85-398: Wennington can refer to: Wennington, Cambridgeshire , England Wennington, Lancashire , England Wennington, London , England Wennington School , England Bill Wennington (born 1963), Canadian former NBA basketball player Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
170-601: A Raid Reporting System , itself delegated to a sub-committee consisting of representatives from the Air Ministry , Home Office and the General Post Office . This Raid Reporting System was to provide for the visual detection, identification, tracking and reporting of aircraft over Great Britain, and was eventually to become known as the Observer Corps . The Observer Corps was subsequently awarded
255-489: A chancel, north chapel, nave, north aisle, south aisle, west tower and south porch. There was a church here in 1086, but there is no evidence of it in the present building which was built in the early part of the 13th century. It was dedicated by the Bishop of Lincoln in 1242. The chancel was rebuilt at the start of the 16th century, a north chapel was added and the present tower was constructed. The tower houses three bells,
340-454: A control centre, often via a manual switchboard at local telephone exchange. These 'garden shed' style observation posts were eventually replaced by more substantial brick structures, protected by sandbags, which due to their often having been constructed by Observer Corps personnel themselves meant that no two posts were identical. Observation posts were located in open playing fields, hilltops or cliff edges and, particularly in urban areas, on
425-467: A depth of 209 feet (64 m) showing that there was 7 feet (2.1 m) of clay, loam and gravel on top of 153 feet (47 m) of Oxford Clay. In the period 1801 to 1901 the population of Abbots Ripton was recorded every ten years by the UK census . During this time the population was in the range of 326 (the lowest in 1811) and 408 (the highest in 1871). From 1901, a census was taken every ten years with
510-535: A ditch 4 m wide to the north and west. According to the English Heritage Listing, it is exceptionally well preserved and it has not been excavated. There is a moated site in a small wood at Bellamy's Grove, 1 mile (2 km) south of Abbot's Ripton. The moat island is between 90 metres (98 yd) and 100 metres (109 yd) east to west, and between 70 metres (77 yd) and 90 metres (98 yd) north to south. Some signs still remain of
595-646: A former Commandant ROC, acting as its Honorary President. The ROC itself was never a component of HM Armed Forces; ROC members were non-combatants during wartime, with the exception of full-time officers who could be armed and legally classed as combatants . However, certain observation posts "in the firing line" (isolated posts in close proximity to the coasts of Sussex , Kent , Essex , Suffolk and Norfolk ) were issued with two First World War–era rifles and 100 rounds of ammunition during 1940-1944 (the prospect of an invasion of Great Britain by German forces being discounted post-1944). Intelligence reports detailing
680-411: A large table map, plotters would wear headsets to enable a constant communications link to be maintained with their allocated Cluster of posts, usually three in number. The plotting table consisted of a large map with grid squares and posts being marked. Counters were placed on the map at the reported aircraft's position, each counter indicating the height and number of aircraft, and a colour-coded system
765-432: A major V-1 flying bomb attack was taking place over London. The royal visitors stayed for over an hour, asking technical questions and looking through binoculars at the unfolding aerial battle. Prior to departing, the royal party autographed the post duty log. The following evening, the royal party again appeared and on this occasion stayed for a longer period, although there was little aerial activity due to poor weather. In
850-532: A predominantly coastal, long-range tracking and reporting system. With the advent of the Cold War , the ROC continued in its primary role of aircraft recognition and reporting, and in 1955 was allocated the additional task of detecting and reporting nuclear explosions and associated fall-out . By 1965, thanks to advances in (radar) technology, most roles and responsibilities relating to aircraft had been withdrawn and
935-526: A request for volunteers from within the ranks of the ROC produced 1,094 highly qualified candidates, from which 796 were selected to perform aircraft recognition duties as Seaborne Observers. These Seaborne Observers, under the command of Group Commandant C.G. Cooke, undertook specialist training at the Royal Bath Hotel, Bournemouth , prior to being temporarily seconded to the Royal Navy with
