Were you involved in Welshpool’s nuclear role?

For 33 years, a group of trained civilians operated a nuclear monitoring post in Welshpool, one of many across the UK that would have been responsible for reporting the extent of a nuclear attack.

From 1958-1991, Britain lived in fear of a nuclear attack from Russia, and Welshpool’s post was a vital part of what was known as the UK Warning and Monitoring Organisation, operated by the Royal Observer Corp (ROC).

Now the Chairman of North Wales Royal Observer Corps Association is trying to reach out to former colleagues, members and their families.

“A lot of our ex-ROC members don’t know about our Association, and the ROC Benevolent Fund, and we’d like to let them know, and get back in contact,” said John Liversage, Chairman.

“Since the ROC had an underground post in Welshpool, we wanted to reach out.”

You can find John through johnliversage@hotmail.com.

How was Welshpool at the forefront of the Cold War?

The United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation (UKWMO) was a British civilian organisation operating to provide UK military and civilian authorities with data on nuclear explosions and forecasts of fallout across the country in the event of nuclear war.

The UKWMO was established in 1957 and funded by the Home Office and used its own premises which were mainly staffed by Royal Observer Corps uniformed full-time and volunteer personnel as the fieldforce.

The ROC was administered by the Ministry of Defence but mainly funded by the Home Office. The only time Welshpool was on high alert in the Cold War was during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October and November 1962. The organisation was wound up and disbanded in November 1992 following a review prompted by the end of the Cold War, but Welshpool has closed a year earlier.

What was its role?

The UKWMO had five main functions in the event of nuclear war. These were:

1.     Warning the public of any air attack.

2.     Providing confirmation of nuclear strike.

3.     Warning the public of the approach of radioactive fall-out.

4.     Supplying the civilian and military authorities in the United Kingdom and neighbouring countries in NATO with details of nuclear bursts and with a scientific assessment of the path and intensity of fall-out

5.     Provision of a post-attack meteorological service.