Siren 3 (Autumn/Winter 1996)

8 Pages·1996·0.51 MB·English

by  Subterranea Britannica

SIREN
The Newsletter of RSG
Issue 3 Autumn/Winter 1996
This issue:
PHQ HAYENPORTS
More on WB1400
Strategic Food Depots
Welcome nation's food supply. Imports would
I hope you like the new look Siren. The cease, the loss of gas and electricity
Cold War Research Study Group, is a would curtail production, shortages of
specialist study group, parented by fuel and labour would disrupt
Subterranea Britannica. RSG is a non- distribution, the loss of fertilisers would
political organisation, and aims to reduce farm output and so on.
present an objective view of the UK's
Planning in this area was the
infrastructure and plans used in the
responsibility of MAFF which post-
period 1945-1995 for National
strike would transform itself into the
Defence.
Food and Agriculture Organisation
We will not infringe knowingly on any responsible for supply food.
subject matter covered by the Official
In the lead up to war MAFF would
Secrets Act, nor will we become
encourage producers to increase their
involved in any wild, conspiracy type
output and would introduce a rationing
theories.
system for tinned and other long life
In this issue, I am happy to include an foods. Bulk food stocks would be
article by Steve Fox on the Strategic moved away from ports and an
Food Stockpile, and an article on a increased number of buffer food depots
restored ROC post in Cornwall. Also established. The buffer depots would
in this issue is a report on the first RSG provide a strategic reserve of food
field trip to Kingsway under High under the control of the Regional
Holborn, London. There is more Commissioner to feed the survivors
information on the WB1400 system until a more normal system of food
that has now been dismantled, and two supply could be re-established. The
book reviews. I am grateful for the food would be released by the Regional
continuing feedback that you give - Food Officers to the County Food
keep it up, and keep sending the Controllers, who would be responsible
articles. As always I welcome any for its collection and distribution to the
articles and feedback. Please let me emergency feeding centres.
know YOUR thoughts and ideas.
At the Heart of the system was the
Contact Me at: strategic food stockpile which was held
for MAFF in the peacetime buffer
RSG c/o 23, Halstead Road,
depots [ For a full list of these depots,
Earls Colne
see War Plan UK by D. Campbell - Ed]
COLCHESTER
The stockpile held a very limited
Essex
variety of food and was not intended to
CO6 2NG
provide a balanced diet or even feed
the survivors for any length of time.
Tel: [phone] (before 9 PM)
The following foods were held in the
e-mail: [email protected]
1980s:
a) Flour - This was a special high
The Strategic Food Stockpile
protein, low moisture content flour
This article has been submitted by
which was turned over every 4-5
Steve Fox [Thanks Steve - Ed]
years.
b) Yeast - Packed in tins with an
It was expected that a nuclear strike
expected life of 10 years.
would have a devastating effect on the
s
c) Sugar - Held in 56 LB sacks and supplement the standard "1/2 pint of
turned over if it started to stew" which would be the expected
deteriorate. daily ration amounting to 1200 calories
d) Fat - Known as "Ministry Marge" planned for under emergency feeding
with an expected shelf life of 20 arrangements.
years
If used to augment other rations and if
e) Biscuits - Sweet Biscuits in large
increased prior to attack, the strategic
tins apparently baked in the 1960's.
food stockpile may have been of
considerable use; but when measured
Some glucose sweets were apparently
alongside the amount of food needed in
produced, but found to be too
the months of the survival period, the
expensive. There have been
amount of food which would be in
suggestions that some baby foods and
normal commercial hands and the
convenience foods were also held, but
stocks held during the last war, its cost-
given the general scarcity of the known
effectiveness is questionable. Was it
stocks this seems unlikely. During the
retained perhaps, rather like the Green
1960s tinned meat and cake mix was
Goddesses by accident, or by inertia to
held, but at its peak during the last war,
serve a political rather than a practical
the strategic stockpiles were enormous;
purpose?
with large amounts of frozen and
tinned meat and other products All the food stocks and buffer depots
including tea and "Ministry Soup". had been disposed of by the end of
1995.
