In his continuing series of features on wartime British Home Front collectables, Austin J Ruddy looks at Observer Corps (OC) and Royal Observer Corps (ROC) memorabilia.
Militaria Collecting
Today, a stereotypical image of Britain’s Second World War Observer Corps may picture a quintessentially English scene of wellington-booted, middle-aged men standing in remote fields, peering at the sky through binoculars or a strange framework instrument and with one ear to a field telephone. Initially, at least, you would not be far wrong. However, as the war progressed, the Corps became a uniformed and professional service, responsible for monitoring the skies over Britain.
In an age when radar was the technological marvel, having groups of observers spread across Britain during a manpower shortage may seem an odd use of resources. However, despite its usefulness, radar had one major flaw - it only looked outwards across the sea: once enemy aircraft penetrated the coast, radar was blind. It was at this point that the basic but essential piece of equipment came to the fore; what Churchill is said to have called ‘the Mk I Eyeball’.
But observers were not a Second World War invention. During the previous war, the Me…