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#17327836243711020-531: A rolling programme over the next two years. The Blitz itself continued until early in the summer of 1941 and bombing continued, albeit on a reduced scale, until March 1945. The Observer Corps formed the cornerstone of Air Marshal Hugh Dowding's air defence system, who stated in a despatch following the Battle of Britain that: It is important to note that at this time they (the Observer Corps) constituted
1105-513: A system of observation posts covering practically the whole of Great Britain was able to be integrated fully into the Dowding system of air defense, with the western parts of Wales and Scotland together with England's West Country being incorporated during 1940, (The final group, Portree in the Hebrides , forming in 1941). At the end of September 1938 the political crisis which culminated in
1190-521: A uniformed civil defence organisation administered by RAF Fighter Command . Also during that same year, in a change from the policy of the Observer Corps, the ROC undertook to recruit women personnel for the first time. Initially, the only uniforms provided were RAF overalls, ( boiler suits ), with an ROC breast badge, commonly referred to as the "soup plate" because of its shape and size. Standard issue RAF No.2 Battledress uniforms were issued in
1275-427: A vertical angle taken from a known point, to calculate the approximate position of that aircraft. Posts were equipped with a mechanical sighting Post Instrument plotter consisting of a sighting system over a map grid. After setting the instrument with the aircraft's approximate height, the observer would align a sighting bar with the aircraft. This bar was mechanically connected to a vertical pointer which would indicate
1360-420: Is Huntingdonshire District Council , a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire. Abbots Ripton is a part of the district ward of Upwood and The Raveleys and is represented on the district council by one councillor. As a civil parish, Abbots Ripton has a parish council . which consists of six members. Abbots Ripton was in the historic and administrative county of Huntingdonshire until 1965. From 1965,
1445-524: Is a Grade II listed building that was built on the site of the old manor house. During World War II, Abbots Ripton Hall was used as a hospital. The gardens and parkland cover 8 acres (3 hectares) and there is an ornamental lake of 10 acres (4 hectares). The grounds contain some quite rare trees including – quite unusual in England – a good collection of elm trees which are injected every year to prevent Dutch elm disease . Abbots Ripton Hall belonged in
1530-499: Is a blue-grey or olive coloured clay that was formed between 156 and 165 million years ago in the Jurassic Period . Above this bedrock are superficial deposits characterised as Oadby Member Diamicton , that has formed within the last two million years during Ice Age conditions by glaciers scouring the land. Close to the streams the superficial deposits are of loose soil or sediments called alluvium that have formed during
1615-645: Is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England. Abbots Ripton is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as being an historic county of England. Abbots Ripton lies approximately 4 miles (6 km) north of Huntingdon on the B1090 . The parish occupied some 4,191 acres (1,696 ha) of land in 1801, which had reduced to 4,080 acres (1,651 ha) by 2011. The parish of Abbots Ripton
1700-533: Is ancient, and was restored in 1858. There is a national school. Abbots Ripton was the location for a small Royal Observer Corps Bunker, it was located near to RAF Alconbury . It closed in 1968 and was demolished. Abbots Ripton ends in ton which usually indicates a Saxon origin. The origin of the place-name is from the Old English words rip (a strip of land) and tun (homestead or farm). Its name has appeared in various guises throughout its history; it
1785-504: Is home to 305 residents (2011 census). The village is also notable as the location of the Abbots Ripton railway disaster in 1876 in which a Flying Scotsman train was wrecked during a blizzard. The disaster led to important safety improvements in railway signalling. The civil parish includes the nearby hamlet of Wennington, which lies one mile north of Abbots Ripton. Wennington has a population of about 60 people. Abbots Ripton
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#17327836243711870-599: The German Luftstreitkräfte . A system of observation posts and observers was organised, with a network of approximately 200 posts established in strategic areas. Initially these posts were manned by British Army personnel, who were in turn replaced by Special (Police) Constables , and posts were coordinated on an area basis with telephone communications provided between themselves and their associated anti-aircraft defences. In 1917 Germany began to deploy increasing numbers of fixed-wing bombers , with
