This cache is situated on a Royal Observer Corps
Outpost, an underground monitoring, and observation post for use
during the second world war, and the cold war. Operating from
between 1925 and until 1995, however this post was believed to have
been used up until September 1991. The organisation was created,
primarily to provide a system for the visual detection,
identification, tracking and reporting of enemy aircraft, however
in 1955, the posts were given the additional task of detecting and
reporting nuclear explosions and fall-out of radioactive material
from the explosions. ROC shelters, were able to relay information
to one of 5 HQROC's or to another authority. The role of locating
aircraft was later removed, due to technical advances in radar
detection. The posts were usually run by local volunteers, who were
unable to serve in the armed forces. Between 1958 and 68 over 1 and
a half thousand underground shelters were built across the country.
The posts were excavated down to twenty five feet, a monocoque
reinforced concrete building was cast and bitumen tanked (or
waterproofed), before the whole structure was recovered by a
compacted soil mound. Entered down a steel ladder in a vertical
shaft the posts provided a single room accommodation for three
observers to live and work in and a separate toilet compartment
with a chemical closet. Air was circulated from grilled ventilators
at both ends of the post and electricity was provided by a crated
12 volt lead acid battery charged occasionally by a portable
petrol electric generator. New instrumentation detected the peak
overpressure from any nuclear burst, photographic indications of
the burst location and subsequent radiation levels. Conditions in
these spartan posts was cramped, cold and in many cases also damp.
It was fortunate for the volunteer observers that long operational
occupation never became necessary.
This cache will show you just 1 of the 1,563 nuclear ROC
posts throughout the UK. The cache is quite obvious, but if you can
find some cover for it then place it carefully on top of the cache.
Please do not move the cache away from its position. There is NO
need to enter the compound - (thanks to Team Hippo for notifying
me!) Surgested parking is in the surgery, adjacent to
GZ.
At the time of placing the cache, November 2008, the ROC
shelter was accessible, I have been in there myself, but I cannot
promote getting inside the shelter, however if you are want to at
your own risk then it is a great experience and really good fun,
climbing down that ladder is like something out of lost, that you
will probably never be able to see again. Because it is one of only
a few intact ROC shelters in the rest of Buckinghamshire, remember
to bring a torch and a camera! Do not take anything out of the post
that doesn't belong to you, let others discover our heritage.
Stealth is required when accessing the cache site, there is a row
of semi's over the road with twitching curtains
everywhere!
And remember; Forewarned, is Forearmed. Happy Caching.
Brad :)