Welcome to Episode 11 of Cold War Conversations.
Today we’re covering a British Cold War civil defence unit called the Royal Observer Corps.
We’re talking to Alistair McCann who has preserved a Royal Observer Corps monitoring post as a museum in Northern Ireland.
We talk about the museum, the difficulties of the Northern Ireland Royal Observer Corps during “The Troubles” and what the reality would have been for these men and women should the Cold War have turned hot.
I hope you find our conversation as interesting as I did. We welcome Alistair McCann.
Favourite Cold War Film
Cold War soundtrack
Silent Running Mike and the Mechanics
If you could invite three personalities from the cold war period to have a few drinks with, who would they be and what questions would you ask?
John F Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev
Books
Attack Warning Red – A history of the Royal Observer Corps
The Royal Observer Corps Underground Monitoring Posts
Films
Threads – trailer for this drama film about a nuclear attack on the UK
The Day After – US TV drama about a nuclear attack on the US
Royal Observer Corps Films
Sound an Alarm – Part 1-6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK2l7fVyVUQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIiKI-CntiY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4hZACmaXD8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akYJTQIUFwc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0OgWrjOWaM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzidKkwNk6c
Protect & Survive – 1970’s UK Public infommercials On Nuclear War Preparation
A public information film about joining the Royal Observer Corps from 1977
Forewarned is Forearmed a Royal Observer Corps film
Cold war Museums
Alistair’s bunker in Northern Ireland
Cosford National Cold War Museum