1955-614: 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 . In 1925, following a Defence Committee initiative undertaken the previous year, the formation of an RAF command concerning the Air Defence of Great Britain led to the provision of
2040-543: The London Air Defence Area and later extended eastwards towards the Kentish and Essex coasts. The Metropolitan Observation Service met with some success and although not fully operational until late 1918 (the last German bombing raid taking place on 19 May 1918), the lessons learned were to prove invaluable for future developments in the field of aircraft observation, identification and reporting. By
2125-524: The Munich Agreement had led to the Observer Corps being mobilised for a week. This highlighted organisational and technical shortcomings, and provided the impetus for the development of solutions to resolve these. A series of exercises held throughout 1939 provided opportunities for the fine tuning of improvements made to command and control functions. At this time the only uniform items issued to Observer Corps personnel were steel helmets bearing
2210-539: The Reformation the crown sold it to the St John family and for a time it was called St John's Ripton before it became known by the name we know it today. For Abbots Ripton the highest tier of local government is Cambridgeshire County Council . Abbots Ripton is a part of the electoral division of Upwood and The Raveleys and is represented on the county council by one councillor. The second tier of local government
2295-821: The Second World War were known as the Phoney War , with little significant enemy aircraft activity over Great Britain. The Battle of Dunkirk commenced at the end of May 1940, with Allied troops cut off in retreat by the German Army in north-east France, resulting in the evacuation of British troops in Operation Dynamo . During this time the RAF lost a total of 944 aircraft, with half of these being fighter aircraft . Observer Corps posts in Kent and around
2380-476: The Secret Garden Party summer music festival has been held annually at a rural location near the village. [REDACTED] Media related to Abbots Ripton at Wikimedia Commons Royal Observer Corps The Royal Observer Corps ( ROC ) was a civil defence organisation intended for the visual detection, identification, tracking and reporting of aircraft over Great Britain . It operated in
2465-517: The Thames estuary were able to play some part in plotting aircraft while they were over south east England. This was a useful period of exposure to war-time operations for Observer Corps personnel, and one which would provide invaluable experience. Despite it being crucial that armed service personnel could correctly identify the various types of allied and German aircraft operating in the skies above and around Great Britain, in 1939 aircraft recognition
2550-529: 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
2635-524: The Weald a series of trials were undertaken to develop a Raid Reporting System which would employ an optimum arrangement of observation posts and associated control-centres. During 1925 these trials were further extended to cover parts of the counties of Essex and Hampshire , and by October a proven modus operandi had been developed for a new organisation to be known as the Observer Corps , which
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2720-517: The last 12,000 years . To the north-east of Wennington, there are sand and gravel deposits formed by glacio-fluvial processes in the mid-Pleistocene period. The soil is classified as lime-rich loamy and clayey, which has impeded drainage and is high in natural fertility; it is suitable primarily for arable farming with some grassland. In 1891 a bore hole was made at Abbots Ripton Hall ( 52°23′02″N 0°10′48″W / 52.384°N 0.180°W / 52.384; -0.180 ) and drilled to
2805-484: The 1800s to the Rooper family. John Bonfoy Rooper was MP for Huntingdonshire from 1831 to 1837 and High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire . It is now the seat of John Fellowes, 4th Lord De Ramsey . There is a bowl barrow about 1 mile (2 km) south-east of the village which is a scheduled ancient monument. The one at Abbots Ripton is 19 metres (21 yd) in diameter, 1–1.5 m high with signs of
