ROC Royal Observer Corps

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Postby DMcNay » Thu Aug 05, 2004 9:15 pm

Looks like some sort of one-man gun turret. Not much of a field of fire, though....

Home Guard connected perhaps?
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Postby duncan » Thu Aug 05, 2004 9:30 pm

fossil, there was one of these on each side of the big slipway. the metal bit on top - for a light? the other one looked like it was being used for storage, had some empty drums or something in it. i discounted the idea it was a pillbox, but i didn't notice a wee window (as in pic 3) on it.

in fact, the other one was just metal:
http://www.uer.ca/locations/viewgal.asp?picid=56776
if link doesn't work, copy the url into your address bar

more likely to be for storing a coil of rope than a machine gun nest imho
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Postby Fossil » Thu Aug 05, 2004 9:36 pm

..could be Doc....this one's the only brick one.
Here's the side of another (x2)
Image

-Fossil-
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Postby DMcNay » Thu Aug 05, 2004 9:40 pm

I haven't a clue. The slit in the brick one says to me it's definitely some form of defensive post. A metal one might be one you colud tow behind a truck, for mobile defense?

The Home Guard had a thig called a Smith Gun. It was like a large grass roller. You hooked it to the back of the truck, took it to where you were going, unhooked it, turned it on its end and attached a gun barrel. Hey presto, a cheap cannon. If I find a pic, it looks similar to that metal thing, but slightly smaller.

That's why I'm thinking Home Guard, but I'm probably wrong and its something totally mundane.
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Postby Apollo » Thu Aug 05, 2004 10:48 pm

Interesting object, but unlike anything similar I'm aware of so far.

I'd ask where it is but... ::):

I'm tempted to say its not what it appears. Bear in mind the material shortages in WWII it seems wasteful to make a one man pillbox from both metal and brick. Its kind of impractical too... imagine you are in it, you could only defend in one direction, so the enemy (plural) simply keeps you busy one way, and sneaks up the other side and neutralises you through one of the many holes it appears to have in it. Without the bricks the metal box would be no use as it appears to have no foundations, so a grenade or similar would easily neutralise it.

There was a circular defensive pillbox, the Picket Hamiltom, intended for airfields. It was retracted to ground level when not in use, and pumped up above ground when required. A good idea, but a dead loss. Being sunken it acted like a sump and needed to be pumped out, and in practice, couldn't be restocked with ammo in the middle of a firefight.

I found one at Machrihannish airfield while scouting around for the (then) lost ROC post in the area. Found the post too, only had to crack 3 fields, an electric fence and an army airfield perimeter wall :)

Details at http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~rwbar ... hfort-.htm
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Postby purplegrum » Fri Aug 06, 2004 12:15 am

The Modern Fossil wrote:Purplegrum Apollo, Myself Pcgg93 and Crusty were on a field trip today, have you seen anything like this anywhere else? WW2 do you think?

Pgcc93 should have more pictures.

Picture 1
Image

Picture 2
Image

Picture 3
Image

_Fossil-


Well it's certainly not ROC related for sure, looks to be WW2.
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Postby purplegrum » Fri Aug 06, 2004 12:26 am

crusty_bint wrote:There is one in Airdrie... I posted the location a while back (try a search if you're interested).

Crusty


I think you could say that there was one in Airdrie... if the monitoring room is still there then the surface features, and therefore the access, has been removed.
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Postby Apollo » Fri Aug 06, 2004 3:01 am

I've been thinking more about the Airdrie story, and I think it may be unlikely that it relates to the post.

Reason being that the concrete roof of the monitoring room lies over 1 m below surface level, so unless all of the surrounding area had been similarly levelled, the turf referred to would have been at the bottom of a 3 ft+ deep hole or depression if it could simply have been rolled back to reveal concrete, and I don't recall anything like that at the exisiting cellphone site.

Search for BRECHIN on the RSG site http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/ to see what I mean. (sorry I can't give the full link as the site is unavailable as I type)

Or, one I made earlier:

Image

I think we can cancel the turf cutting and rolling :cry:

I'd guess it more likely that it was an old concrete base or foundation they were seeing if it was that close to the surface.

Although, if the hatch had been capped with concrete just below surface level.... :)
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Skelmorlie open on Doors Open Day

Postby gap74 » Sat Aug 07, 2004 9:18 pm

From this years Doors Open Day Database:


Skelmorlie Royal Observer Corps Observation Post
Open: 5/9/04

Access by climbing down a 15 ft vertical steel ladder and viewing restricted to 4 people at a time. Built in 1965 as part of an extensive chain designed to confirm and report effects of nuclear attack on the United Kingdom. Only example in Scotland open for public access. Conducted tours by ex-ROC personnel. Pre-booking essential. To book ring 01475-672134 between 16.30-18.00 on Monday 30 August.

Christ, gonna be tricky, such a small window in which to book!

Gary
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Postby Apollo » Sat Aug 07, 2004 9:54 pm

Skelmorlie (and Glasgow) is/are privately owned and restored at the owners expense and effort, hence the restricted access, but you get a quality product if you make the visit.

As you may have gathered, purplegrum and I can access the locked posts and are happy to accomodate HG members who are interested in viewing a post. Only difference is they are in as-is conditions and not as nice as the restored post, but that makes them more interesting to compensate.

We're collating a trip at the moment, so drop us a PM (time/area) if interested.
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Re: Skelmorlie open on Doors Open Day

Postby purplegrum » Sun Aug 08, 2004 9:10 am

gap74 wrote:Pre-booking essential. To book ring 01475-672134 between 16.30-18.00 on Monday 30 August.

Christ, gonna be tricky, such a small window in which to book!

Gary


I know the owner of Skelmorlie - if you were having problems let me know and I can get in touch with him for you.
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Postby crusty_bint » Sun Aug 08, 2004 5:41 pm

Took these snaps of a WWII gun emplacement out Greenock way with PGCC t'other day... I was surprised they were in such as good condition:

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image
here i go, it's coming for me through the trees
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Postby Apollo » Sun Aug 08, 2004 10:03 pm

Any idea when 'Club Bombies' opens and what their playlist is like :?: :)

Any chance of a grid ref or location of that nice little gun emplacement?

I'm guessing its the partner to the one I posted about at Portkil on the Rosneath peninsula across the water.
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Postby Seamey » Wed Sep 29, 2004 11:16 am

On the Main Rd going west from Condorrat towards Glasgow, (parallel to the A80) is a small overgrown field with something that looks like a bunker. Is it indeed a bunker?

I past it the other day and it had a TV ariel sticking out the top.

(yes yes - I know I should have had my camera)
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Postby purplegrum » Wed Sep 29, 2004 2:07 pm

Seamey wrote:On the Main Rd going west from Condorrat towards Glasgow, (parallel to the A80) is a small overgrown field with something that looks like a bunker. Is it indeed a bunker?

I past it the other day and it had a TV ariel sticking out the top.

(yes yes - I know I should have had my camera)


Things with TV areals are normally for the water board since bunkers wouldn't have normally had them since EMP from a nuclear strike would bugger them anyway.

There's a structure near lenzie that I once thought was a bunker but it had a TV areal and later research linked it to Scottish Water.
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