MAFF have not released details of the
quantities held, which in any event © SP Fox July 96
would have been augmented in the
crisis period, but the Rattlesden depot Veryan ROC Post Museum
[ex-WW2 Bomber airfield, and 1960's
A charming leaflet has been sent to me
Bloodhound missile site - Ed] near
by Lawrence Holmes of Malpas, Truro
Ipswich held 1433 tons of flour, 621 of
in Cornwall, describing the fully
sugar, 654 of fat, 120 of biscuits and
restored and equipped ROC post, that
33 of yeast. MAFF says that it had 67
he and his group have opened on a
depots in 1995, which if Rattlesden was
limited basis to interested parties.
an average example would confirm the
Lawrence has fully equipped this post
figure quoted in the press that the
with genuine equipment, as it would
stockpile was 200 000 tons.
have been inventoried during its
This sounds a lot, but considering the
operational life. Veryan post was the
flour held at Rattlesden together with
very first Cornish aircraft reporting
that held at the other 5 depots believed
post to be opened in 1940. The post
to have been in the 4 Home Defence
was set on top of Came Beacon 1 mile
region (East Anglia) it would produce
inland and was designated T2 post, part
some 25 million loaves for the
of 20 Group Truro. In 1963 the post
peacetime population of 5 million. The
was re-sited to its present position on
reader can decide the efficacy of these
Nare Head and the old post was
5 loaves, when there were no tinned
abandoned. Also at this time the
fishes available. These figures, of
underground post was built, and the
course, assume that the loaves could be
Nuclear reporting role commenced.
baked and distributed but also ignore
The post continued in this role until
the fact that they would be used to
Corps Stand Down in 1991. The post
3
is sited on the Nare Head Cliffs on Naval Office In Charge. The bunker
National Trust Land, within the was abandoned and handed back to its
Cornish Heritage Coastline. Civilian Owners on 31 March 1994. In
true Naval tradition, the Bunker was
Visits are free of charge to ex-ROC
equipped with a bar in the rest room!
members, and other visitors are asked
to donate a small fee to Post Museum Thanks to Dave Wood and J
Funds. The next time you are in this McBurney for the info.
beautiful part of the world, why not try
Book Review
to visit?
Drakelow Unearthed by Paul Stokes.
For Further details contact Lawrence
Holmes (01872) 78234. Drakelow Unearthed is an excellent
history of the former Rover No. 1D
Shadow factory. In the words of the
PHQ Havenports
author, Paul Stokes " 'The Rover',
Just off the A120 in the port of
RSG9 and RGHQ92 are only some of
Harwich and under Hamilton House
the names that have been used for the
lies the underground complex, known
huge network of tunnels hidden deep
as Port HQ Havenports. This bunker
below the woodland and sandstone of
was constructed in 1941 for the Navy
Blakeshall common near Wolverly.
and was known as HMS Badger. Its
Shrouded in secrecy for over 50 years
role was for Naval control of Merchant
its secret history is finally unearthed.
Shipping and to act as a control for the
From its construction in 1941 to its sale
Naval defence of the ports and
in 1994, from aeroengine factory to
anchorage's, plus the local control of
nuclear bunker". Paul is to be
warships. It was abandoned after the
congratulated on a very readable
war, until 1986 when it was reopened
account of the site which many knew as
for its role as RN Port Control for
Regional Seat of Government No.9.
local, national and NATO use. It was
Packed full of interesting photos, maps
refurbished and had new Air-
and diagrams this book comes highly
Conditioning plant installed. It was
recommended at just £5.50 (inc. p+p).
used by the Harwich unit of the Royal
Naval Auxiliary Service (RNXS), who
ISBN 0-904015-40-8
staffed it on a weekly basis for training
and exercises: additionally several times Available from the author :
a year it was used for National and
Paul Stokes
NATO exercises. The staffing of the
The Compa
bunker was primarily by the RN,
Kinver
RNXS, RNR with additional staff from
West Midlands
the Army, RAF, US Army, Police, DY7 6HT
Board of Trade and other
RSG Underground!
organisations. The number of staff
could rise to nearly 100 during a major As mentioned earlier, RSG visited the
exercise, including a continuous watch Kingsway Underground complex in
by the RN and RNXS personnel. The London on Saturday 13th July. It was
bunker had the same responsibilities as a fascinating experience, made even
it had in the Second World War. The more atmospheric, as we were the only
whole PHQ was commanded by a RN people in there.