2890-851: The Air Defence of Great Britain are therefore to be informed of the success of this latest venture of the Royal Observer Corps. The Seaborne Observers remain the only members of the ROC whose service during the Second World War entitles them to wear the HM Armed Forces Veteran's Badge , their qualifying for this resulting from the approximately ten-week period of secondment to the Royal Navy as Petty Officers. A Seaborne Observers' Association exists, with Air Vice Marshal George Black CB OBE AFC RAF (Rtd) ,
2975-510: The Allied Expeditionary Air Force, are for their assistance, which has contributed in no small measure to the safety of our own aircraft, and also to the efficient protection of the ships at sea. The work of the Royal Observer Corps is quite often unjustly overlooked, and receives little recognition, and I therefore wish that the service they rendered on this occasion be as widely advertised as possible, and all units of
3060-697: The B1090, a minor road that runs from St Ives to the south-east to a junction with the B1043, north-west of the parish, close to the A1(M) motorway and just south of Sawtry . Abbots Ripton is situated 4 miles (6 km) north of Huntingdon, 17 miles (27 km) north-west of Cambridge and 60 miles (97 km) north of London. In 1801 the parish covered an area of 4,191 acres (1,696 ha), but by 2011 this had been reduced to 4,080 acres (1,651 ha). The village lies at around 29 metres (95 ft) above sea level;
3145-507: The Battle of Britain, as it became known, was Germany's prerequisite in preparation for the invasion of Britain; Operation Sea Lion . The British Chain Home radar defence system was able to warn of enemy aircraft approaching the British coast, but once having crossed the coastline the Observer Corps provided the only means of tracking their position. During the period from July to October 1940,
3230-583: The Great Northern railway, 4 miles N of Huntingdon. Post-town, Huntingdon. Acres, 3,956. Real property, £4,680. Pop., 381. Houses, 73. The property is divided among a few. The manor belonged to Ramsey abbey, passed to the St. Johns, and belongs now to E. Fellows and B. Rooper, Esqs. R. Hall is the seat of Mr. Rooper. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Ely. Value, £630.* Patron, the Rev. P. P. Rooper. The church
3315-461: The Observer Corps was at full stretch operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, plotting enemy aircraft and passing this essential information to RAF Fighter Command Groups and Sector Controls. (ROC personnel were deployed in two specific roles: Those in Class A were required to undertake 56 hours duty per week, while Class B personnel undertook up to 24 hours duty per week). The Battle of Britain also saw
3400-548: The ROC assumed the role of field force for the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation (UKWMO); a role which the ROC continued until the early 1990s and the cessation of the Cold War. By the late 1980s the ROC comprised approximately 10,500 civilian spare-time volunteers. At HQROC (RAF Bentley Priory), over a dozen full-time secretarial, clerical and other administrative staff were present. Each of
3485-419: The ROC is that which took place at RAF Little Rissington , where a series of tunnels were excavated during the 1940s. RAF Little Rissington forces personnel and local residents were informed that this activity was associated with an ROC unit, which was indeed seen to be manned by individuals wearing ROC uniforms. The ROC however had no knowledge of the existence of this supposed ROC facility until many years after
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3570-615: The ROC much additional work, both at posts and control centres. RAF fighter controllers temporarily moved their radio equipment into the operations rooms of ROC control centres at Horsham and Maidstone in order to direct fighters to intercept V-1 flying bombs using information displayed on ROC plotting tables. Critics who had earlier claimed that the ROC would be unable to assist the new fast-flying Gloster Meteor jet aircraft were answered when these aircraft, on their first operational combat sorties to intercept V-1s, were controlled entirely using ROC derived information. The optimism shown by
3655-482: The Seaborne volunteers on board merchant vessels during recent operations. All reports agree that the Seaborne volunteers have more than fulfilled their duties and have undoubtedly saved many of our aircraft from being engaged by our ships guns. I should be grateful if you would please convey to all ranks of the Royal Observer Corps, and in particular to the Seaborne observers themselves, how grateful I, and all pilots in
3740-464: The Second World War, ROC personnel were paid expenses and allowances in cash via their Group HQ and several Deputy Group Commandants discovered that they had up to one hundred additional observers appearing on their staff roll, with each additional observer being seen to receiving higher than normal allowances, despite these individuals having never reported for duty as members of the Royal Observer Corps. A notable example of one such cover story involving
