Veryan Post, Nare Head, Cornwall
Introduction
The very first time Britain was attacked from the air was
when Zeppelins dropped bombs on Great Yarmouth on 19th January
1915 and four people were killed. The defences were totally
unable to respond, the main failing being that the positions
of the enemy airships were not known. The Admiralty, who
were responsible for air defence at that time, immediately
arranged for the Police to report all aircraft seen within
60 miles of London and this system had some success.
In 1916 the London Air Defence Area (LADA) was set up with
all air defence units under one command. The system worked
well and even after WWI the framework was retained and in
1925 Major General Ashmore proposed a network of posts reporting
to operations rooms in SE England. LADA was now run by the
Air Ministry but manned by Special Constables. All members
were spare time and the command was called the OBSERVER
CORPS. The birth of the Observer Corps was thus 1925.
In 1935 work commenced on perfecting RADAR but this new
invention only looked out to sea and at that time the Observer
Corps was still the only organisation that could plot aircraft
traveling overland. In 1936 Fighter Command was formed and
the Corps became part of that Command with headquarters
at Bentley Priory, where it remained until final stand down
in 1995. Due to the situation in Europe the Observer Corps
was called out on 24th August 1939 and placed on a war footing.
The special constables now became ‘Observers’.
With the outbreak of war the Corps spread rapidly all over
the United Kingdom with well over 1600 reporting posts and
35 operations rooms. The posts reported all aircraft seen
or heard to the operations rooms where tracks were plotted.
These were then passed to the appropriate RAF Sector Ops
Room for use in intercepting enemy aircraft.
WWII and the first Veryan Post
The very first Cornish above ground aircraft reporting
post opened in January 1940 at grid reference SW 913388,
on top of the 8 metre high ancient burial mound of Carne
Beacon near the Village of Veryan, as part of No 20 Group
Truro and was designated T2 Veryan Post. Some local people
strongly objected to the placing of the post on such a hallowed
point but they were over ruled by the Air Ministry. The
view was excellent for this post which was a wooden structure
some 3 metres by 4 metres square. The post consisted of
an observation area with aircraft plotting instrument and
a small ‘cubby’ for making tea, cooking and taking shelter.
Communication was by land line telephone to the main operations
room in Truro. The post was manned continuously 24 hours
a day by up to 16 observers these being a mixture of full
time and part time observers. Their role was to track (using
the post instrument), identify, and report all aircraft
seen or heard within a ten mile radius of the post. Observers
were expert at aircraft recognition and could generally
identify any type flying ! The post was run by a Chief Observer
and for most of the War years this was a man called Frank
Connor, who eventually enrolled his wife Kathleen, his son
and even his housekeeper, into the Corps. In 1941, the King
granted the title ‘Royal’ to the Corps in recognition of
the vital work carried in the Battle of Britain and in that
same year women were enrolled for the first time ! In 1942
the RAF style uniform was issued to all members.
In 1942 Veryan post was one of only three Cornish posts
to be equipped with high frequency radio for communication
with aircraft lost or in distress. This contact enabled
the post to save lives of aircrew in this situation. Also
in 1942 a satellite post was set up on the coast at Perbargus
Point some three miles to the east, to cover a blind spot
in the area of observation and at times this post was manned
by only one observer. There were now 36 reporting posts
in Cornwall all reporting aircraft movements to the operations
room in Truro where the displays enabled warning to be given
to the public and information passed on to the RAF so that
interceptions could be made. Sometime in 1942 the initial
wooden post structure was replaced by a more substantial
concrete block post which was elevated and had glass side
panels around the top to give the observers some protection
from the weather. Continuous watch was maintained day and
night throughout WWII, despite radar coming into more general
use, and at times enemy aircraft virtually overflew the
post on their way to attack Falmouth, Truro or one of the
several RAF Stations in the County.
In 1944 the Corps was called upon to man D Day landing
ships in order to recognize aircraft and to instruct the
ship’s gunners whether or not to open fire - quite a responsible
task. These observers were known as ‘Seaborne’ observers
and two died carrying out this duty on D Day or shortly
afterwards. Typically, Kathleen Connor volunteered for Seaborne
duty but was turned down because she was a woman !
The Peace time role
With the end of the war in 1945 the Corps was stood down
but was quickly reformed in 1947, still with the aircraft
reporting role due to the perceived threat of low level
intruders (below the radar coverage) attacking the UK from
Russia. The Corps was still part of the RAF but was now
almost totally spare time.
Surprisingly very few of the former wartime observers re-enrolled
but the enrolment of women increased and in particular at
Veryan post where Frank Connor’s wife, Kathleen, became
the post’s Chief Observer. In 1962 she was awarded the BEM
for her services to the Royal Observer Corps, the first
Cornish woman Corps member to receive such an honour. At
this stage the post strength was 12 and all were spare-time.
