List of ROC Group Headquarters and UKWMO Sector controls

This is a list of the locations for former Royal Observer Corps (ROC) Group Headquarters and the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation (UKWMO) sector controls that received information from ROC posts by dedicated GPO/BT landlines. Clusters of posts also had VHF radio communications with HQs and sector controls, in case of land-line failure, from the cluster Master Posts.

The Royal Observer Corps was a civil defence organisation operating in the United Kingdom between 29 October 1925 and 31 December 1995, when the Corps' civilian volunteers were stood down. (ROC headquarters staff at RAF Bentley Priory stood down on 31 March 1996). Composed mainly of civilian spare-time volunteers, ROC personnel wore a Royal Air Force (RAF) style uniform and latterly came under the administrative control of RAF Strike Command and the operational control of the Home Office. Civilian volunteers were trained and administered by a small cadre of professional full-time officers under the command of the Commandant Royal Observer Corps; latterly a serving RAF Air Commodore.

ROC Group Headquarters

ROC Group No. 1 - Maidstone^[1]
ROC Group No. 2 - Horsham^[2]
ROC Group No. 3 - Oxford^[3]
ROC Group No. 4 - Colchester^[4]
ROC Group No. 5 - Watford^[5]
ROC Group No. 6 - Norwich^[3]
ROC Group No. 7 - Bedford^[6]
ROC Group No. 8 - Coventry^[7]
ROC Group No. 9 - Yeovil^[4]
ROC Group No. 10 - Exeter^[8]
ROC Group No. 11 - Truro^[1]
ROC Group No. 12 - Bristol^[4]
ROC Group No. 13 - South Wales
ROC Group No. 14 - Winchester^[5]
ROC Group No. 15 - Lincoln - (RAF Fiskerton)^[9]
ROC Group No. 16 - Shrewsbury^[4]
ROC Group No. 17 - North Wales (RAF Wrexham)
ROC Group No. 18 - Leeds^[9]
ROC Group No. 19 - Manchester^[9]
ROC Group No. 20 - York^[10]
ROC Group No. 21 - Preston (Goosnargh)^[1]
ROC Group No. 22 - Carlisle (RAF Carlisle)^[4]
ROC Group No. 23 - Durham^[11]
ROC Group No. 24 - Edinburgh (RAF Turnhouse)^[11]
- 1953 - 1964 Barnton Quarry
ROC Group No. 25 - Ayr^[4]
ROC Group No. 27 - Oban^[3]
ROC Group No. 28 - Dundee^[7]
ROC Group No. 29 - Aberdeen^[6]
ROC Group No. 30 - Inverness^[12]
ROC Group No. 31 - Belfast (Thiepval Barracks)^[1]
- 1954-1959 Castlereagh, Belfast

UKWMO Sectors and groups

Metropolitan sector^[13]

1 Group - Maidstone (group headquarters at Ashmore House, Maidstone)
2 Group - Horsham (sector headquarters)
3 Group - Oxford (peacetime national headquarters)
4 Group - Colchester
14 Group - Winchester

Midlands sector^[13]

6 Group - Norwich (group headquarters at Old Catton)
7 Group - Bedford
8 Group - Coventry (group headquarters at Lawford Heath)
15 Group - Lincoln (group and sector headquarters at RAF Fiskerton)
20 Group - York (group headquarters at Acomb)

Southern sector^[13]

9 Group - Yeovil
10 Group - Exeter (group headquarters at Poltimore Park)
12 Group - Bristol (group and sector headquarters at Lansdown, Bath)
13 Group - Carmarthen

Western sector^[13]

16 Group - Shrewsbury
17 Group - Wrexham (group headquarters at RAF Wrexham)
21 Group - Preston (sector headquarters - wartime national headquarters)
22 Group - Carlisle (group headquarters at RAF Carlisle)
31 Group - Belfast (group headquarters at Thiepval Barracks)

Caledonian sector^[13]

24 Group - Edinburgh (group headquarters at RAF Turnhouse)
25 Group - Ayr
28 Group - Dundee (group headquarters at Craigiebarns)
- 1964 - 1976 School Hill, Aberdeenshire
29 Group - Aberdeen (group headquarters at Northfield)
30 Group - Inverness (group headquarters at Raigmore)

Map of ROC Group Headquarters and UKWMO Sector Controls

Map of the United Kingdom showing former ROC Group Headquarters and United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation Sector and Group Controls.

Maidstone

Horsham

Oxford

Colchester

Winchester

Norwich

Bedford

Coventry

Lincoln

York

Yeovil

Exeter

Bristol

Carmarthen

Shrewsbury

Wrexham

Preston

Carlisle

Durham

Belfast

Edinburgh

Ayr

Dundee

Aberdeen

Inverness

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ROC Group Headquarters and UKWMO Sector Headquarters

ROC Group Headquarters

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Royal Observer Corps – Subterranea Britannica". subbrit.org.uk. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
^ "Royal Observer Corps Number 2 Group Headquarters, Norfolk TA Centre, Denne Road, Horsham, West Sussex | Educational Images | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c Wood 1976, p. 274.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Cocroft & Thomas 2003, p. 187.
^ ^a ^b Wood 1976, p. 275.
^ ^a ^b Wood 1976, p. 267.
^ ^a ^b Wood 1976, p. 270.
^ Historic England. "Former 10 Group ROC HQ, Poltimore Park, Poltimore, Exeter, Devon, EX1 3TN (Grade II) (1411752)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c Wood 1976, p. 273.
^ Historic England. "Cold War period Royal Observer Corps Group Headquarters, Howe Hill (1019439)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
^ ^a ^b Wood 1976, p. 271.
^ Wood 1976, p. 272.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Cocroft & Thomas 2003, p. 177.

Sources

Cocroft, Wayne; Thomas, Roger J. C. (2003). Cold war : building for nuclear confrontation 1946–1989. Swindon: English Heritage. ISBN 978-1-873592-81-6.
Wood, Derek (1976). Attack warning red : the Royal Observer Corps and the defence of Britain, 1925 to 1975. London: MacDonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-3560-8411-6.

External links

Nuclear Monitoring Posts – Subterranea Britannica

[SUB-1] "Royal Observer Corps – Subterranea Britannica". subbrit.org.uk. Retrieved 6 November 2024.

[2] "Royal Observer Corps Number 2 Group Headquarters, Norfolk TA Centre, Denne Road, Horsham, West Sussex | Educational Images | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 6 November 2024.

[FOOTNOTEWood1976274-3] Wood 1976, p. 274.

[FOOTNOTECocroftThomas2003187-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Cocroft & Thomas 2003, p. 187.

[FOOTNOTEWood1976275-5] Wood 1976, p. 275.

[FOOTNOTEWood1976267-6] Wood 1976, p. 267.

[FOOTNOTEWood1976270-7] Wood 1976, p. 270.

[8] Historic England. "Former 10 Group ROC HQ, Poltimore Park, Poltimore, Exeter, Devon, EX1 3TN (Grade II) (1411752)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 November 2024.

[FOOTNOTEWood1976273-9] Wood 1976, p. 273.

[10] Historic England. "Cold War period Royal Observer Corps Group Headquarters, Howe Hill (1019439)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 November 2024.

[FOOTNOTEWood1976271-11] Wood 1976, p. 271.

[FOOTNOTEWood1976272-12] Wood 1976, p. 272.

[FOOTNOTECocroftThomas2003177-13] Cocroft & Thomas 2003, p. 177.

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List of ROC Group Headquarters and UKWMO Sector controls

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