3825-494: The ages of four and eleven years old. The school building was designed by Peter Foster who was the Surveyor of Westminster Abbey. The Ofsted report from June 2015 gave the school an overall effectiveness rating of Good . The school has places for 120 pupils but in 2015 there were only 91 pupils on the school roll. The village's parish church is dedicated to St Andrew and is a Grade I listed building. The church consists of
3910-717: The approximate position of the aircraft on the map grid. Post observers would report the map coordinates, height, time, sector clock code and number of aircraft for each sighting to the aircraft Plotters located at their ROC Group control Centre . The headquarters of each ROC Group operated from a control Centre , responsible for and controlled between 30 and 40 observation Posts , each of which would be some 10 km to 20 km from its neighbour. By 1945 there were 39 centres covering Great Britain, controlling in total more than 1,500 posts. (The ROC did not operate in Northern Ireland until 1954). Positioned around
3995-501: The beach-head, appears to be that in the majority of cases the fire has come from British Navy warships and not from the merchant ships. Indeed I personally have yet to hear a single pilot report that a merchant vessel had opened fire on him During Operation Overlord a total of two Seaborne Observers lost their lives, several more were injured and twenty two survived their ships being sunk. In addition, ten Seaborne Observers were mentioned in despatches . The deployment of Seaborne Observers
4080-424: The capacity for a further two. In addition to the arable land, there was 16 acres (6 hectares) of meadows and 3,784 acres (1,531 hectares) of woodland at Abbots Ripton. By 1086 there was already a church and a priest at Abbots Ripton. In 1870–72, John Marius Wilson described Abbots Ripton as follows: RIPTON-ABBOTS, a parish, with a village, and with Wennington hamlet, in the district and county of Huntingdon; near
4165-417: The castle grounds, where they would often make a point of stopping to enquire as to ROC activities. On one occasion the observers on duty received a one-minute advance warning from a royal footman that they were about to receive a royal visit. A few minutes later, the king and queen, together with the teenage Princess Elizabeth, climbed up the steep ladder and joined the observers on the darkened roof-top while
4250-567: The centre operations room included those undertaken by: Perhaps the most unusual ROC post location was No.17 Group (Watford) Easy-4 Windsor Post, nestling between the battlements and chimneys on the top of Windsor Castle's Brunswick Tower . Reporting for duty through the castle gates, many newly appointed ROC Group officers were caught unawares when the castle guardsmen in their sentry boxes snapped smartly to attention and presented arms. Observers frequently encountered King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret in
4335-698: The critical period during the Second World War which saw the RAF emerge bruised but victorious following the Battle of Britain of 1940. During the 1930s the number of groups increased until by 1936, England had a full coverage of observation posts south-east of a line between Flamborough Head in Yorkshire and Poole Harbour in Dorset. In 1936 the Headquarters of the Observer Corps relocated from RAF Uxbridge to RAF Bentley Priory in north-west London. By 1939
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#17327836243714420-556: The early 1960s, when the nuclear reporting role building programme was in full swing, the ROC post at Windsor relocated to the cellar beneath the Brunswick Tower and a partial monitoring room was excavated under the garden in front of the tower's base. The BPI ( Bomb Power Indicator ) and FSM ( Fixed Survey Meter ) instrument fittings on the lawn were visible to the many tourists visiting the castle, although few would have realised their significance. The GZI ( Ground Zero Indicator )
4505-675: The end of 1920, the observation-post networks and their associated anti-aircraft hardware had been decommissioned, and in 1922 the responsibility for air defence was transferred from the War Office (responsible for the army ) to the Air Ministry . Following this transfer, Major General Ashmore, who had been responsible for air defence during the First ;World War, reported to a new Air Raid Precautions (ARP) committee, established in January 1924. In areas surrounding Romney Marsh and
