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SATELLITE POSTS OF THE ROYAL OBSERVER CORPS (1940 TO 1945)

From 1940, and in particular from 1942, to combat the threat of the low level intruder and to improve low level coverage in the ROC reporting chain, it was decided to establish approximately 150 ‘satellite’ posts in a belt 30 miles wide along the south coast of the UK and on the east coast as far north as Dundee, as well as on the coast of Lancashire and Cheshire.

The satellite posts consisted of four kinds (numbers in brackets) :-

  • Royal Observer Corps (27); 
  • Royal Air Force (22); 
  • AA Command Searchlight (50); 
  • Coastguard (129)

A total of 27 ROC satellite posts were set up, each manned by a single observer. 50 AA Command Searchlight sites were linked from the searchlight sentry to the nearest ROC Post. 22 aerodrome lookouts were connected by telephone to nearby ROC posts. Lastly, 129 coastguard stations had tie lines to ROC posts. Many coastguard stations had been part of the ROC reporting network since 1940 and it only remained to provide additional communications for the new coastguard stations which were to become satellite reporting posts. The RAF and Army generally manned their own satellites, while ROC personnel manned ROC satellites and also some of those set up at coastguard stations.

Each satellite post was connected by land-line telephone to its parent ROC post and reported all low flying aircraft movements to that post. The satellite posts had no post plotting instrument but did have a crude ‘Minute Ring’. The aircraft plot and details were estimated. An example of a satellite reporting sequence is : 

‘B2 Satellite ; 05 minutes ; two miles east ; one at zero ; hostile’. 

The satellite plots were passed on by the parent post to the Centre. On the Ops Room plotting table the satellite posts were indicated by a black diamond gummed on to the map table. ROC Operation Instruction No 9 “Formation of Satellite Posts” was issued on 22 September 1942 and this instruction gave detailed information on how the satellite posts operated. The earliest satellite post was set up in 1941 and most were established in 1942. Their life was short with some closing in 1944 and all of them closing by 1945.

Satellite posts were manned by one observer from 1942 to 1943 but as enemy activity decreased into 1944 and 1945, manning at satellites tapered off. Many satellite posts took advantage of existing structures like coastguard stations, control towers and searchlight sites. But in a number of dedicated ROC satellite post sites, to give the single observer some protection from the inclement weather, a small block built structure was provided. This satellite post was not unlike a normal post but smaller since no plotting instrument was needed. However, a stove for warmth and cooking was provided.

The duty of the satellite post was to report, during daylight hours, visual observations of low flying hostile aircraft and doubtful aircraft approaching the coast and flying overland, which existing Observer Posts, by reason of their topographical position, were unable to observe. The use of satellite posts was not only to improve the reporting of low flying coastal raids by single engine aircraft, but also to assist in the reporting of twin engine bombers which had started to adopt similar tactics in their attacks on inland targets.

‘Attack Warning Red’ lists 16 satellite posts in Cornwall alone. Only two of these were ROC satellites, the remainder being based at coastguard stations. An example of an ROC satellite post was at Perbargus Point located on the cliffs just west of Portloe which reported direct to Veryan Post. Sometimes two satellite posts reported to one parent post. For example St Just and Penzer Point coastguards reported to St Ives ROC Post and Nore and Looe coastguard satellite reported to Polperro ROC Post. Interestingly there was a satellite post located in the coastguard station on the Isles of Scilly which reported direct to 20 Group Operations Room in Truro. All the Cornish satellite posts were on the coast except for that at Coads Green. It is not known why this inland ROC post warranted a satellite post ?

13 satellite posts are listed in Devon. Ten were ROC satellite posts and three were coastguard satellites. Most satellites in Devon were on the coast but by no means all. For example those at Bere Alston, Totnes, Ashburton and Drewsteignton. The satellite at Bigbury on Sea is noted as being on the east end of the approach to RAF Bolt Head near Salcombe. Other examples of satellite posts in Devon are at Barnstaple, Exminster and Exmouth. Plympton ROC Post near Plymouth and Torquay ROC Post had satellites.

Dorset had six satellites with two being ROC and four being coastguard satellites. Examples are at Portland Bill ROC Post with a satellite at Stope Tower and West Lulworth ROC Post with a satellite at Lampton Herring coastguard station. Hampshire had nine satellite posts with two being at coastguard stations and seven being ROC satellite posts. Most were on the coast. One satellite was near The Needles on the Isle of Wight. The last county to list satellite posts is Somerset with four ROC satellite posts and one located at a coastguard station.

The satellite which reported to Temple Coombe ROC Post was located at the Searchlight Unit at Henstridge Aerodrome. Attack Warning Red lists satellite posts in no other county. There are no ROC satellite posts in Northern England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland. Very little is recorded about operations, or life, on a satellite post. Nigel Connor the son of Kathleen Connor of Veryan Post, served on Veryan Post in the latter part of WW2 and was on duty at the satellite post at Perbargus Point on many occasions. He remembers duty there as being lonely and boring despite occasionally plotting an intruding fast low level FW190. 

