Wright, Kevin Skywatch. Volume 2: The History of the Royal Observer Corps, 1939–1945

Volume 66 of the "Europe @ War" series. The second volume of *Skywatch* continues the history of the British Observer Corps (later the Royal Observer Corps) during its most formative era: the Second World War, from 1939 to 1945. During this period, the Observer Corps fulfilled the very mission for which it had originally been conceivedproviding early warning of enemy air raids on Britain's cities and industrial facilities. Following the Munich Crisis of 1938, war had become all but inevitable. Consequently, the RAF and the Observer Corps intensified their air defense exercises. Concern regarding a German preemptive air strike was so acute that the Observer Corps was mobilized as early as August 24, 1939ten days before the official declaration of war. From that point on, observation posts and centers were manned around the clock; the period of the "Phoney War" offered the opportunity to implement numerous long-overdue measures to enhance operational readiness, while observers tirelessly scanned the skies for Luftwaffe reconnaissance aircraft. May 1940 brought with it the defeat of France and the Battle of Britaina period of grueling, sustained operations. In a remarkably short time, the Observer Corps transformed itself from a peacetime organization into a battle-hardened unit. As the summer of 1940 drew to a close and the "Blitz" descended upon the country, the Corps was forced to adapt rapidly to the enemy's shifting tactics. In 1941having been granted "Royal" recognitionthe Corps embarked upon a comprehensive process of reorganization and professionalization. The individual chapters cover topics such as enemy attacks, the entry of women into the Corps, the observation post at Windsor Castle, support for lost or damaged aircraft, and the Allied air offensive, which brought about further changes. Furthermore, the run-up to D-Day in June 1944 is discussedincluding the need for "Seaborne" observers for deployment at seaas well as the immediate threat posed by the sheer volume of V-1 "flying bombs" fired at Great Britain. The second volume concludes with the end of the war and the temporary stand-down of the Royal Observer Corps. "Skywatch," Volume 2, combines new research findings, official archival records, and eyewitness accounts to critically examine the wartime activities of the Royal Observer Corps and its relationship with the RAFranging from strategic decisions at the highest political level down to daily life at the observation posts and Group Centers. This volume is illustrated throughout with original historical photographs as well as color illustrations created specifically for this work.