4590-416: The establishment of the new Headquarters of the Observer Corps at Hillingdon House , RAF Uxbridge in the west of London, and Air Commodore Edward A D Masterman was appointed as the first commandant of the Observer Corps. Masterman remained the commandant of the ROC until his retirement on 1 March 1936, and was succeeded by Air Commodore Alfred Warrington-Morris , who would lead the Observer Corps through
4675-515: The exception of 1941 (due to the Second World War ). All population census figures from report Historic Census figures Cambridgeshire to 2011 by Cambridgeshire Insight . In 2011, the parish covered an area of 4,080 acres (1,651 hectares) and so the population density for Abbots Ripton in 2011 was 47. 9 persons per square mile (18. 5 per square kilometre). There is a Church of England primary school in Abbots Ripton for children between
4760-482: The five Area HQs were staffed by a clerical officer and a typist, and each of the 25 Group HQs were staffed by a clerical officer, typist and handyperson. (Many MoD civilian support staff were also civilian spare-time volunteers.) Following the UK Government's Options for Change defence spending review in 1990, the vast majority of the civilian spare-time volunteers were stood down on 30 September 1991, with
4845-415: The inner and outer banks of the moat. Within the island itself are two small rectangular fishponds. The date when the moated island was constructed is not known, but it may well have been around the 12th century, when the inclusion of fishponds within a moated island was at its most popular. According to the English Heritage Listing, the moated site at Bellamy's Grove is one of the best preserved of its kind in
4930-537: The intention of reducing the previously high incidence of friendly fire ( collateral damage ) between allied vessels and allied aircraft. The success of the Seaborne Observers in undertaking this role can be measured by a signal sent from Wing Commander P.B. Lucas, Air Staff Officer, who stated that: The general impression amongst the Spitfire wings, covering our land and naval forces over and off
5015-597: The introduction of the Blitz campaign and the shift of German bombing from airfields to cities. Again, the Observer Corps provided vital information which enabled timely air-raid warnings to be issued, thereby saving countless lives. As a result of their role during the Battle of Britain, in April 1941 the Observer Corps was granted the title Royal by King George VI, and the Royal Observer Corps ( ROC ) became
5100-456: The oldest dating from around 1400 and there is a clock on the south face of the second stage of the tower; the clock was given in remembrance of Rev Plumer Pott Rooper by his brothers and sisters. Restoration of the church took place in the second half of the 19th century. The village is home to the 18th century Abbots Ripton Hall which now has an estate totalling 5,700 acres (2,307 ha), larger than Abbots Ripton itself. Abbots Ripton Hall
5185-421: The parish as a whole is almost flat, lying between 25 metres (82 ft) and 45 metres (148 ft) above sea level, with the lowest area in the south-east of the parish. Around 2 miles (3 km) north of the parish the land slopes down close to sea-level and The Fens start. The northern half of the parish contains a number of wooded areas, including Wennington Wood, Holland Wood, and Hill Wood. The land in
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#17327836243715270-508: The rank of Petty Officer (Aircraft Identifier) . The Seaborne Observers continued to wear their ROC uniform, but in addition wore a "SEABORNE" shoulder flash and Royal Navy brassard bearing the letters "RN". During the D-day landings , two Seaborne Observers were allocated to all participating United States Navy vessels and Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships . The Seaborne Observers assumed control of each ship's anti aircraft batteries with
5355-488: The region. The village hall was also designed by Peter Foster, Surveyor of Westminster Abbey; it was built in 1988 and opened by John Major . Abbots Ripton has a shop, garage, and a post office. In 2010 the only Public House in the village, The Three Horseshoes, was severely damaged by a fire. The Grade II Listed 17th century building was re-built and re-opened as the Abbot's Elm in 2012. Since its inception in 2004,
5440-480: The remainder being stood down on 31 December 1995. The closure of HQROC on 31 March 1996 and redeployment of those few remaining HQROC staff marked the disbandment of the ROC after over 70 years of service. The ROC can trace its roots to the First World War and the requirement for a warning system to bolster UK defences, predominantly over south-east England , against bombing raids by Zeppelin airships of
