Goodness, I've been neglecting this blog. So sorry. I've got some new items that I hope to photograph soon and write up. Until then... To celebrate Halloween week, I came across this website which has loads of transcribed reports of the Ground Observer Corps' reports on UFOs from 1954. Many of them came from the … Continue reading More UFO Sightings
1950s
Shilling for the Corps
Recruit! Recruit! Recruit! There was a huge push in the 1950s to recruit people for the GOC. While the GOC officially started in 1951, Operation Skywatch in 1953 set the goal of having all observation posted manned 24/7 at full capacity. Recruiting volunteers to watch the skies for planes at all hours of the day … Continue reading Shilling for the Corps
Flyers – of the Paper Kind
Edit - I have a whole post on the Advertising Council here. I haven't been able to find out anything about the Advertising Council for the Ground Observers Corps as mentioned in the Supervisor's Guide but you will find copies of the GOC brochure out there. Like the Ground Observer's Guide, the brochures were produced in … Continue reading Flyers – of the Paper Kind
Who Watches the Watchmen?
A GOC post was overseen by a supervisor. The post supervisor was assisted by the chief observer and the assistant chief observer. For the new post supervisor, The Post Supervisors Manual outlined everything a new supervisor needed to know to successfully recruit, train, staff, and fund-raise for their new post. At only 14 pages, it … Continue reading Who Watches the Watchmen?
All Along the Watchtower
Once a community stood up a Ground Observation Corps post, they needed an observation tower. Observation sites were ideally spaced 8 miles from each other. Obviously, this didn't happen so neatly in real life for a number of reasons, mainly there are limits to how many volunteers could build and staff observation posts. While the … Continue reading All Along the Watchtower
The Ground Observer’s Guide
Say you've answered the call to be a Ground Observer. After signing up either at your local Civil Defense office or with your local GOC post, you would probably be handed a copy of the Ground Observer's Guide and told to read up.
Ground Observer Corps - Operation Skywatch 