Raid Spotters …
If a single Luftwaffe bomber flew across the U.K. the air raid siren would sound under its flight path, with a safety margin either side, with time before or after it had passed over allowing people to safely get into the air raid shelters and later to get out and back to work; which meant the loss of thousands of hours of war production and work in places like factories and large office blocks each time, more so if the aircraft was on a recognisance flight and no bombs were dropped after a while workers didn’t always go to the shelters but every time it could be a bomber and a loss of life.
So the civilian “Raid Spotter” Organisation was born, from factory and office workers as volunteers.
Some were aviation enthusiasts but not always. Spotter’s Clubs were formed and about the same time the National Association of Spotters Clubs was formed with help from the Observer Corps, (later Royal Observer Corps). Spotter’s Club membership could include Raid Spotters, Air Cadets,
Air Training Corps and Observer Corps. At meetings, there would be speakers, films, epidiascopes which showed pictures of aircraft on a screen to build up aircraft recognition knowledge, and inter-club competitions were held. As the weeks progressed the N.A.S.C. produced their own membership
Cards, Lapel badges and tin helmet transfer badges, both featuring a Blenheim aircraft.
A bulletin in the “Aeroplane Spotter” a two weekly magazine, this featured club news, contact addresses etc. Members could also buy a copy of the “Raid Spotters Note Book” costing 2/3d (Two shillings and three pence = 11 new pence).
This notebook was more of a manual of their role. It was compiled by C.Griffiths of the Observer Corps Club. It included: Silhouettes and information on 103 aircraft; a glossary of terms; visual and sound spotting; Binoculars and the care of; Types of bombs; Fire fighting; First Aid; Types of Gas and general hints.
Raid Spotters posts were at high points, on factories, office blocks, boarding schools, government buildings or temporary ones on football stadiums and law courts when in use, anywhere there were large gatherings of people. The best known local one which I recall seeing as a boy was when going to Norwich on the bus from Mundham, going up Bracondale, just past the traffic lights there was a tall metal scaffold type of tower amongst and taller than the trees, built by Boulton and Paul, with the post on top. The entrance was through big wooden gates opposite Colmans Carrow works, to get up and down were ladders with ropes for emergency use. The Raid Spotters post was very much like an R.O.C. post with a covered shelter, without the R.O.C. instrument, compass points were marked on the wall, aircraft seen were logged with details of the type if known, weather at the time, direction, time and date. This Norwich Raid Spotters post was shared by “Partners”; Colmans; Boulton and Paul; Thorpe Station LNER; R J Read Ltd (Flour Mill); Lawrence and Scott; and local people. The post crew had binoculars, telephone, switch for warning hooter, later a warning bell on a direct line from R.O.C. centre was fitted for crash warning and a 2-way telephone for co-operation between the two. The duties of the two crew members were at least one observing the local area, logging aircraft and any incidents, the other resting making a brew etc, with two on duty during alerts. They were responsible for maximum production hours possible and the safety of factory and office personnel.
In a raid and one or more aircraft were seen approaching the area, sound the alarm (a loud hooter) allowing the workers to make their way to the shelters. If in doubt sound the alarm- better safe than sorry. If you made a mistake- a JU88 was a Blenheim!- wait 10 minutes to allow workers to have a cigarette, then sound the all-clear; to sound the all-clear alarm earlier would not inspire confidence in the spotters. After a raid, raid spotters would be expected to help, be courageous and keep their head, be prepared to see to severe wounds. At night the spotters would look for any lights or fires in the local area and report them. One night the Carrow post contacted Lawrence and Scott to say there was a fire near their factory, it was found to be the fireman of a railway engine cleaning out a firebox, the fire was soon put out. Several times bombs were dropped near the Carrow post, one member received a flesh wound. Other times bombs, fires and anti-aircraft guns could be seen as far as Acle, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Ipswich, Hull and London.
On the 21st September 1941, the R.O.C. informed the post, some of our returning bombers were damaged or short of fuel and asked for any unusual incidents to be reported. An aircraft was heard N.E. of the post, the R.O.C. replied it was a Hampden which was lost, the post gave its position and height in a relay of reports which were passed on to Horsham St Faith aerodrome where it made a safe landing. All crashes were reported within the Norwich area or as far away as Flixton.
As the war progressed VI Doodlebugs and V2 rockets were seen and reported; and Red warnings for the VI were given, normally as they crossed the coast. Explosions of the VI could be heard as far as Mildenhall, while a V2 explosion was heard in London. During the war, over 1,500 Red warnings were given, plus crash warnings and the white all clear warnings. The post was manned each day until 8th May 1945 the end of the War in Europe, and the termination of duties at the Raid Spotters Post.
Amongst the 150 types of aircraft seen were the Boeing B-29, Avenger, Blackwidow, Commando, ME110 and the Kittyhawk.
At Bungay Printing works there was a fire watcher’s/ Raid Spotter’s post on the East side of the works. In the event of a raid, there would be 3 loud blasts on the hooter and this could be heard at Mundham about 6 miles away.
Acknowledgements to Memoirs of a raid spotter via Terry Spruce and John Archer who recall the Printing works hooter at Bungay. As a boy I recall the “Carrow Hooter” and the “Bungay Printing works Hooter” blasting at 07.50 and 12.50 calling the workers back to work, at Mundham where we lived, where we could also hear the train whistles from Bungay. With the local saying, Bungay train more rain!
Author:: Huby Fairhead
Thanks for that Huby. Memories like these really bring history to life.
Hi, do you have any information on members of who wrote their literature. I’m interested because my father (CT Smith) wrote for The Aeroplane magazine in the war and was an NASC member. I’ve found a NASC pamphlet on the V2 doodlebug in his files and I’m wondering if he wrote it.