If the UK had ever been nuked...

[jmorgan]

Snoggledog said:

High Wycombe would have received a proper pasting as RAF Naphill (Strike Command) is about 2 miles away from the US airbase which apparently would relay the signal to US subs to fire.

Thought that was out Norfolk way? Not the place, the red button.


Edit. Opps. Getting mixed up, as you were.

[Brigand]

Hooli said:

Lots of info on those here http://www.subbrit.org.uk/

It's amazing just how many of those little Royal Observer Corps bunkers are around the UK, and a lot of them are open to just climb into and look around.

I guess the fact that they are out in the middle of nowhere means only those who specifically go out to find them will look inside.

[DamienB]

Not so much 'middle of nowhere' but 'at a prudent distance from nearby likely targets'. The whole point of those bunkers was to plot detonations (size, bearing and so on) and the subsequent severity of fallout. The level of protection afforded to their occupants was pretty minimal and the absence of reporting from many of them would have told their own story I think. There's a relevant sequence of videos on youtube - search for "Sound an alarm" on there. Fascinating and chilling in equal parts.

[Vieste]

Brigand said:

Hooli said:

Lots of info on those here http://www.subbrit.org.uk/

It's amazing just how many of those little Royal Observer Corps bunkers are around the UK, and a lot of them are open to just climb into and look around.

I guess the fact that they are out in the middle of nowhere means only those who specifically go out to find them will look inside.

ROCs i have been in about 8/9 now, some fully restored only good for 30 days if a nuke hit

[MonkeyHanger]

DamienB said:

Not so much 'middle of nowhere' but 'at a prudent distance from nearby likely targets'..

The nearest ones to me ended up within spitting distance of a rather large Petrochemical Complex and later, a pair of Nuclear Reactors. It would have been an interesting place to observe Armageddon

[Hooli]

Vieste said:

Brigand said:

Hooli said:

Lots of info on those here http://www.subbrit.org.uk/

It's amazing just how many of those little Royal Observer Corps bunkers are around the UK, and a lot of them are open to just climb into and look around.

I guess the fact that they are out in the middle of nowhere means only those who specifically go out to find them will look inside.

ROCs i have been in about 8/9 now, some fully restored only good for 30 days if a nuke hit

I've been in one, down Salisbury plain direction. Surprisingly small & simple, what made me chuckle was the design meant one lucky soul had to go outside daily to change the film in the detector.

[DamienB]

MonkeyHanger said:

The nearest ones to me ended up within spitting distance of a rather large Petrochemical Complex and later, a pair of Nuclear Reactors. It would have been an interesting place to observe Armageddon

The problem with the UK is you're never more than a few megatons away from something worth hitting...

[Seeker UK]

If you're interested in how the ROC would have worked with the UKWMO, watch "Sound an Alarm". It also shows how the measuring kit in the ROC posts worked.

This is the '71 version:

Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsCJMYgFNuU

Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIiKI-CntiY

Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OboFZB4jAXs

Part 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8tucFGoJMQ

Part 5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwQC4WM8zLQ

Part 6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzidKkwNk6c


And here is the earlier '62 version

Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK2l7fVyVUQ

Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIiKI-CntiY

Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4hZACmaXD8

Part 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akYJTQIUFwc

Part 5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0OgWrjOWaM

Part 6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzidKkwNk6c


A bit optimisitic though - chances are the staff in the RCGs wouldn't have emerged blinkin into the sunlight to rebuild the UK - they would more likely have ended up like they did in "Threads"......

I am also thinking that the staff wouldn't be quite do relaxed and "stiff upper lip".

[Oakey]

I had a dream last night that nuclear war broke out, it woke me up with feelings of being back in the 80s

[Vieste]

When my uncle was on leave in the 80s him and his mate both drunk set off the local towns cold war air raid siren at 2am woke eleven thousand people up

[Oakey]

Our local siren was right next to my primary school, was unnerving when they would test it. My brother found one on a job he did and Ebay'd it for £200!

