ROYAL OBSERVER CORPS MEDAL GROUP AND EPHEMERA.

Group of three medals, Defence Medal, King George VI Coronation Medal, Royal Observer Corps Medal (OBSERVER LIEUTENANT C.F. HILL), mounted on a four medal bar one of which is missing, Charles Frederick Hill served as Controller, No.16 Group, Royal Observer Corps, during the Second World War and was awarded the MBE (Civil) in the 1941 Birthday Honours, the medals come with a large quantity of Royal Observer Corps and other Home Front related ephemera which belonged to Mr Brian Watson, former Observer Commander, Commandant of No.6 Group ROC during the 1980's, collected while researching his publication 'Some Kind of Club, A History of No.6 Group ROC', and includes, handwritten notes for 'Extracts from Wartime Message Books V1 Post', (notes include '10.5.40 In the event of landing by enemy by parachute or boat posts will hang out as long as possible, if forced to retire posts will cut wires and try to take instruments with them, failing this the instruments are to be destroyed'), quantity of correspondence between No.16 Group ROC Norwich and the Estate Office, Sandringham, during 1941, some marked 'Secret', mainly relating to telephone lines (apparently even the King had trouble getting connected!), quantity of unused forms G2228/43 Air Attack Without Warning, marked 'Secret' and 'Urgent', Memorandum for the Private Perusal of Assistant Alarm Controllers re Winter Duties, Memorandum for the Guidance of Officers of the Home Department the Provisions of the Official Secrets Act, dated April 1939, correspondence dated 1941 between HQ 16 Group ROC, Engineering firms and various locations including RAF Stations re fitting of ROC Alarms, document marked 'Secret' from Alarm Controller, Norfolk to Estate Office, Sandringham re information required on movements of enemy aircraft, dated 2.10.1942, quantity of Civil Defence leaflets 'Notes on the Observer Corps Alarm' marked 'Confidential', typed post raid report dated 8.11.1940 from Crew 'A' Duty Controller re loss of friendly bomber which crashed in flames after refusal to turn on landing lights at RAF Bircham Newton, report to controller, Norwich Centre, dated 19.11.1940, re incoming friendly bomber looking for somewhere to land, circling Bircham Newton and Langham several times before landing at Langham when lights switched on, ROC Raid Log Sheets, documentation relating to ARP in Norwich 1938/39, including list of men and women registered as Wardens, applications for such, organisation of Sectors, appointments to Command positions etc, invitation letter, dated January 1939, to view private showing of ARP related films at Haymarket Picture House, letter from Chief Constable Norwich Police to Captain C.W. Spalding re enrolment in ARP setting out Conditions of Service, memo from C.F Hill, 16 Group dated 27.7.1940 re note in Telephonists Log as to raids on 26/7, telephonist stated to be 'flustered', report on member of Crew 'A', not currently up to job without further training, report on availability for duty of members of Crew 'A' with handwritten annotations by Controller, dated August 1940, request from Controller Crew 'A' 16 Group to Chaplain i/c entertainments, RAF Coltishall re Concert Party for Crew Supper January 1941, letter from Observer Commander C.F. Hill MBE to Captain Spalding, Log Sheets for 'Summary of Injected Warnings', Log Sheets for 'Alerts and Alarms', letter of thanks to Captain. Spalding from Observer Commander Hill, HQ 16 Gp. ROC re standing down of Group dated 12th May 1945, Air Raid Warning Officers Terms and Conditions of Service, memo to Commandant ROC, Midland Area Commandant, and Senior ROC Liaison Officer RAF Watnall from Controller 16 Gp ROC re Raid Warnings, Seaborne Log, Leading Observer GWH Hadfield, ROC Gp 11, Post H.3, Alford, entries between 1.5.1944 and 16.7.1944, (Hadfield one of the experienced Observers required to volunteer for service as aircraft identifiers on Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships during the D-Day landings to help cut down on aircraft lost to friendly fire), details experiences of training and on operations during invasion of Normandy, (3rd