They came from many walks of life but once a week they trained
locally in a hut at Veryan Village, or later at Kathleen
Connor’s home, and six times a year they manned the post
for aircraft reporting exercises. In November 1953 the post
was re-designated Fl as part of the re-numbered No 11 Group
Truro.
But changes were on the way, for in 1955 the Corps was
given the new role of Detecting and Reporting Nuclear attacks
on the UK and was to be part of the United Kingdom Warning
and Monitoring organisation (UKWMO) funded by the Home Office.
This was because of the spread of nuclear weapons and the
continued threat (now nuclear) from the Soviet Union. From
1960 all the posts and operations rooms were being placed
underground in protected accommodation and by 1963 the aircraft
reporting role had virtually disappeared. From 1964 onwards
the total role for the ROC was nuclear. This period was
commonly called the COLD WAR.
The Second Veryan Post and the Nuclear role
In September 1962, as a prelude to being placed underground,
the above ground post at Carne Beacon was discontinued and
demolished leaving only the concrete foundations. Veryan
post was re-sited to grid reference SW 920374 on Nare Head
and an underground post was built some 30 metres south east
of the old decoy command bunker mound. The new underground
post opened in July 1963 with the role of taking observations
to nuclear bursts and monitoring radioactive fallout. The
nuclear post was designed as a basic survival unit for three
people for three weeks and give virtually total protection
against radioactive fallout. The concrete post is 1 metre
below ground, some 5 metres by 3 metres and has a radiation
protective factor of 1000. A team of 10 observers were on
the post but the operational team at any one time was only
three. The post was fully equipped with radiological instruments
to record the characteristics of nuclear bursts and fallout.
1968 saw a major cut back in the ROC with the posts being
reduced to 875 and operations rooms to 25. The strength
of the Corps stabilised at about 10,000. In October 1968
the post was again re-designated to D2 still in No 11 Group.
In April 1973 No 11 Group Truro operations room was closed
down and all the Cornish posts were absorbed into No 10
Group Exeter, Veryan post being re-designated P2. The nuclear
role continued through out the 1960s, 70s and 1980s with
simulated nuclear exercises being held 4 times per year
and training meetings being held weekly. The observer was
paid roughly £2 to £4 per meeting. In November 1982, the
introduction of electronic data transmission led to the
last re-designation to 67 Post. Post radios were introduced
for communication but a radio was never fitted to Veryan
Post.
By 1989 communism and the Soviet block were beginning to
collapse and in 1990 it was clear that there was no longer
any ‘enemy’ and the threat of a nuclear war had receded.
On financial grounds the posts and operations rooms of the
Royal Observer Corps were stood down on 30th September 1991
and all the ROC posts became redundant. The MOD only leased
the site of Veryan post from The National Trust and on stand
down they offered to demolish the post or return it in tact
to the Trust. Fortunately The National Trust accepted the
former post back in tact and from that date the post has
been owned by the Trust. However, the Trust did nothing
with the post and some deterioration set in. In October
1995 the Truro Branch of the Royal Observer Corps Association
took out a lease on the post and during 1995 and 1996 they
totally repaired and re-painted the post. More importantly
they managed to obtain almost all of the former nuclear
equipment back again (and more besides).
What you can see today
Carne Beacon still remains proud and solitary in a field
and on top of the Beacon the concrete base of the above
ground aircraft reporting wartime post still survives. Nothing
remains of the satellite post at Perbargus Point.
The nuclear post is now fully equipped and preserved as
an example of an operational ROC post at the height of the
cold war. The post is believed to be the only preserved
and fully equipped ROC post open to the public in the south
west. The site is deceptive because the only items one can
see above ground are the access hatch and ventilator turret.
Visits are by arrangement and there are several open days
in the summer months. On these occasions all the post equipment
is put out and the post made ‘operational’. See leaflet
for further details.
The Decoy Site at Nare Head
There were at least 13 decoy sites in Cornwall built primarily
to protect Falmouth, Penzance, Hayle and the RAF bases on
the north coast such as RAF St Eval, Portreath, Perranporth
and St Mawgan. The two prime sites to protect Falmouth,
confusingly, were at Nare Point on the southern side of
the Helford estuary east of Gillan and the other site was
at Nare Head to the east of Gerrans Bay near Veryan. Both
these sites became two ‘film sets’ built with special effects
by Ealing Film Studios. From the air they became a railway
system, with lights to simulate signals and the partly shielded
illumination of a railway station. The whole purpose was
to encourage bombers to drop their bombs on the decoy site
and not on the real town. One might say that the servicemen
manning the decoy sites were real heroes for they were openly
asking to be bombed !
The site at Nare Head was allocated the number 20 and was
known as site FA4 and was operated by the Royal Navy. The
site was opened on the 12th March 1942 and was last used
on 30th May 1944. The purpose of the decoy site was to protect
the port of Falmouth. The site was not a Q site as popularly
assumed but was graded QF/QL/SF which means that the site
had decoy fires for night use, light displays for night
use and had special fires to simulate a damaged town.
