This citizen volunteer program was intended to fill a gap in the country’s air defenses. Begun during World War II, it ended its mission on January 31, 1959. In the mid-1950s, 350,000 volunteers from 16,010 observations posts reported to forty-nine “filter centers” across the country.
In a letter to the New York Times dated January 2, 1959, a U.S. Air Force spokesman noted the following: “The gain of the precious time is the accomplishment of the Ground Observer Corps which, I am sure, will point the way in a new era of our national security.”
Maine residents in Jefferson, Skowhegan and Strong, among others, participated in this important program. See a photo of a typical Corp observation post in Strong, on the Maine Memory Network.
In Skowhegan the observation post was on the roof of one of the downtown buildings on Water Street. Volunteers were equipped with binoculars, a distance calculator, and a telephone. When any aircraft was seen, the volunteer would dial the operator and say “aircraft flash 9055.” That would identify the post to the “filter center” at Bangor’s Dow Air Force Base, which tracked use of the air space over Maine .
GOC Distance Finder large
Using the transparent plastic aid at left, the volunteer would then indicate the time of the observation, the approximate bearing, distance, altitude, and direction of travel. The general type of aircraft would also be noted.
Holding the credit-card sized “Altitude-Distance Finder” at arms length, the volunteer placed the aircraft in one of circles to make judgements for the report.
Additional resources
Baldwin, Hanson W. “Skywatch Two Years Old, Observer Corps Is Vital to Defense Because Radar Has Its Limitations.” New York Times. July 15, 1954, p. 11. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30916FC395E107B93C7A8178CD85F408585F9 (accessed November 1, 2013)
Bond, Priscilla H. and Martha Bond Tompkins. Army Air Force Ground Observer Corps of Jefferson, Maine. Jefferson, Me. Jefferson Historical Society, 1992.
“Ground Observer Corps Praised.” New York Times. January 11, 1959. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0710FA3E59107B93C3A8178AD85F4D8585F9 (accessed November 1. 2013)