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: (01787) 224729 (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: (01737) 823456 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