a "red spitfire" which was then worn proudly on the sleeve of his airforce blue uniform.

Pride in their contibution to the war effort and loyalty and devotion to their own post were of a very high order and more than one B.E.M. (British Empire Medal)was awarded for services to the Corps. My father was awarded this for his services.

It was many years after the war before the ROC was reduced in numbers and activity and eventually disbanded. Perhaps, in view of some of the things that happen in the air nowadays, in spite of sophisticated methods and tracking, it would be no bad thing if the eyes of the Royal Observer Corps still scanned the skies.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.