Harlaston’s underground bunker (or more correctly, underground monitoring post) was operational from 1959 to 1991, just one of 1,560 underground ROC monitoring rooms constructed during the Cold War, from Cornwall to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each post was manned by volunteer crews of the Royal Observer Corps, wearing blue RAF-style uniforms, and trained to provide vital information in the event of a nuclear attack on the UK. 

Around a dozen men and women, all spare-time volunteers, made up the Harlaston crew, led by Chief Observer Peter Sandars (whose daytime job was at Reliant Motors, Tamworth). Responsible for training was Leading Observer Alec Gibson, whose brother Ron Gibson also served; both well known locally at Goostry’s tailors in Tamworth. 

ROC posts were situated approximately 10 miles apart all over the UK. Operationally, they were grouped together in groups of three posts, called “clusters”. Thus, Harlaston was linked by phone line to Polesworth and Church Gresley posts, the three together forming “November Cluster,” as part of Number 8 (Coventry) Group ROC with headquarters at Church Lawford, near Rugby.

In addition, Harlaston was also a “master post” equipped with a VHF radio. If the telephone system was partially knocked out, the master post might still be in contact with its cluster of posts, enabling it to radio their nuclear reports to the ops room at Rugby. (The remains of Harlaston’s radio fitments can still be found at the post site).

Although named Harlaston post, the site was nearer to Elford village, with indoor training meetings held fortnightly at the Crown Inn, Elford. Weekend exercises took place at the underground post, where Observers practised their tasks with operational instruments, learning how to report nuclear information to the Rugby operations room.  

All ROC posts were equipped with monitoring instruments, a telephone system, two weeks’ supply of tinned rations, water, a small petrol-electric generator (to supply lighting), a table and chairs and a chemical toilet. The post crew also had a siren and maroons (rockets) for warning the public of air attack or nuclear attack. Teams of three Observers manned the post at any one time, on a rotating shift system.

That gives a brief outline of what went on in Harlaston’s underground monitoring room. But as Albert and David related, volunteer Observers had performed another vital role many years earlier in the Second World War, by identifying and reporting enemy and allied aircraft, especially during the Battle of Britain in 1940. This was acknowledged when, in 1941, King George VI bestowed the title “Royal”, thus becoming the Royal Observer Corps.

And Harlaston’s wartime Observers would have played their part in the Midlands’ air defences. Initially enrolled as Special Constables in civilian clothes but wearing “Police” steel helmets, they were later issued with RAF blue uniforms (but with black berets rather than RAF blue berets). They stood on alert in all weathers on duty in their above-ground spotting post. They reported sightings of enemy aircraft - and by sound at night - as well as allied types such as Spitfires from Castle Bromwich aircraft factory and Wellington bombers from nearby RAF Lichfield (now Fradley industrial park).

All this would be recorded in the Harlaston post’s daily logbooks. (Is it possible that any of those wartime logbooks could have survived somewhere, a unique record of local history?). The wartime above-ground spotting post has long been demolished, but apparently some remains of its foundations exist, near to the later underground bunker.

Harlaston post’s wartime callsign was “Sugar Three,” linked by phone to sister posts at Etwall near Derby (“Sugar One”) and Overseal (“Sugar Two”), the three posts forming “Sugar cluster” and all reporting to the Group ops room, then located above Coventry’s main post office - until the Coventry blitz, which caused ROC HQ to relocate to Earlsdon in the city suburbs.

After WWII ended the ROC was stood down on 12th May 1945, only to be revived in the 1950s with a new role – NUCLEAR REPORTING – with the aircraft reporting role retained. 

Although volunteers, members of the Royal Observatory Corps were expected to attend training, including an annual camp and had rigorous exams to identify friendly and opposing aircraft.

As Albert and David related to the WI audience, the somewhat serious aspect of all this was very much offset by the spirit of friendship and comradeship enjoyed by the volunteers. They told us of their many adventures, including air experience flights as guests of the Royal Air Force and British Airways and much more.

There was a siren designed to alert the general population of a possible threat and the codeword ‘Fandango’ would alert the ROC that there was an imminent attack. 

History records that the Royal Observer Corps was stood down on 30th September 1991, its role no longer considered relevant by the government of the day. Although the ROC and the Harlaston volunteers have passed into history, their spirit is kept alive by the ROC Association, which parades annually at the ROC grove of trees at the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas. Albert and David added that on Remembrance Sunday each year, they take great pride in taking part in the Royal British Legion’s march past at the Cenotaph in London as part of the ROC contingent, taking the salute from a member of the Royal Family.

Albert concluded the talk by producing for the audience two treasured possessions: namely the original set of keys to the Harlaston bunker - and a surviving roll of toilet paper, each sheet of paper bearing the words “Government Property”.

For anyone interested in learning more about the ROC and its history, Albert and David recommend the websites of the Royal Observer Corps Association and

Subterranea Britannica (which includes reference to the Harlaston post).