5525-492: The rest of the parish is used for arable farming, mainly wheat, barley and beans. The East Coast Main Line that runs from London to Edinburgh forms part of the western boundary of the parish and then crosses the parish to the north. The village of Abbots Ripton lies 0.5 miles (0.8 km) to the east of the railway. In common with much of south-east England, the parish lies on a bedrock of Oxford Clay Formation mudstone which
5610-554: The result that the number of airship raids decreased rapidly in favour of raids by such aircraft. In response to this new threat, Major General Edward Bailey Ashmore , a Royal Flying Corps pilot who later commanded an artillery division in Belgium, was appointed to devise an improved system of detection, communication and control. The system, called the Metropolitan Observation Service , encompassed
5695-550: The rooftops of public buildings and factories. Purpose-built observation posts introduced later were usually two-storey structures, constructed of brick or concrete with an open-topped observation platform above a small crew rest area. On 24 August 1939 Chief Constables issued Mobilisation Notices to all members of the Observer Corps, with war being declared just ten days afterwards. From 3 September 1939, observation posts and control centres would be manned continuously until 12 May 1945, four days after VE Day . The first months of
5780-506: The stencilled letters 'O C', together with blue/white (vertically striped) armbands bearing the same. Both items of equipment were similar in style to those issued to members of the civil defence emergency services, including the Auxiliary Fire Service ('AFS') and Air Raid Precautions ('ARP'). The initial batch of helmets issued to Observer Corps members were the same as those issued to Police forces; black in colour with
5865-401: The then Commandant ROC, Air Cdre Crerar , that the ROC would cope with this new technology was vindicated. The first V-1 over London is credited as spotted by Sydney Fenton of the ROC. In order to monitor aircraft, Post observers used a simple but effective mechanical tracking device. Where the approximate height of an aircraft is known it becomes possible, by using a horizontal bearing and
5950-407: The threat posed by Germany's flying bombs resulted in the instigation of Operation Totter , whereby ROC posts would fire 'Snowflake' illuminating rocket flares in order to alert RAF fighters to the presence of V-1 flying bombs . Observers at the coastal post of Dymchurch identified the very first of these weapons and within seconds of their report the defences were in action. This new weapon gave
6035-468: The title Royal by His Majesty King George VI in April 1941, in recognition of service carried out by Observer Corps personnel during the Battle of Britain . Throughout the remainder of the Second World War , the ROC continued to complement and at times replace the Chain Home defensive radar system by undertaking an inland aircraft tracking and reporting function, while Chain Home provided
6120-479: The title Wennington . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wennington&oldid=839576268 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Wennington, Cambridgeshire Abbots Ripton
6205-566: The village was part of the new administrative county of Huntingdon and Peterborough . Then in 1974, following the Local Government Act 1972 , Abbots Ripton became a part of the county of Cambridgeshire. At Westminster, Abbots Ripton is in the parliamentary constituency of North West Cambridgeshire , and has been represented in the House of Commons since 2005 by Shailesh Vara (Conservative). The village of Abbots Ripton lies on
6290-425: The whole means of tracking enemy raids once they had crossed the coastline. Their work throughout was quite invaluable. Without it the air-raid warning systems could not have been operated and inland interceptions would rarely have been made. For the remainder of the war, the ROC provided an essential part of Great Britain's air defences. In 1944, during preparations for the invasion of France, ( Operation Overlord ),
6375-417: The word 'POLICE' stencilled in white. (This led some Observer Corps members to simply scratch off the stencilled letters P, L, I, and E, to leave letters O and C remaining). High quality Royal Navy -issue binoculars were issued to observers, whose observation posts often consisted of a wooden garden shed located next to a telegraph pole, this arrangement enabling a telecommunications link to be established with
