The Ground Observer Corps: Exeter’s Part in Cold War Civil Defense
by Barbara Rimkunas
This "Historically Speaking" column was published in the Exeter News-Letter on Friday, April 26, 2019.
“For the first time in our history, a potential enemy has the power to make sudden, devastating attacks on any part of our country. The broad seas which have protected us up to now have been cancelled out by fast, long range planes; and the huge forces formerly required for significant damage have been made unnecessary by the atomic bomb.” The manual for the Ground Observer Corps, published by the United States Air Force in 1951, laid out the situation facing Americans in the post-war world. The Soviet Union had successfully tested an atomic bomb in August of 1949 – much sooner than anyone had anticipated – and Americans were feeling ill at ease.
Exeter began to plan for civil defense the following December. Utilizing many of the same resources that had been used during World War II, director Reginald Stevenson outlined 10 units of operation that were needed in town. Fire, police, rescue, evacuation, transportation and engineering were well manned, but the Exeter News-Letter reported, “Probably the largest number will be needed in the ground observer group headed by Lyman Collishaw.”
There had been a Ground Observer Corps in Exeter during World War II. Volunteers were stationed in the tower of the Robinson Female Seminary spotting planes overhead. The advent of RADAR systems after the war would seem to have made such an effort unnecessary during peacetime. But there were gaps in the surveillance net that troubled the Air Force. Long range aircraft left the United States mainland – particularly in areas near the coastline – vulnerable. A proposal was made to incorporate volunteers into the defensive system. It was decided to reactivate the Ground Observer Corps.
In 1952, Collishaw put out a call for volunteers. An informational meeting was prepared for July, but so few people volunteered, that the meeting was canceled. The following year, the Soviets successfully tested an H-bomb. Suddenly, the observer corps seemed more critically needed. Plans were made in 1955, to build a designated observation tower on land near Exeter Hospital. The American Legion set to work building the structure with donated materials. By summer, nearly 100 volunteers were lined up and about 40 of them arrived to take the training course offered at the Town Hall on August 11th. “Dean Thorp, Jr., supervisor of the Exeter Ground Observer group, opened the meeting,” reported the News-Letter. “Present also were Edwin ‘Bud’ Collishaw, chief observer and the following chief observers: Albert Field, commander, and Arthur French, vice commander of Pingree-Moss-Chatigny Post, American Legion; also Otis Cammett, Roger Champagne, and Harry Reed, local business men, and John A. Henry, Chemical engineer. The observers were sworn in with the oath of allegiance and then listened to Master Sergeant Hallstrum, sector sergeant from the Air Defense Filter Center in Manchester who spoke on the procedures of spotting and reporting aircraft and the necessity of the network of ground observer posts.” Two Air Force films were shown, no doubt one of them was “The Sky is Your Target,” which can now be viewed on YouTube.
“Although the Exeter group now has a membership of almost 100,” the News-Letter reported, “there is still need for men for the late night and early morning two hour shifts. There are also several shifts open from 10 to 12 in the mornings and 12 to 2 in the afternoons as well as some of the weekend watches.” Further training sessions were held that summer and the observation post went into full operation – albeit with only 80% of the needed personnel – on August 22, 1955.
A report from a member of the East Side Current Events Club in 1956, described the duties of observer members. “All calls reporting planes are made directly to the Manchester filter Center and our Exeter code is Echo-Nector-05-Black. Previous to December 1, 1955, all aircraft were reported to the filter center which made for such a large telephone bill running into the thousands that the government was compelled to curtail this expense. We now report just jet planes, multi-engine planes and all formations. All other planes are logged in our report but not called in. After serving twenty hours, each watcher is presented with silver wings.” It all sounds very official and very efficient, but the final excited comment, “the highlight of our watching has been one day last summer when we spotted two blimps at once and had to report these to the filter center” reflects the almost Ewok-like approach to defense against potential thermonuclear destruction.
In late November of 1957, it was announced that the ground observation posts would be put on ‘ready reserve’ status beginning January 1, 1958. The project, which was designed to fill in the gaps of the nation’s early defense system, was no longer necessary once the Distant Early Warning line system was activated in Canada and the Arctic. The following year, the Ground Observer Corps was inactivated entirely, its members encouraged to join the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service – a communication network that kept civilians involved during emergency situations.
“If the Exeter ground observer tower were to be the only one on the eastern seaboard we might question its value in the national defense network,” an editorial writer commented. “But since it is a vital link in a whole chain of such towers it is essential that area men and women contribute to its effectiveness. This is the sort of patriotic duty which, during a period of open hostility, would be over-run with volunteers. It is the type of public service in peace time which requires willing sacrifice, especially when thoughts of summer vacation are uppermost in men’s minds.” Indeed, the volunteers who were willing to participate fulfilled both the needs of the Air Force and the private emotional necessity of action during a time when nuclear annihilation seemed imminent.