When bombers were detected approaching the area, the lights
would be switched on. Enemy aircrew peering through the
darkness would observe the signals on lines at the approach
to the station, which in reality were red and green bulbs
fitted to vertical poles. Then they would notice poorly
screened roof lights of buildings which were in fact wooden
boxes with electric light bulbs inside. As the enemy began
dropping bombs the aircrew would see the triangle of lights
of doors quickly opening and shutting. This effect was produced
by pairs of tall, rigid frames covered in black felt painted
white inside. They were joined together at one end but open
about twenty inches at the other end, with a light fixed
above. The light would be switched on then off from the
control bunker.
If the bombers dropped high explosive bombs on the decoy
then one or more ‘bomb sets’ would be activated. These were
fifty gallon tar barrels almost completely sunk into the
ground, with flash bags, or electrical detonators in the
bottom and sandbags with cordite placed on the top covered
with camouflaged felt. The flash bags were wired up to cables
leading to the control bunker.
If incendiary bombs were dropped then the fire troughs
could be switched on. There were three of these at Nare
Head and were made out of pressed steel about fifteen feet
long, twenty inches wide and ten inches deep. They were
supported on fire trays with metal legs cemented into the
ground and connected by pipes to three tanks, one containing
paraffin, one diesel oil and one water. They were filled
with combustible material, wood pulp soaked in paraffin,
then small kindling, then lengths of dried timber, much
of it good quality oak and Oregon pine from the repair yards
at Falmouth docks, and then topped with bags of coal and
coke. Under all this were regularly spaced flash bags which
could be operated from the control bunker. The effect would
be very realistic, because the paraffin ensured a good blaze,
the diesel oil created smoke and the water made clouds of
steam as if a locomotive had been destroyed. If the site
had been activated then it had to be rebuilt and replenished
in any weather. They often had to use crow bars and sledge
hammers to straighten out the troughs because the heat had
been so intense.,
The Control Centre or bunker
The control centre was manned by Royal Navy personnel and
consisted of two rooms with walls and roof of concrete 13
or 18 inches thick, connected by an entrance hall with a
protected doorway and escape hatch. One room housed the
electrical generator, a set of lead acid batteries and a
fuel supply and the other was a mess room for the operators,
with beds, cooking stove and control panel.
The duty crew worked shifts of forty eight hours on and
twenty four hours off and were billeted at the local Pennare
Farm. The crew received their orders from Falmouth by underground
cable across the bay and the site was under the control
of Lieutenant Commander Dickenson at Fort II, the old Imperial
Hotel.
The Naval crew ate the usual Spam sandwiches and used tins
of condensed milk, packets of tea and bags of sugar. Water
was boiled over an open fire, holes punched in tins with
a screwdriver and the same screwdriver used for stirring
up the mixture. The last time the decoy sites at Nare Point
and Nare Head were activated was on Tuesday the 30th May
1944 when Falmouth suffered its last , and perhaps worst,
raid of the war. Nine bombs were dropped on the Nare Point
decoy site but it is not known if the Nare Head decoy suffered
any hits at all. However, oil tanks at Swanvale, in Falmouth,
were hit and extensive damage was caused.
Nare Head Bunker today
The only item left to be seen today at the Nare Head decoy
site is the concrete command bunker. The bunker is totally
covered with earth and entry cannot be gained. From measurements
taken it would appear that the bunker is of the standard
type (see diagrams). A small ditch runs from the bunker
towards the cliff edge. This could be a fire ditch, cable
duct or possible a sewage outlet to the sea ! Also the remains
of the tarmac access road to the bunker is still to be seen.
No nissen hut foundations have been found but the crew were
billeted at Pennare Farm. No other remains have to date
been found.
Latest News
Carlton Visits Veryan Post Again
On 28th July 2003 Carlton TV again visited Veryan Post
to film the post and interview Lawrence Holmes. This time
it was for a new programme about the Cold War to be called
‘West Country Top Secret’.
June 2003
A recent Countryside Event at our Post on Nare Head attracted
25 visitors making donations of £29 towards the maintenance
of the post, those visiting enjoyed their evening with many
making very favourable comments.
This was also the first event at which our new pump up
aerial was on display, this also brought many comments form
our visitors. Additionally, the original post battery now
appears to be holding its charge and this, in due course,
will be taken to the post.
Open days planned for this year are:
Sundays: 15th.June, 13th July, 17th August and 6th
September, all from 1100 - 1530.
(There are two tours each day. at 1100 to 1230 and 1330
to 1500.)
There is also a special visit on Friday 31/10 from 1030
to 1200 hrs. as part of the Roseland Festival.
Again please contact us to ensure we can accomodate you
as numbers are limited.
