Royal Observer Corps

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Royal Observer Corps" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Royal Observer Corps
Badge of the Royal Observer Corps
Active	1925–1996
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Civil defence organisation
Role	Aircraft recognition and reporting (1925–1955) Nuclear warfare analysis and fallout warning service (1955–1996)
Size	1991: c. 10,500 personnel
Part of	RAF Strike Command UKWMO
Headquarters	RAF Bentley Priory
Motto(s)	Forewarned is Forearmed (Praemonitus praemunitus)
March	Skywatch
Anniversaries	29 October
Engagements	Second World War (1939–1945) Cold War (1947–1991)
Decorations	Observer Corps was awarded the title Royal by King George VI for service during the Battle of Britain.
Commanders
Last Air Commodore-in-Chief ROC	Queen Elizabeth II
24th and last Commandant ROC	Air Commodore Martin Widdowson (1995–1996)
Notable commanders	Air Commodore Drummond Warrington-Morris CB CMG OBE AFC RAF (1936–1942) * Air Commodore 5th Earl of Bandon GBE CB CVO DSO RAF (1945–1949) * Air Commodore John Howe CB CBE AFC RAF (1977–1981) * Air Commodore George Black CB OBE AFC RAF (1983–1984) * Air Commodore Clifford Spink CB CBE FCMI FRAeS RAF (1993–1995)
Insignia
Ensign
Royal Banner
ROC shoulder title & Group Number badges
Stable belt colours

The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) was a civil defence organisation intended for the visual detection, identification, tracking and reporting of aircraft over Great Britain. It operated in the United Kingdom between 29 October 1925 and 31 December 1995, when the Corps' civilian volunteers were stood down (ROC headquarters staff at RAF Bentley Priory stood down on 31 March 1996). Composed mainly of civilian spare-time volunteers, ROC personnel wore a Royal Air Force (RAF) style uniform and latterly came under the administrative control of RAF Strike Command and the operational control of the Home Office. Civilian volunteers were trained and administered by a small cadre of professional full-time officers under the command of the Commandant Royal Observer Corps; latterly a serving RAF Air Commodore.