Barbara Rimkunas is curator of the Exeter Historical Society. Support the Exeter Historical Society by becoming a member! Join online at: www.exeterhistory.org
Image: Albert Field and Dean Thorp Jr. at work on the Prospect Hill Observation Tower in 1955.
This "Historically Speaking" column was published in the Exeter News-Letter on Friday, April 26, 2019.
Exeter began to plan for civil defense the following December. Utilizing many of the same resources that had been used during World War II, director Reginald Stevenson outlined 10 units of operation that were needed in town. Fire, police, rescue, evacuation, transportation and engineering were well manned, but the Exeter News-Letter reported, “Probably the largest number will be needed in the ground observer group headed by Lyman Collishaw.”
There had been a Ground Observer Corps in Exeter during World War II. Volunteers were stationed in the tower of the Robinson Female Seminary spotting planes overhead. The advent of RADAR systems after the war would seem to have made such an effort unnecessary during peacetime. But there were gaps in the surveillance net that troubled the Air Force. Long range aircraft left the United States mainland – particularly in areas near the coastline – vulnerable. A proposal was made to incorporate volunteers into the defensive system. It was decided to reactivate the Ground Observer Corps.
In 1952, Collishaw put out a call for volunteers. An informational meeting was prepared for July, but so few people volunteered, that the meeting was canceled. The following year, the Soviets successfully tested an H-bomb. Suddenly, the observer corps seemed more critically needed. Plans were made in 1955, to build a designated observation tower on land near Exeter Hospital. The American Legion set to work building the structure with donated materials. By summer, nearly 100 volunteers were lined up and about 40 of them arrived to take the training course offered at the Town Hall on August 11th. “Dean Thorp, Jr., supervisor of the Exeter Ground Observer group, opened the meeting,” reported the News-Letter. “Present also were Edwin ‘Bud’ Collishaw, chief observer and the following chief observers: Albert Field, commander, and Arthur French, vice commander of Pingree-Moss-Chatigny Post, American Legion; also Otis Cammett, Roger Champagne, and Harry Reed, local business men, and John A. Henry, Chemical engineer. The observers were sworn in with the oath of allegiance and then listened to Master Sergeant Hallstrum, sector sergeant from the Air Defense Filter Center in Manchester who spoke on the procedures of spotting and reporting aircraft and the necessity of the network of ground observer posts.” Two Air Force films were shown, no doubt one of them was “The Sky is Your Target,” which can now be viewed on YouTube.
“Although the Exeter group now has a membership of almost 100,” the News-Letter reported, “there is still need for men for the late night and early morning two hour shifts. There are also several shifts open from 10 to 12 in the mornings and 12 to 2 in the afternoons as well as some of the weekend watches.” Further training sessions were held that summer and the observation post went into full operation – albeit with only 80% of the needed personnel – on August 22, 1955.
A report from a member of the East Side Current Events Club in 1956, described the duties of observer members. “All calls reporting planes are made directly to the Manchester filter Center and our Exeter code is Echo-Nector-05-Black. Previous to December 1, 1955, all aircraft were reported to the filter center which made for such a large telephone bill running into the thousands that the government was compelled to curtail this expense. We now report just jet planes, multi-engine planes and all formations. All other planes are logged in our report but not called in. After serving twenty hours, each watcher is presented with silver wings.” It all sounds very official and very efficient, but the final excited comment, “the highlight of our watching has been one day last summer when we spotted two blimps at once and had to report these to the filter center” reflects the almost Ewok-like approach to defense against potential thermonuclear destruction.
In late November of 1957, it was announced that the ground observation posts would be put on ‘ready reserve’ status beginning January 1, 1958. The project, which was designed to fill in the gaps of the nation’s early defense system, was no longer necessary once the Distant Early Warning line system was activated in Canada and the Arctic. The following year, the Ground Observer Corps was inactivated entirely, its members encouraged to join the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service – a communication network that kept civilians involved during emergency situations.
“If the Exeter ground observer tower were to be the only one on the eastern seaboard we might question its value in the national defense network,” an editorial writer commented. “But since it is a vital link in a whole chain of such towers it is essential that area men and women contribute to its effectiveness. This is the sort of patriotic duty which, during a period of open hostility, would be over-run with volunteers. It is the type of public service in peace time which requires willing sacrifice, especially when thoughts of summer vacation are uppermost in men’s minds.” Indeed, the volunteers who were willing to participate fulfilled both the needs of the Air Force and the private emotional necessity of action during a time when nuclear annihilation seemed imminent.
Barbara Rimkunas is curator of the Exeter Historical Society. Support the Exeter Historical Society by becoming a member! Join online at: www.exeterhistory.org
Image: Albert Field and Dean Thorp Jr. at work on the Prospect Hill Observation Tower in 1955.
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