The Royal Observer Corps, 1939-1945. Using a chest telephone, Mr P C 'Lofty' Austin, former commercial traveller and ex-professional footballer for Tottenham Hotspur, reports to the Corps Centre, as Mr E C 'Smudge' Smith works the plotting instrument in a ROC post at Kings Langley, Hertfordshire. A number of details of the post and Post Instrument can be seen in this image and its basic operation described. The map on the Post Instrument shows the UK Grid Coordinate system for the area around the post. The entire instrument can be rotated around the vertical cylindrical shaft projecting (sligh
The Royal Observer Corps, 1939-1945. Using a chest telephone, Mr P C 'Lofty' Austin, former commercial traveller and ex-professional footballer for Tottenham Hotspur, reports to the Corps Centre, as Mr E C 'Smudge' Smith works the plotting instrument in a ROC post at Kings Langley, Hertfordshire. A number of details of the post and Post Instrument can be seen in this image and its basic operation described. The map on the Post Instrument shows the UK Grid Coordinate system for the area around the post. The entire instrument can be rotated around the vertical cylindrical shaft projecting (slightly) from the centre of the map. It rides on three wheels forming a triangle spanning the instrument; the forward wheel can be seen, but the two at the rear are covered by Smith's hands. The two light-colored rods running from the front wheel to the rear form a sliding surface along which the rest of the instrument can slide fore and aft. The main part of the instrument is the grey-coloured system riding on these rods. The dark-colored pin extending downward from the front of this part of the apparatus is the main pointer which the teller, Austin, would use to measure the location of the target. The pointer is currently indicating a location slightly outside the small grey disk on the map labeled 'C3', in grid square 5925. Measurement is taken by rotating the assembly so it points in the general azimuth of the target, and then turning a knob on the right side of the sliding portion that moves the entire assembly fore or aft on a rack. This knob is only partially visible under the fingers of Smith's right hand. As the instrument moves, the telescope assembly on top rotates around the fixed point at the rear of the instrument, causing it to angle up (moving rearward) or down (forward) until it lies along the proper angle to point at the target. Once the telescope is properly aligned, the pointer is lying over the target's location over the ground as indicated on the ma
Size: 2803px × 1783px
Photo credit: © piemags/archive/military / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 2, conflict, military, war, world, ww2
