The Royal Observer Corps Story - A Hidden Gem of World War II

One of the hidden gems of the Second World War isfascinating stories! It is easy to forget that all those we
the story of how local volunteers watching the skieshave spoken to about their involvement in the wartime
above England, Scotland and Wales helped savedwork of the Corps were between 16 and 25 at the
many lives and brought about a change of fortune fortime!
the beleagured RAF.Bill Harford, who was on the Mevagissey Post in
Formed in 1925 in the South East of England, andCornwall told us,
expanded to cover more of the country throughout"In 1942 I was a school boy at grammar school, and I
the 1930s, the Observer Corps acted as the "Eyeswas very, very keen on aircraft recognition and I
and Ears of the RAF". Observer Corps posts werecame to join the Royal Observer Corps really by
sited in all sorts of prominent positions, often on top ofsomebody listening on the bus to what I was saying as
hills, so that the Observers could get good all roundwe were going to school, and reported it to the local
vision, and be able to spot any aircraft. The CorpsChief Observer, 'there is a boy on the bus who is
plotted the movements of all aircraft in the skies overbrilliant at aircraft recognition!'"
wartime Britain, friend or foe, enabling the limitedJoyce Shrubbs, a plotter and teller at the Bedford
resources of a battered Royal Air Force to triumphCentre adds,
over Hitler's Luftwaffe. The Corps' contribution in the"I think like every other young person I wanted to join
Battle of Britain was so significant that it wasthe Services and I wanted to be in a uniform and feel
recognised with the award of its Royal title.that I was that I doing my part for the country. I was
The work of the Corps continued throughout the war,particularly interested in the Womens' Auxiliary
saving many lives with the early warning of air attacks,Airforce, but you had to be 18 to do that, so when I
but many members of the Corps were keen to besaw an advert in the local shop window, there was
more involved with activity closer to the action. Whenthis huge advertisement, 'Join the Royal Observer
the call was made for volunteers to join gun crewsCorps and live at home', and you only had to be 17 and
onboard defensively equipped merchant ships, 1400my seventeenth birthday was coming up so I thought
men volunteered. Those that passed the rigourousthat's for me. The uniform was the same colour as the
training and testing were known as SeaborneWomans' Auxiliary Airforce and same style and
Observers, and were involved in Operation Overlord,everything I just thought this is what I need to do. So I
saving many aircraft from "friendly fire".went along and joined actually on my seventeenth
In the course of filming two video documentaries aboutbirthday. It did take an agonizing 10 days for it to be
the Royal Observer Corps, "Tocsin Bang" (about theformalised but I did actually start on my birthday."
Cold War nuclear reporting role the Corps had) and its"Sentinels of Britain" is the wartime story of the Royal
prequel "Sentinels of Britain" (the wartime story), weObserver Corps, told by its members, the Observers
met many really interesting people, and heard plentifulwho were there.