[John William]

The British Steam Reserve

Theirs been some amazing stories and urban myths about the 'what if' the Cold
War ever turned hot in Britain.
The first one, concerns the persistant rumours of a British Steam Reserve.
A legend borne out of the final days of steam engines following the
Beeching cuts.
The idea being that a Strategic Steam Reserve would be needed if imported
oil was cut off due to rising international tensions and a transition to
war.
Steam power locomotives would also be immune to the Electromagnetic Pulse EMP
from a nuclear missle attack, that would have frizzled all electrical components
and circuits ( unless EMP shielded )
For decades rumours abounded that a reserve of locomotives had been retained
for such a strategic purpose. As many officials denied it existed, nor was any reserve
obviously visible, this encouraged many fanciful explanations for
where the reserve might be hidden, usually in some underground tunnel or
mine, the most likely being Box tunnel.
One theory even claimed that the growing steam preservation movement was
itself the Strategic Reserve.
Sweden and the former Soviet Union actually kept a Strategic Steam reserve for
such eventualities.

The British Steam Reserve

Fact or fantasy, its always amusing to think that Thomas the Tank Engine might
one day, steam out of Box tunnel to the rescue, following any nuclear exchange.

NATO's Stay Behind Armies

The next is NATO's Stay Behind Army - setup in many European countries. Whats
been called the Gladio resistance armies ( Gladio being the name of the Italian
branch of NATO's stay behind army )
Based on the successful SOE operations against the Nazi occupation of France
( which was also based on the Auxilliary Units that Churchill placed within
the Home Guard, to sabotage and resist a German Invasion of Britain )

Churchill, together with the American CIA envisaged a number of Cold War, stay
behind units operating behind enemy lines ( once their countries have been
invaded and overrun by the Soviets ) Many NATO and non-aligned countries in
Europe had a Stay Behind Force including Britain, many operating without any
prior knowledge by the host country.
Using secret arms caches, they would carryout sabotage operations against
Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces, in much the same way as SOE & the British
Auxilliary Units would have done during the Second World War.

NATO's Stay Behind Armies, set up during the 1950's continued throughout the
Cold War with training being provided by the British ( being seen as experts in
the field of covert operations, thanks to the SAS and of course SOE )
The CIA and NATO chose some pretty dodgy characters to head these stay behind
armies, the early West German stay behind force being former Nazi's and the
Italian stay behind force being led by some ultra right wing figures.

The Italian government was outraged by these secret NATO units when the
Italian Gladio operation was revealed following the end of the Cold War.
With Gladio being accused of a number of 'false flag' terrorist outrages
that were said to have been perpetrated by communist inspired terrorist organisations.

Obviously their were some bad apples in NATO's Stay Behind Armies, following
the end of the Cold War, many of them were wound up but like the British
Auxilliary Units. They will remain an enigma for many years to come due to
their oaths of secrecy.

NATO's Stay Behind Armies

Edited by John William on Sunday 22 January 23:01

[Uncle Fester]

croyde said:

Much older than 'Threads' was 'War Game' at least I think that was the title. It was shown to us at school in the 70s.

We were convinced back then that it would happen and then it was AIDS, SARS, Swine Flu, Ebola, comets from space, world terrorism and the list of stuff to scare the populace goes on.

I think you mean http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0059894/

Despite the fact it's probably better to be vapourised the survival instinct is very strong. I spent much of the Cuban missile crisis in our cellar and still go cold remembering the fear believing it was imminent.

[Defcon5]

Uncle Fester said:

I spent much of the Cuban missile crisis in our cellar and still go cold remembering the fear believing it was imminent.

Would you care to go into a bit more detail? I cant imagine what it must have been like

[Foofighter]

This is RAF Naphill, also known as Strike Command.

Having been in it, its a pretty impressive place. Completely shielded from EMP but unable to withstand a direct hit from a warhead.

It has deep deep communication cables making it the central communication hub should it all go 'Pete Tong'.

I live on the opposite ridge from this place, so I guess the last thing going through my mind if/when they drop the bomb with be my rear end!

