Second World War

Cambridge was not badly bombed during WWII, although it was in the flight path for Coventry, so there were a large number of Air raid warnings. There were also a large number of air raid shelters built. Only 12 civilians were killed, although reports suggest that the bombing of the railways led to a large number of soldiers being killed when bombs hit a train carrying troops. It is still possible to see shrapnel damage on the wall of Trinity College, opposite Halfords on Jesus Lane.

Second World War / Cold War

Cold War - Regional Seat of Government

The country was divided into 12 regions, each of which had a designated governmental bunker. The Cambridge bunker (RSG 4), designed to provide government administration for the whole of East Anglia in the event of total war, was built in 1952, and extended in the early 1960s, although it was then abandoned when government plans changed, so the extension was never fully used.

Cold War - Royal Observer Corps

Originally formed for the observation of air craft, with the advent of the Cold War, the function of the ROC changed to the measurement and reportage of nuclear fall-out, in case of nuclear attack. Thousands of volunteers manned over 1500 ‘posts’ across the UK, which were underground bunkers designed to house three Observers for two-three weeks after a nuclear attack. Regular exercises would test their mastering of instruments measuring the power of the bomb, wind direction and radiation levels, enabling fall-out patterns to be established.