6460-762: Was established on 29 October 1925. Within a year four groups operated in South East England, covering much of Kent, Sussex , Hampshire and Essex, with the intention that a total of eighteen groups would cover the whole of Great Britain. The system required cooperation between and the participation of the RAF , the army , the British police forces and the General Post Office (GPO). (The GPO at that time operated Britain's national telecommunications system.) In January 1926 county police constabularies recruited observers as special constables , and each observation post
6545-494: Was introduced almost entirely under the auspices of the unofficial Observer Corps Club . Only much later did this skill obtain official recognition, with the result that it eventually spread throughout the armed forces. After the Fall of France , the goal of Germany was to achieve air superiority over Great Britain by destroying RAF fighters, both in the air and on the ground, and by bombing aircraft manufacturing facilities. Winning
6630-581: Was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 in the Hundred of Hurstingstone in Huntingdonshire; the name of the settlement was written as Riptune . In 1086 there was just one manor at Abbots Ripton; the annual rent paid to the lord of the manor in 1066 had been £8 and the rent was the same in 1086. The survey records that there were 14 ploughlands at Abbots Ripton in 1086 and that there was
6715-527: Was manned by a sergeant and six special constables. Recruits were spare-time volunteers who received neither pay, uniform, nor allowances. Individual volunteers purchased the only distinguishing insignia, Observer Corps lapel badges, at their own expense. In 1929 the control of the Observer Corps passed from the county police forces to the Air Ministry, although Chief Constables retained responsibility for personnel and recruitment matters. 1 March 1929 saw
6800-473: Was mounted on top of the tower's battlements involving a climb of several hundred circular stone steps and 400 feet (120 m) in each direction. The observers at the Windsor post were unique in the country in not having to provide their own food during exercises. Instead, they received hot meals, brought by royal footman, from the castle kitchens. Twelve months after the ROC post was closed, the Brunswick Tower
6885-421: Was not yet the highly developed skill it was to become in the Observer Corps. Other armed services regarded accurate aircraft identification as being almost impossible; observers, however, realised that skills in this area were deficient, and the profile of aircraft recognition was raised within the ranks of the Observer Corps. Aircraft recognition training material, consisting of aircraft silhouettes and other data,
6970-456: Was recorded as Riptone in the 10th century and Riptune in 1086. It was during the 12th and 13th century that the Abbot part came into the name; it was then owned by the Abbot of Ramsey , and it was most probably just to distinguish it from Kings Ripton which was under royal ownership. During this period it was also known by the names of Magna Riptona, Ryptone and finally Riptone Abbatis. After
7055-519: Was regarded as an unqualified success and in recognition of their contribution to the success of the landings, King George Vl approved the permanent wearing of the SEABORNE shoulder flash on the ROC uniforms of all those individuals who had taken part. Following the successful invasion of Normandy, Air Chief Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory sent a signal for circulation to all ROC personnel: I have read reports from both pilots and naval officers regarding
7140-669: Was the starting point and seat of the 1992 Windsor Castle fire and was substantially damaged. The ROC provided an additional and highly useful function to the war-time UK Government by providing a plausible cover story for a number of covert war-time operations. Up to twenty highly secret electronic warfare units and Y-stations were established across the UK, with their MI8 associated scientists, technicians and engineers being dressed in Royal Observer Corps uniforms so as to avoid arousing suspicion while entering and leaving Royal Air Force, Army, Royal Navy and other MoD establishments. Throughout
7225-603: Was used to indicated the time of observation in 5-minute segments. The table was surrounded by plotters, responsible for communicating with their allocated cluster of posts. Over time the track of aircraft could be traced, with the system of colour-coding enabling the extrapolation of tracks and the removal of time expired (historical) data. From 1942, long-range boards were introduced into centre operations rooms, with Tellers communicating with neighbouring ROC groups in order to handover details of inbound and outbound aircraft tracks as they were plotted on this map. Specific duties in
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