Captain (Retd) who was known as
4-
During 1942 work started on a series exchange equipment was housed in a
of deep level shelters, built under smaller series of tunnels built by the
existing tube stations mainly on the GPO in 1951 just at the Eastern end of
Northern Line. It was hoped that after the Southern Bore. These tunnels are
the war, they could be linked to form a interesting as they have the legend
high speed non-stop North-South `GPO' cast into the steel tunnel liners.
service. They were constructed as two The complex also had a canteen and
parallel 16.5 ft bores linked by smaller rest rooms located in the northern bore
connecting tunnels. One was built . It would seem that Kingsway came
under the extant Chancery Lane off of the secret list in the late 1960's,
station, 130 feet below the surface of but various bits of GPO/BT equipment
Holborn. remained in place until fairly recently.
The complex now is stripped of all
During the first phase of Post War
telecommunications equipment, and is
Emergency Planning in the Early
up for disposal by BT.
1950's the GPO took over the empty
tunnels of the Chancery Lane shelter as Our visit started with a conducted tour
a home for a 500 line Automatic around the complex. It was made the
Telephone Exchange calledKingsway. more interesting by the constant
It was the first trunk exchange to open rumblings of tube trains above us!
in the UK, and formed an important What impressed me, was the shear
part of the Government, Military and amount of effort that had gone into
Civil telephone & telex networks. It building the place which was testament
had links to two other underground to its one time importance. Our visit
trunk exchanges - Anchor under concluded with a brief lecture on
Birmingham andGuardian under "Emergency Planning: Beyond War
Manchester (these were single tunnels). Plan UK" by Steve Fox - this lecture
The idea was that these three will be reproduced in the next issue of
exchanges would be able to operate Siren.
and survive through any period of
atomic war, keeping vital defence
communications flowing, linking the Book Review
fighting services, civil defence controls
Dark Sun by Richard Rhodes
and the government regional war
This is a magnificent book subtitled
rooms which were springing up in
The making of the Hydrogen Bomb and
provincial towns at this time.
follows Rhodes' first prize winning
Remember, atomic warfare as
volume The making of the Atomic
envisaged in the early fifties (pre Soviet
Bomb.
H-bomb) was of an order of magnitude
less than what was expected just five In Dark Sun, Rhodes writes extensively
years later; it was still planned that about the huge Soviet espionage effort,
Britain would operate for at least two starting in 1941 to acquire US atomic
months under Nuclear Bombardment. secrets, and how Stalin's grotesque
Kingsway and its two duplicates would henchman, Beria, personally supervised
help realise these plans . the work leading to the detonation of
Joe-1 - the first Soviet Nuclear device-
To cope with operating under attack,
in 1949. Read about the theoretical
the complex was equipped with an
and practical work that lead to the US
artesian well, four giant diesels for light
and then the Soviet Union, developing
and power, plus ventilation plant. The
5'
the `Super'; from Tellers' first rails and were brought to the surface
embryonic ideas to the devastating by an elevator. Once on the surface,
weapon of our Nightmares. The final, they were pushed on rails to an erector
most chilling Chapter -Scorpions in a and with the proper electrical and
Bottle describes how General Curtis hydraulic connections completed,
LeMay - head of the USAF SAC was raised to an angle of about 85 degrees
actively trying to engineer a nuclear for firing at hostile aircraft. it was sent
confrontation with the Soviets over the steering signals from a ground based
Cuban Missile Crisis. computer which resolved the firing
solution from tracking radar's.
This 731 page book is a brilliant blend
of history, science and politics - full of The newer, more powerful Nike-
unexpected and often hair raising Hercules missiles replaced theNike-
revelations from previously undisclosed Ajax during the period 1958-63. The
Russian and US sources. new missiles were installed into
Modified Nike -Ajax sites in the LA
Thoroughly recommended, and at
area. Only 9 of the Original 16 sites
£9.99 a bargain. Just the thing for a
were converted to fire the Nike-
Christmas present to read through the
Hercules. All sites were
long winter nights.
decommissioned from early 1974,
Dark Sun by Richard Rhodes, leaving LA ringed with these surplus
published by Simon & Schuster sites.