[andy_s]

John William said:

NATO's Stay Behind Armies

The next is NATO's Stay Behind Army - setup in many European countries. Whats
been called the Gladio resistance armies ( Gladio being the name of the Italian
branch of NATO's stay behind army )
Based on the successful SOE operations against the Nazi occupation of France
( which was also based on the Auxilliary Units that Churchill placed within
the Home Guard, to sabotage and resist a German Invasion of Britain )

Churchill, together with the American CIA envisaged a number of Cold War, stay
behind units operating behind enemy lines ( once their countries have been
invaded and overrun by the Soviets ) Many NATO and non-aligned countries in
Europe had a Stay Behind Force including Britain, many operating without any
prior knowledge by the host country.
Using secret arms caches, they would carryout sabotage operations against
Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces, in much the same way as SOE & the British
Auxilliary Units would have done during the Second World War.

NATO's Stay Behind Armies, set up during the 1950's continued throughout the
Cold War with training being provided by the British ( being seen as experts in
the field of covert operations, thanks to the SAS and of course SOE )
The CIA and NATO chose some pretty dodgy characters to head these stay behind
armies, the early West German stay behind force being former Nazi's and the
Italian stay behind force being led by some ultra right wing figures.

The Italian government was outraged by these secret NATO units when the
Italian Gladio operation was revealed following the end of the Cold War.
With Gladio being accused of a number of 'false flag' terrorist outrages
that were said to have been perpetrated by communist inspired terrorist organisations.

Obviously their were some bad apples in NATO's Stay Behind Armies, following
the end of the Cold War, many of them were wound up but like the British
Auxilliary Units. They will remain an enigma for many years to come due to
their oaths of secrecy.

NATO's Stay Behind Armies

Funny enough, the role of 21 & 23 SAS right up until 1990-ish was a stay-behind role, well, stay behind enemy lines at least. There are pre-prepared bunkers/OPs across Europe that you'd be deployed to, the idea was to observe & report on the tanks rumbling past and then once 'behind' their lines go into a sabotage/resistance role.
Another strange one, one of the things they trained you on was laser target designation, or LTD. This was splashing targets with laser to guide aircraft with precision. When GW1 happened, the TA trained the regulars on the kit and assisted in some cases in theatre.

[Snoggledog]

Foofighter said:

This is RAF Naphill, also known as Strike Command.

Hasn't been known as 'Strike' for a few years now.

Foofighter said:

Having been in it, its a pretty impressive place. Completely shielded from EMP but unable to withstand a direct hit from a warhead.

It has deep deep communication cables making it the central communication hub should it all go 'Pete Tong'.

Used to know a chap who worked there after the Vulcan he flew was retired. He said that the place was vast inside and very deep. Beyond that he wouldn't say anything. The Daws Hill bunker is rumoured to go down beneath The Rye.

Foofighter said:

I live on the opposite ridge from this place, so I guess the last thing going through my mind if/when they drop the bomb with be my rear end!

As do I. If it ever did kick off I'd stand outside and wait for the bucket of sunshine to vapourise me.
You don't have the 2002 turbo that I see from time to time do you? If so

[jbudgie]

Seeker UK said:

croyde said:

Isn't there a big early warning site in Cornwall?

Goonhilly a satellite tracking station.

No to both I'm afraid.

Goonhilly is a ground <-> satellite data relay station.

The GCHQ affiliated site in Cornwall is camp Cleave at Morwenstow, just north of Bude.

This seems to be quite a secret place.

[nellyleelephant]

jbudgie said:

The GCHQ affiliated site in Cornwall is camp Cleave at Morwenstow, just north of Bude.

This seems to be quite a secret place.

Well, you've blown the cover now!

[Brigand]

Foofighter said:

This is RAF Naphill, also known as Strike Command.

It'll still be Strike to those who worked there before the change, I still call it that as do my mates still languishing down there.

There's another bunker very similar to Strike's at Northwood just outside London. It's a Joint Military place now, mainly Navy though IIRC.

Both bunkers were not a place to be if you were claustrophobic, tight corridors, small rooms, and stale A/C air. They do have a little NAAFI shop in the depths though! They are around five or six levels deep, and constructed inside a giant faraday cage to negate any EMP effects. As previously stated though, neither could withstand a direct hit.

They were pretty exciting when entering them, you'd head into the side of the 'hill' they had on top of them, then find the huge steel door that was straight out of the movies that had the giant spinning wheel in the middle to lock or unlock it. After that though it was just like being in any 1960's office block.