Although we were RAF civilian staff, as members of the ROC we were permitted to wear their uniform.

Recently I have been thinking of something I did in the past. Some of these memories were re-ignited by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight during the recent Royal Wedding, and regularly seeing tweets from @RAFBBMF on Twitter.

When I was young, I wanted to join the Royal Air Force. I had just left school and wanted a career, not just a job, but a career. The Royal Air Force seemed exciting and interesting and I hoped it would give me the emotional guidance and strength that I sorely needed after school. I did not want to be adrift; I wanted a purpose in life.

I had been brought up on Saturday afternoon films such as The First of the Few; Reach for the Sky, 633 Squadron, The Dambusters and many, many more. The list is long and distinguished.

I knew I was not good enough to be a pilot but there were other options. I went to recruitment events, got the literature and after a few weeks of soul searching deciding whether I should volunteer for the Air Force or go for the apprenticeship that could take up with the local council, I made a decision. I was going to do it.

One Saturday morning I made my way to the recruitment office in Glasgow. I had tests to sit and a medical to undergo. I had made a choice for my future career path; I was applying for the position of RAF Regiment Gunner. I liked the sound of it. I would be responsible for airfield security, trained to defend instillations and aircraft. I would be a first line of defence. I could go anywhere, the UK, Germany, Hong Kong, anywhere.

To cut a long story short, I passed the paperwork and was pleased to learn the next step was the medical. It was here that the decision of the Air Force, or the apprenticeship was made for me. I failed the medical. I was disappointed. It was not something that was really going to go away, so the decision was final.

I left the recruitment office and headed home. I think I may have tried to alleviate my disappointment by walking about the city taking in the scenery. A nice soothing walk along the riverside always helps.

My mother and father were disappointed for me, but also relieved. My father had served in the army and had fought in the Korean War. At the time the ‘troubles’ were still happening in Northern Ireland and knowing my luck I would have ended up serving at RAF Aldergrove in Belfast, or on facing the Eastern Bloc across the Berlin Wall. The apprenticeship it was then.

I still took a great interest in aircraft and Royal Air Force related events. My parents and I regularly went to air shows and I would still look forward to The First of the Few; Reach for the Sky, 633 Squadron and The Dambusters whenever they came on TV.

One day, after work, watching the television I saw an advert that featured a man in Royal Air Force uniform apparently plotting where bombs were dropping on the population of the UK. Obviously, it was not happening, it was a simulation, but it looked interesting. I got the details of how to contact the organisation and sent away for brochure.

The rest, as they say his history. I volunteered to join the Royal Observer Corps. It wasn’t exactly frontline battlefield, but it seemed like fun. The ROC Group locations were not a secret as almost all were listed in the local phone book under Royal Observer Corp giving the phone number and its address. It wasn’t secret as you can see but the majority of the public knew nothing about the existence of the Royal Observer Corps or its ‘parent’ organisation the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation. Those of in it felt a certain excitement and thrill about being in this secret yet not so secret organisation. Although we were RAF civilian staff, as members of the ROC we were permitted to wear their uniform.

The major difference was the cap badge. We had our own. The badge, in a stay-bright material, depicted a ‘beacon lighter’ from the times of Queen Elizabeth the First. These ‘beacon lighter’ were the first warning that the enemy was invading, they did this by lighting warning fires along the coast and when the Observer Corps was formed in the early years of 20^th Century it seemed appropriate to make it the badge.

The UKWMO broke the ROC down into divisions, or ‘Sectors’, each ‘Sector’ had a number of ‘Groups’, and each group a number of ‘Observer Posts’.

The ‘post’ was self-contained unit that worked as part of a cluster of posts, with one post in particular being a ‘master’ post. All Observer Posts were linked by a landline connection; the ‘master’ post had a radio. I had to learn this as well as all the other pieces of kit that we used.

I was part of one of those ‘post’. In fact, in the 9 years I was in the ROC I was part of three posts. I peaked by achieving the rank of Leading Observer, equivalent to the rank of Corporal in the real world. I was also the Instructor and that I really enjoyed.

We wore Royal Air Force uniforms, we ate in the airmen’s mess, we abided by the rules and regulations of the Royal Air Force and we all felt we were part of the bigger picture.

One of the things I really liked about it was the fact that we went to annual training camps on Royal Air Force Bases. Thanks to the Royal Observer Corps I visited RAF Scampton (home of 617 Squadron ‘The Dambusters’) on two separate occasions, RAF Waddington (at that time home of 50 Squadron) sorry to say just the once, RAF Leeming on two separate occasions and a little trip to the RAF College at Cranwell. Other training courses took place in different locations, but those were the highlights for me.

I was also part of two ‘Colour Party’ honour guards (that’s carrying the Flag to those who want to know, but don’t know the jargon). I didn’t carry the ‘colours’ but three of us guarded the officer who did.

I also attended a Royal Garden Party at 11 Group Headquarters at RAF Bentley Priory.

In 1991, the Royal Observer Corps was ‘stood down’ as a result of Defence cuts. It was a sad day for all who wore the badge, but as long as the memory lingers on, it still lives. It was not always great, but I did enjoy the majority of my time with the ROC. If you want to know more about the Corps, you can check it out on the internet.