If the UK had ever been nuked...
Discussion
RobbyJ said:
I used to work at the radio station, it was a really interesting site. It did have a protected air raid shelter under the B building but I don't think it would have done much good against a nuke!
Isn't the site listed today, I remember reading many years ago about the govt' wanting to tear it down and there was a bit of an outcry. The article also mentioned that the site didn't have an official name and was simply known as land south of Rugby. Any truth in that?There's nothing secret about it now. There was to an extent until a couple of years ago. A building (featured here http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/r/rugby_r... is listed I believe but I don't think B building is, and when we moved out there was talk of it being destroyed and more distribution centres built there. I've not been back for a few years now so I've no idea what's happening there today.
I always enjoyed working there but it was freezing in winter and boiling in summer, and the smoking room was one of the most vile places I've experienced!
I always enjoyed working there but it was freezing in winter and boiling in summer, and the smoking room was one of the most vile places I've experienced!
I've got a book at home called 'Secret State' by Peter Hennersey (sp?) about the Governments plans for and attitudes to nuclear war. It's not a comprehensive view as the author states several times that certain records are still classified but it's still a good if slightly scary read.
One part that was very interesting is the fact that every new PM has to within a day or two of taking office sit down and write four identical letters, one each to the Captain of the SSBN's (might only be three as iirc one was de commisioned) The letters are sealed and delivered to the SSBN's only to opened in case of total war.
In the letter the PM has to effectivly give orders from beyond the grave telling the Captain what to do, assuming that it's all gone a bit thermo-nuclear.
When the PM leaves office he/she is handed back the letters unopened for them and them alone to destroy.
One part that was very interesting is the fact that every new PM has to within a day or two of taking office sit down and write four identical letters, one each to the Captain of the SSBN's (might only be three as iirc one was de commisioned) The letters are sealed and delivered to the SSBN's only to opened in case of total war.
In the letter the PM has to effectivly give orders from beyond the grave telling the Captain what to do, assuming that it's all gone a bit thermo-nuclear.
When the PM leaves office he/she is handed back the letters unopened for them and them alone to destroy.
I grew up not far from GCHQ.
I remember at school we had an exercise in Geography.
We were all given a map of the surrounding 20 miles or so.
We then had a pair of compasses and a ruler and had to draw concentric circles emanating from GCHQ showing the % chance of death.
Like, within 3 miles it’s 100% death, between 3 and 6 miles it’s 80% death, etc.
We then had to find our own house and the school and work out our % chance of getting killed at home or at school.
You don’t get school lessons like that these days (probably)
I remember at school we had an exercise in Geography.
We were all given a map of the surrounding 20 miles or so.
We then had a pair of compasses and a ruler and had to draw concentric circles emanating from GCHQ showing the % chance of death.
Like, within 3 miles it’s 100% death, between 3 and 6 miles it’s 80% death, etc.
We then had to find our own house and the school and work out our % chance of getting killed at home or at school.
You don’t get school lessons like that these days (probably)
Im about 5 minutes away from liverpool airport, so if the sirens go off ill just head outside and take in the last few minutes of my life. If the one destined for the airport malfunctions im sure a nice fat airburst at liverpool docks and runcorn/widnes (being mainly chemical industries in the towns) means ill have little chance. Shame as I have a shotgun license and it would have been an advantage to have to ward off scavengers with.
theboyfold said:
Does anybody know of any good books based on the Manhatten Project? It's something I've been meaning to read up on after my trip to Hiroshima.
Richard Rhodes wrote one I think the title is 'The Making of the Atomic Bomb' or something very similar, I'll check when I get home and post the ISBN.Be warned though, it is very, very detailed! It delves into the history of nuclear fission, the politcs, the espionage, everything!
Blown2CV said:
i presume those percentages are based on fun rather than fact?!
Back in school they were real percentages based on one warhead hitting GCHQ.What I wrote on my post is just an example as I can’t remember the real numbers.
I do recall that at the end of the exercise we were told that in reality there would be more than one warhead landing on GCHQ.
It was a very odd and dark lesson.
Here are a few videos from some of my nerdy bunker visits:
http://youtu.be/wLiVfyXwNMQ
http://youtu.be/cmEsKzY356k
http://youtu.be/a4qGY-6yVC0
http://youtu.be/cxpMs6xfxUw
http://youtu.be/wLiVfyXwNMQ
http://youtu.be/cmEsKzY356k
http://youtu.be/a4qGY-6yVC0
http://youtu.be/cxpMs6xfxUw
RobbyJ said:
My grandmother worked in that operations room during the war.Tango13 said:
theboyfold said:
Does anybody know of any good books based on the Manhatten Project? It's something I've been meaning to read up on after my trip to Hiroshima.
Richard Rhodes wrote one I think the title is 'The Making of the Atomic Bomb' or something very similar, I'll check when I get home and post the ISBN.Be warned though, it is very, very detailed! It delves into the history of nuclear fission, the politcs, the espionage, everything!
k knows why.
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