June - on board U.S. Navy Transport SS Marine Haven, Sunday 4th June - '..Troops were coming on board all day. The troops belonged to the 2nd American Division. Brigadier General Martin came on board..', Tuesday June 6th D-Day - '..Went to breakfast at 0730. News came through on the wireless that the German High Command had announced that the Allied Expeditionary Force had landed in Normandy but until we heard from the Allied High Command we treated the news rather sceptically...at 2000 we lifted anchor and set sail. In our convoy were 5 Troop Ships.. we were escorted by six Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts...he told us of the new Allied markings and of the forms of attack to look out for..', Thursday June 8th - '..we were called at the crack of dawn approaching the French Coast. I shall never forget the sight of the masses of ships of all descriptions laying off the beachheads... we arrived at the UTAH beachhead about 0730hrs and dropped anchor..Marine Raven you are not required at this beachhead, you will have to go to the OMAHA beachhead and a British Frigate will escort you there...suddenly we heard a tremendous explosion and saw a cloud of smoke, a small ship had struck a mine and blown up, it sank in a few seconds..', descriptions of bombardment by U.S. Battleships, troops going ashore by landing craft, barrage of AA fire at German air raid on anchorage, further entries describe time with ship at Belfast including descriptions of Aircraft Carriers and their types of aircraft, June 30th - take troops on board from U.S. 8th Division, July 1st - description of three Hellcat fighters 'beating up the convoy...breaking all rules and regulations..', 3rd July - troops disembarked at UTAH, 4th July - description of country around OMAHA, Wednesday July 12th - '.. On our way into Liverpool we passed the coffin of Captain Walker the U-Boat Killer Ace going out to be buried at sea on the deck of a Corvette..'), wartime photos of George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret inspecting Dersingham Post, ROC, Christmas 1942, original Log Book, Post V1 (Coltishall, Norfolk) dated from 16.10.1940-10.3.1941, includes sightings of aircraft, friendly and hostile, air raid warnings, aircraft landings at Coltishall, explosions/flashes/flares/fires etc, several letters to Brian Watson from former members of the ROC in answer to requests for information for his book including a letter from a Mr E.Crickland dated 16.8.1984, giving into his care wartime records, previously sent for inclusion in his book, including a tracing marked 'Secret' of the locations of the first rockets (V-1's) which landed in Norfolk dated 26.9.44, and a letter from a Mr Wright which includes actions on observing Zeppelins in WW1, map Midland Area ROC, showing Groups, Posts, areas covered, dated 1943, 16 Group record sheets dated 28th and 29th April 1942 plotting raids, number, type, etc, Appendix 'A' to ROC Operation Instruction No.20 marked 'Secret' and dated 22nd April 1943 enemy activity observed at ROC Posts, publication 'Some Kind of Club' by Brian Watson, signed by author, Queen Elizabeth II address to the ROC on its stand down, on Buckingham Palace headed note paper with facsimile signature of the queen, dated 25th July 1991,ROC Training Manual signed for by Observer Officer Brian Watson 1.1.83, plaque presented by Number 2 Crew, No.6 Group ROC to Chief Observer Brian Watson, Volume I No.12 and Volume II No.2 of Aircraft Recognition magazine dated 1943, Defence of Great Britain Against Air Attack, Instructions for Observer Centres 1938, wartime ROC Xmas dinner menus, post war ephemera including Group Commandants copy of Mid Area Officers Directory/Nominal, Allocation of Posts, Location Map of Posts, Red Arrows Display Programme for 1985, documents relating to organisation and planning of ROC after WW2 including difficulty in obtaining recruits, 16mm black and white film of opening of No.6 Group ROC HQ by Sir Edward Bacon 27th September 1961, ROC Golden Jubilee 1925-1975 souvenir booklet No.1 Group ROC Maidstone, Order of Service Stand Down of ROC, Sunday 29th September 1991 at Wymondham Abbey, etc (qty).