Interview with Peter Plant

British NCO and observer served with the Royal Navy Weapons Electrical Branch on board HMS Vincent, HMS Collingwood, HMS Aurora, HMS Pembroke, HMS Bulwark, HMS Vernon, HMS Jaguar, HMS Triumph, HMS Danae, 1962-1975; served as a leading observer at Bedford Group Control bunker with Royal Observer Corps (ROC), 1981-1991; served as Nuclear, Radiation, Chemical (NRC) observer ROC at RAF Brampton, 1992-1995.

REEL 1 Background and early career in GB, 1947-1961: family history in London including father’s Royal Navy (RN) service during Second World War (SWW) as leading signalman posted to Falkland Islands; legacy of SWW in locality including effects of austerity and rationing; ambitions and interests during school years; attainment of practical skills and academic achievement on leaving school, age 15. Aspects of enlistment and initial training with Royal Navy, 1962:story of failing eyesight testand reapplying to electrical and engineering branch when standards revised; father’s attitude towards joining RN; reasons for choice of Royal Navy. Aspects of basic training at HMS St Vincent, 1962-1963: organisation of basic training; attainment of rank of Junior Electrical Mechanic 2nd Class; description of HMS St Vincent; mixed demographic of ratings, nature of course, joining HMS Virago at Belfast for sea training in North Atlantic; contact with home; description of uniform; contact with local people. Aspects of electrical trade training at HMS Collingwood, 1963-1964: passing out, age 16, as Junior Electrical Mechanic 1st Class. Aspects of period as NCO with the Royal Navy Weapons Electrical Branch, 1964-1974: first draft to general purpose frigate HMS Aurora: description of ship; sea trials on River Clyde; nature of role; technical description of gunnery transmitting station. REEL 2 continues: repurposing spare parts from HMS Alamein, scheduled for breaking; description of collision between HMS Cavalier and a Liberian tanker, 5/1964; role of HMS Aurora as part of 2nd frigate squadron; experiencing training flight in ship’s Wasp helicopter; drafting to fleet maintenance unit at HMS Pembroke; posting to HMS Bulwark (R08); description of accommodation on board HMS Belfast (1966), her 7-day readiness status; explanation of ‘category crew’; flight trials of P1127 Harrier/Kestrel on board HMS Bulwark; description of vessel, commando launch capability, carrying LSA (landing craft assault), exercises in Hong Kong; issuing of passports for recommission by air; memories of withdrawal from Aden; qualifying as leading hand at HMS Collingwood, 1968; reorganisation of RN electrical branch, pay levels; cinema maintenance course at HMS Vernon; completing writer’s course prior to draft to HMS Jaguar for world cruise, 1969-1970; description of ship, difficulty of fresh water supply; joining Beira Patrol; exercises with pilotless target aircraft; description of accommodation, overcrowded conditions; character of Captain Michael Clapp [IWM 12558]; ports of call during world tour; meeting future wife Sue, a WRNS writer at Eastleigh, 8/1970 and maintaining courtship during draft to HMS Triumph, 1971-1972, marrying, 4/1972, scarcity of married quarters. REEL 3 continues: description of heavy repair ship HMS Triumph (R16), based at Singapore; technical description of ship telephone systems; unscheduled tour of South America during return voyage; memories of operations for British withdrawal from Singapore, 10/1971, question of national pride during the period; draft to HMS Excellent, 1972; domestic arrangements, nature of accommodation in Southsea; final draft to HMS Danae, 1973-1974 including working up off Devonport, nature of exercises and operations, including Cod Wars, effects of national strikes on power supplies and memories of observing Haile Selassie’s yacht off Ethiopia (2/1974). REEL 4 continues. Aspects of period as a civilian in GB, 1974-1980: discharge and end of RN service, 5/1974; lack of resettlement vocational training; return to civilian life, nature of employment, domestic situation, reasons for choice of home location; adapting to lack of military discipline and routine; personal financial impact. Recollections of period as an observer with Royal Observer Corps (ROC), 1981-1995: motivation to join ROC; application, interview, and vetting process; awareness of Bedford (No 7) Group Control facility (bunker), description of exterior; advantages of previous military service at application stage; organisation of ROC crews; expected level of commitment, status within Civil Service; broad range of professional experience within ROC, extent of gender balance amongst volunteers; question of common character traits of ROC volunteers; prior knowledge of telephone communications equipment type installed in control bunker; usefulness of local geographical knowledge, importance of family support; description of ROC uniform; security vetting, question of risk of political infiltration; structure of United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation (UKWMO); extent of Group Control area; extent and structure of ROC observation post network, operational capabilities, crewing levels; description of Bedford Group Control, operation and staffing. REEL 5 continues: description of interior of Bedford Group Control bunker; extent of staffing, projected duration of life-support in bunker, nature of dry food rations, question of adequate potable water supply; strength and structural resilience of bunker, extent of radiation and fallout protection; presence of other official staff in bunker; description of chain-of-command; civilian nature of ROC, question of skills, discipline, and commitment; equal status of women within ROC; explanation of ROC rank structure; memories of Assistant Commandant Joyce Shrubbs MBE (1927-2021), who served as an ROC observer during the SWW period; performance assessment, annual Master Test, Chief and Leading Observer’s Course (CLOC), annual training camps hosted by RAF stations; question of reliability of a voluntary corps; difficulty of accessing observer posts during winter; description of typical routine exercise, use of ‘cascade’ alert system to muster observers, question of realism of exercises; explanation of ‘TOCSIN’ verbal signal indicating detection of a nuclear detonation; method of plotting nuclear blast and fallout path by triangulation; protocols of ‘Transition to War Instructions’, expectation of gradual escalation prior to nuclear exchange. REEL 6 continues: opinion of realism of ROC exercises; question of personal security, reflecting on the strength of Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) during the period, wearing ROC uniform with pride, no knowledge of abuse of ROC volunteers, instances of observation posts being overrun by CND activists; personal opinion that the general public supported civil defence in the nuclear age; cost-effectiveness of maintaining ROC; question of ROC as ‘a nuclear Dad’s Army’; question of effectiveness of the ROC following a nuclear strike; assessment of advice given in publication ‘Protect and Survive’ (Central Office of Information, 1980; conclusion that ROC was of greater service to the armed services than to the general public; emotional challenge of possibly leaving wife and loved ones to die when called to ROC duty at time of nuclear war; plan to wait for ‘transition to war’ before discussing this question with family; question of commitment to leaving family and reporting for duty in control bunker; reaction to opening of the Berlin Wall (11/1989) and the ‘end of the Cold War’; shock on hearing the news of ROC initial stand down (1991); hosting of a farewell party for ROC volunteers by USAF at RAF Chicksands; Joining Nuclear Reporting Cell (NRC) at RAF Brampton (1992), nature of role; reaction to final stand-down of ROC (1995); receiving the ROC Medal on completion of 12-years’ service, wearing the medal on Remembrance Day and at ROC funerals; motivation to keep memory of ROC alive; question of need for reactivating the ROC due to current geopolitical conditions; relevance of the ROC motto ‘Forewarned is Forearmed’.