ROC Post, Culham, Oxfordshire. 30th August, 2011.

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timbly

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The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) was a civilian volunteer organisation operating in the UK between October 1925 & December 1995. Originally set up as part of a raid reporting system, it was invaluable during the Battle of Britain before being superseded by radar & was instrumental in alerting fighter pilots to the presence of V1s (doodlebugs) by sending up 'Snowflake' flares. After the war a new role was found, reporting the effects of fallout in the event of a thermo-nuclear war.

This particular post opened in 1960 & closed in 1968 & can be reached by parking in the car park at Culham Lock, crossing the road & following the riverside path roughly 250 meters along the Thames towards Appleford until you see a sign warning you that you're entering a firing range. Ignore this & go through the gate. As you see the firing range go to your left & up the hill, you'll have to fight your way through the brambles until you see concrete. This is a WWII tank battery. Go along the side of this to the left & bit further uphill & you'll see the open hatch of the post.

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These pictures are the best of the 20 I took of the post & the tank battery. In all honesty, there wasn't that much to see as this is really just a single room at the bottom of a 20ft shaft. To see the rest, go to my site.
 
Well done though it's not the way I went to find it. What you found is a Type 28A pillbox that at some time was used as a look out for the ROC post. I thought the roc post had been cleaned when I saw the bed but I now see the place is still the shit hole it was when I visited a couple of years ago. There is another Type 28 A over in Zulu farm opposite and another beside Appleford Bridge further along from there. That Post put me off visiting any more.
 
Nice One Tim, Your directions of how to get to the post is so similar to many of them and Night-Crawlers supplement added to its enjoyment. My Thanks to you both
 

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