Although some satellite posts were made of block or brick, almost no photographs survive showing what one looked like. As far as is known no satellite post has been found and preserved.

Satellite Sites in the South & South West

CORNWALL
POST
S3
T4
J2
T3
N1
Q3
M3
T1
R2
S1
Q1
T3
M1
M2
---
T2
GROUP
20
20
21
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
LOCATION
Coads Green
Constantine
Downderry
Helston
Kilkhampton
Lizard
Madron
Marazion
Par
Polperro
Praze
St. Anthony
St. Ives
Sennen
St. Mary's, Scilly
Veryan
NAME
SX 289746
Coastguard Station
Looe 1941
Coverack / Porthleven
Bude Coastguard Station
Porthaustock / Lizard
Penzer Point Coastguard Station
Halsfarran Cliff
Fowey Coastguard Station
Nore & Looe Coastguards Station
Portreath Coastguard Station
---------------
St. Just & Penzer Point
Tol-Pedd-Penwith
Direct Line to Truro
Perbargus Point
OTHER INFO 
ROC satellite Mar 1942
Tie line 1942
Tie line to Coastguard Station
Tie line to Coastguard Station 1941
1941
Tie line to Coastguard Station 1942
Tie line to Coastguard Station 1942
Tie line to Coastguard Station 1942
Tie line to Coastguard Station 1942
Tie line to Coastguard Station 1942
Set up 1941
Tie line to Coastguard Station 1943
Sat at Coastguard Station 1941
Tie line to Coastguard Station 1941
At Coastguard Station 1941
ROC Satellite 1942

DEVON
POST
S2
B3
L1
F3
E1
E2
H2
F1
J1
L3
H4
G2
G4
GROUP
22
21
22
21
21
21
21
21
21
21
21
21
21
LOCATION
Axminster
Barnstaple
Bere Alston
Drewsteignton
Exminster
Exmouth
Bigbury on Sea
Ashburton
Totnes
Plympton
Stokenham
Stoke Fleming
Torquay
NAME
---------------
Northoe Coastguard Station
Stoke Point
Budleigh Salterton
Ladram Bay Coastguard Station
SY029799
Bolt Head SX723555
Teignmouth
SX826625
SX536577
SX829432
Hope's Nose
SX943636
OTHER INFO
ROC Satellite 1943
Tie line to Coastguard Station 1941
ROC Satellite 1941
Sat at Coastguard Station 1941
Sat at Coastguard Station 1941
ROC Satellite 1942
ROC Satellite 1942
ROC Satellite 1943
ROC Satellite Nov 1942
ROC Satellite June 1942
ROC Satellite 1942
ROC Satellite 1941
ROC Satellite 1943

DORSET
POST
Q4
S1
J2
Q1
Q3
P2
GROUP
22
22
3
22
22
22
LOCATION
Abbotsbury
Bridport
Foreland
Portland Bill
West Lulworth
Worth Matravers
NAME
SX943636
West Bay Coastguard Station
SZ658875
SY651732
Lampton Herring
St. Alban's Head
OTHER INFO
ROC Satellite 1943
Tie line to Coastguard Station 1942
At Coastguard Station 1943
ROC Stope Tower 1942
At Coastguard Station 1941
Tie line to Coastguard Station 1942

HAMPSHIRE
POST
C1
N1
G4
G2
N4
---
C4
---
C3

GROUP
3
3
3
3
3
---
3
---
3

LOCATION
Atherfield
Barton
Brightstone
Brook Bay
Hengistbury
Keyhaven
Luccumbe Bay
Needles IOW
Woody Point
NAME
Coastguard Station SZ454791
Coastguard Station SZ240929
Coastguard Station SZ423816
No Location
Coastguard Station SZ174906
SZ240926
SZ585800
SZ294849
SZ536762

OTHER INFO
ROC Satellite 1943
At Coastguard Station 1943
At Coastguard Station 1943
ROC Satellite 1943
ROC Satellite 1943 / 1944
ROC Satellite 1943 / 1945
ROC Satellite 1943 / 1945
ROC Satellite 1943 / 1944
ROC Satellite 1943 / 1944

SOMERSET
POST
X2
M2
L2
K1
M4

GROUP
22
22
22
22
22

LOCATION
Lydeard St. Lawrence
Marston Magna
North Petherton
Porlock
Temple Coombe

NAME
Elworthy Barrows
ST588278
ST233304
Hurlston Point Coastguard Station
ST772226

OTHER INFO
ROC Satellite 1942
ROC Satellite 1941
ROC Satellite 1942
Tie line to Coastguard Station 1942
ROC sat Henstridge 1942

Information provided with thanks to Lawrence Holmes of ROCA 10 Group and custodian of the Veryan ROC Museum / Monitoring Post, Nare Head, Cornwall
Information originally published in ROCA 10 Group Newsletter - No.70, July 2013