Monument record 1295/3/1 - ROC Monitoring Post, Polebrook Airfield

A Royal Observer Corps underground monitoring post is situated at the western end of Polebrook airfield within an enclosure. It was probably constructed during the late 1950s and decommissioned a decade later. A surface hatch and vent survive in a fair condition.

{1} TL 0869 8616. A Royal Observer Corps Underground Monitoring Post is sited at the western end of Polebrook Airfield, about 800m west of a late 1950s Thor missile site. The post is sited within an enclosure fenced by standard concrete fence posts with out-turned tops supporting three strands of barbed wire. The surface hatch and vent are of a standard type, the hatch is in fair condition but the vent has been smashed. The interior is flooded and no inspection was possible. Also within the enclosure is a small structure formed from scaffold tubing, this was probably originally covered by sail
cloth. It was used to protect observers engaged in the visual reporting of aircraft. The juxta position of an underground post and a visual reporting position is typical of posts in an area close to the V-bomber bases.
The post is omitted from the standard work on the subject {1a}, but there is no evidence from its physical remains that it anything other than an an ROC post. The level of dereliction of the
structure suggests it was one of the posts which were stood down in 1968.

[2} Defence of Britain database number 1765.

<1> Cocroft, W D, Field Investigator's Comments, Wayne D Cocroft/02-DEC-1997/RCHME: Cold War Project (Notes). SNN113478.

<1a> Wood D., 1992, Attack Warning Red: The Royal Observer Corps & The Defence of Britain 1925-1992 (Survival) (Chapter). SNN1225.

<2> Migrated Defence of Britain Project database record originally compiled from various sources (Database). SNN112922.

<3> Historic England, Undated, Defence of Britain, DEB01 (Archive). SNN112947.

Record last edited

Feb 17 2025 6:24PM