ISBN 0-684-81690-3 This is interesting as the UK had a
parallel Anti-Aircraft Missile system
deployed from the mid '50s called
Missile Defence of US Cities
Bloodhound. This was deployed along
I found a fascinating article on the Eastern England, mainly to protect the
World Wide Web regarding the missile V-Bomber and Thor IRBM Bases. It
defence of US cities. The Nike-Ajax was hoped that it could be deployed to
was the first ground based supersonic protect important installations such as
anti-aircraft missile system to become ports and eventually deployed around
operational in the US. The Nike the 16 major cities in the UK. Alas the
missiles were deployed at sites in a Mkl system was found to be too short
circular pattern around key American ranged and vulnerable to ECM. It was
Industrial and Military locations. dismantled by 1965. The Mk2
Bloodhound had a much improved
The first Los Angeles area Nike -Ajax
range and was vastly more
battery was emplaced in the Mountains
countermeasures resistant. It remained
above Malibu in 1954. By 1958 there
deployed until the early 90's at selected
were 16 Nike-Ajax launch sites
sites in East Anglia. Many of the Mkl
guarding the greater LA area,
sites were on disused wartime airfields,
protecting an area of some 4 000
and the remains of the launch pads are
square miles. Nike Missiles were
still visible today.
launched from a self-contained launch
area. Each site was equipped with two
or three launching platforms each with
More on WB1400
an underground storage magazines, an
In the last issue of Siren, there was a
elevator and four missile erectors. The
brief report on the demise of the
missiles were stored underground on
WB1400 warning network. Since the
6
dismantling of the system, more Receiver Point the operator would
information on it has become available. again sound the local warning
[Apologies for the technical nature of (Maroons). Using this system, the
this article! -Ed] whole country could be covered by a
warning system quickly and cheaply.
The system was based on the BT
Network, around 254 centrally As stated in the earlier article (Siren
controlled geographic areas composed Issue 2), with the end of the Cold War
of a Carrier Control Point (CCP), a and the event of modern building
Control Point Exchange (CPE) and a standards, double glazing and high
number of Distribution Exchanges levels of ambient noise, the Home
(DE). There was one CCP per CCA. Office decided that the system was no
Usually located in a Main Police station longer viable, and the whole network
and it controlled all the Receiver Points was dismantled this year.
situated within that CCA. *******************************
The CCP was connected to the CPE by
RSG Needs You!
two private circuits. The CPE
exchange transmits the WB1400 signal I hope you have enjoyed this issue of
from the CCP to all the DE within that Siren. Remember, it needs YOUR
CCA. It also took the Attack Warning input to make it successful. I always
from the National 'Handel' system welcome articles and feedback.
which was normally used to carry the
To receive Siren on a regular basis (I
speaking clock. At the Distribution
try to produce at least 3 per year), join
Exchange the WB1400 signal was
Subterranea Britannica - cost £12 (- £5
disseminated to all the Receiver Points
unwaged, +£3 for profit making
local to that DE. Each Receiver Point
organisations +£1 overseas).
was furnished with the small Speaker
Membership and general information
Unit. These were at ROC posts,
on Society can be obtained from the
hospitals, fire stations, military bases,
Joint Secretaries:
and in rural areas village Police
Malcolm & Babara Tadd
stations, pubs and private premises.
65 Trindles road
Power operated sirens (usually in urban
South Nutfield
areas) were controlled by special units
Redhill
(Receiver, Signalling).
Surrey
On receipt of the Attack Warning from RH1 4JL
the Handel network, the police
Tel: [phone]
operator at the CCP would broadcast *******************************
the Attack Warning to all Receiver
Siren is published by RSG, a non profit
Points in the CCA. The operator at the
organisation run by enthusiasts for
CCP would also operate all the power
enthusiasts. It is a sub group of
operated sirens from the CCP. At the
Subterranea Britannica and is copyright
Receiver Point the operator would
protected. No where in this publication
sound the alarm locally. When fallout
has the Official Secrets Act been
was expected, the police operator
knowingly broken, and all sources are
would be warned via a dedicated
in the public domain.
private wire from the local ROC Group
HQ . The police operator could then © RSG 1996
broadcast warnings to the affected
districts via a speech message. At the
7