Memories of a Teenage ROC Post Observer at Lepe Beach Bunker

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3 жыл бұрын

This is an interview with Steve Doyle, ex-ROC at Stone Point - aka the Lepe Beach Bunker. Last week I interviewed his colleague, Stephen Hall. They were both Royal Observer Corps volunteers at the Lepe Beach ROC monitoring post from the mid 80s to the early 90s. It was known as the Stone Point ROC monitoring post in those days.
You can watch the first interview about the Lepe Beach Bunker here:
➜ • Lepe ROC Post (Stone P...
Or read more interviews note on the link below:
➜ Photos & more detail: trexplorer.co.uk/lepe-roc-pos...
The ROC post interview with Stephen Hall proved to be very popular, so today I’ve been able to follow it up with another interview, but this time with one of his colleagues from the period, the other Steve from the post.
His name is Steve Doyle.. and I believe him to have been one of, it not the youngest ROC observers in the UK. He was actually a teenager when he started.
He was able to add a lot of new information about the Lepe ROC post which I did manage to cover with Steve Hall last time around We chatted on the phone about his experiences in the bunker, the training, some of the equipment, what happened when the ROC monitoring posts closed, and also how he felt the young ROC team at Lepe Beach would have coped in the event of a nuclear strike.
The honesty he gives here is really refreshing and insightful.
I hope you enjoy the interview.
#rocpost #lepe #bunker

Пікірлер: 12

@NaomisAdventures 3 жыл бұрын

Great interview

@maxbodymass6288 3 жыл бұрын

There is a book called"'Some Kind of Club" that was the history of 6 Group ROC I joined at 16 in 1976 and stayed till 1988. First post I was the youngest the next was in his early 40's the rest had served in WW2. then when to an NRC and still a one of the youngest my second post we were a mixed lot early 20's to early 40's. but previous crew were all from WW2.

@TrexplorerUK 3 жыл бұрын

Sorry for the late reply Max - I will see if I can track that down.

@Urbexy 3 жыл бұрын

Another great interview. Again it was very interesting to hear from a former observer. In this case, it was very different to hear it from the perspective of someone who was very young at the time.

@rancidschannel3206 Жыл бұрын

This was fantastic. I have often wondered who manned these places, amazing to find anyone who manned it let alone that actual post. Outstanding, thoroughly enjoyable

@TrexplorerUK Жыл бұрын

Ah thanks, that means a lot. But yes, entirely agree. I've since become friends with Steve, he's a great guy and has some amazing memories.

@newforestexplorer 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent interview Mark . Keep doing what you do

@TrexplorerUK 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, I really appreciate it. Given the lockdown have had to pivot a bit with videos so these have been quite fun :-)

@davidmarsay6347 3 жыл бұрын

Stumbled on this interview entirely by accident... I was a member of the ROC for a couple of years before the stand-down and I fully agree with Steve's sentiments on the Corps. I also found out a few years ago that a remarkable young man called Jack, who wasn't even born when the Corps was stood down, had managed to refurbish my old post back to it's former glory. I visited and was almost moved to tears by the dedication and attention to detail he has shown and the memories it brought back for me. The Facebook page for the Post, complete with photos and details of the restoration, can be found here: facebook.com/castletonbunker

@TrexplorerUK 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks David, it's a travesty that so many ROC posts have become vandalised, so being able to see a restored one is always fantastic. Thanks for the link. You might not have seen it, but I also spoke to another one of the ROC guys from this post, another Steve. You can watch that here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ndGPqMqCyM3LqqM.html

@davidmarsay6347 3 жыл бұрын

When I visited for the open day I was taken aback by the amount of interest there is in the ROC now. I drove up from London (Where I live now) for the event and there was no shortage of visitors looking for an insight into the Corps. I recall visiting the local pub after a meet where a member of the public asked what the ROC was, the look on his face was priceless after being told 'Russian Orthodox Church'!. The pub also had a nice plaque on the wall that read 'In the event of nuclear attack, please hide under the ash trays as they never get hit!' As far as the Official Secrets Act goes, most of the training manuals and SOPs we had are available online and in the public domain now, so I'd guess they've been declassified.

@TrexplorerUK 3 жыл бұрын

@@davidmarsay6347 I might be in an echo chamber here, but people I know have a huge interest in it. I'm currently researching WW2 ROC positions in Hampshire. In those days, each post was given a £5 budget and told to go build. Most were brick and wooden structures (above ground obviously) - there's a fascinating book I am reading about the ROC history at the moment - Attack Warning Red. Perhaps you already know of it, but worth tracking down for anyone else reading this comment too.