UK wartime regional seats of government

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Overview[]

There role[]

Regional Seats of Government or RSGs were the best known aspect of Britain's civil defence preparations against Nuclear War. In fact, however, naming conventions changed over the years as the strategies in Whitehall changed.

In the aftermath of the nuclear attack on Hiroshima and the Soviet acquisition of the atom bomb, it was clear that London could not survive a nuclear bombardment. Although considerable effort still went into secret construction of military citadels under London (Pindar, Admiralty Citadel, Cabinet War Rooms and Q-Whitehall), the solution was to disperse the machinery of government into small pieces in the provinces, where there would be a greater chance of survival.

Experiments along these lines had taken place during the Second World War, when a system of Regional Commissioners existed and key departments were moved out of London to Bath, Harrogate and Cheltenham, among others. However, the idea of a Regional Commissioner dated back to the First World War and the 1926 General Strike. Elyer on there was the Rule of the Major-Generals in the English Civil War.

It was then expected that Central Government might itself cease to exist, and control would pass entirely into the hands of a Regional Commissioner, of Cabinet rank, who would wield absolute power in his region. His staff would replicate all parts of Central Government.

Post Nazi invasion functions[]

Each of the Regional Commissioners would asses his facility's situation, send out people to survey the local area (and start up any anti-Nazi resistance cells/local militia as they went thought), contact other command bunkers subordinate to his and prepare to run the region he controlled as best he could, by what ever means he could, in the hope that something could be salvaged from the post partial\total Nazi occupation. A rump state or states would then be set up in the location not out of the control of the RSGs.

Post atomic-war functions[]

General functions[]

Each of the Regional Commissioners would asses his facility's situation, send out people to survey the local area (and in a Cold War era atomic war scenario they would mostly die of radiation sickness whilst trying to sort things out), contact other command bunkers subordinate to his and prepare to run the region he controlled as best he could, by whatever means he could, in the hope that something could be salvaged from the post atomic-war disaster. A rump state or states would then be set up in the location directly under the control of the RSGs, later expanding in to uncontrolled territories, starting with those already allotted to the RSGs before the attack had occurred.

Envisaged local ministries and leading civil bodies[]

Fire Service.
Army.
MAFF/Min of Health.
Min of Power.
Min of local defence (a local MoD).
Min of Works/Min of HLG.
Min of Transport.
Admin, office staff, messengers and despatch riders.
Signals counter, Wartime Broadcasting Service, phonogram & wireless room.
Police.
C D Operations.
RSG Commissioner (depends on which bunker), the bunker's Camp Commandant\Controller & Chief.
Scientific Advisers.
Thechnicans and labourers looking after the place (looking after boilers, water treatment, workshops, laundry, fuel storage, water storage, sewage ejectors\out-fows, air filters, radio aerials etc,).
Central Office of Information.
Cooks in the kitchen and canteen.
GPO staff in the telephone exchange.
Medics in the sickbay.
Dedicated troops guarding it.

Special powers[]

The Defence (Public Safety) Regulations that allowed for such things as the prevention of interference with essential services and the control of newspapers and other means of communication.
The Defence (Essential Supplies, Works and Services) Regulations that would give the power to control all land and property, industry and transport.
The Defence (Public Safety and Order) Regulations that were concerned with such matters as public shelter, the control of lighting and sound and the restriction of the public electricity supply.
The Defence (Births, Marriages and Deaths) Regulations and the next (if any) census.
The Defence (Cash) Regulations to stop the currency or replacement local currency folding up..

Wartime Broadcasting Service[]

The Wartime Broadcasting Service would be broadcast from them. The main operations centre was at Kelvedon Hatch emergency broadcast tower, which would have transmitted official announcements after a nuclear attack on the UK or moral lifting programming if a conventional attack had destroyed most of the transmitters.

After a massive conventional or any significant atomic attack, there would also have been a limited regional service tailored to local needs located in the various UK war time regional seats of government. Regional controllers were to use these smaller BBC studios to give out local messages to communities and they would have been manned by BBC staff. ITV staff would act as back up if the BBC staff were dead, incapacitated or not available at the required time.

In August 1962 these Ministers who would stay in London or moved out[]

In August 1962 the Ministers who would stay in London would be-
- Prime Minister
- Home Secretary
- Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
- Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and Colonies
- Minister of Defence (in practice it was planned that once war had broken out the Prime Minister would assume the role of Minister of #Defence Minister Without Portfolio
- Chief Secretary to the Treasury
- Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (as Leader of the House he was assumed to stay with Parliament)
- Secretary of State for Air
- Minister of State at the Board of Trade
- The Lord Chancellor
- The Attorney General
Those who would go to BURLINGTON would be –
- Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State
- Chancellor of the Exchequer
- The Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food
- Minister of Health
- First Lord of the Admiralty
- Minister of State, Home Office
- Minister of State, Foreign Office
- Minister of State, Scottish Office
- Minister of State, Colonial Office
- The Solicitor General
At this time the Regional Commissioners would have been –
- Wales Minister of Housing
- Northern Minister of Transport
- North-Eastern Minister of Power
- North-Midland President of the Board of Trade
- Eastern Minister of Labour
- Southern Minister of Public Building and Works
- South-Western Minister of Education
- Midland Lord Privy Seal
- North-Western The Postmaster General
- South-Eastern The Lord President
- Scotland The Secretary of State for Scotland

Their locations[]

1938 plans only (? Locations are uncertain due to vague and conflicting sources. ?)[]

Greater Midlands
- Worcester
South Midlands
- Northampton
East Midlands
- Leicester
Eastern
- Reading
Kent
- Dover Castle
Northern
- York
South West
- Bristol
North Eastern
- Liverpool
London
- The London War Rooms
  - Down Street Station. It was London's prime (ad-hoc) government bunker.
  - Brompton Road Station. It was London's WW2 Anti-Aircraft Defence HQ.
North Midlands
- Sheffield
Wales
- Cardiff
  - Brecon Barracks
Scotland
- Edinburgh
  - - Dundee
    - Glasgow
N. Ireland
- Belfast

1939-1945 (? Locations are uncertain due to vague and conflicting sources. ?)[]

Greater Midlands
- Worcester
  - Birmingham
  - Hereford
  - Kidderminster
South Midlands
- Northampton
  - Buckingham
  - Coventry
East Midlands
- Leicester
  - Peterborough
Eastern
- Reading
  - Maldon
  - Cambridge
  - Southern
  - Oxford
  - Watford
  - Henley
  - Basingstoke
  - Hertford
Kent
- Dover Castle
  - Tumbrige Wells
  - Madstone
Northern
- York
  - Hexham
  - Carlisle
  - Newcastle
  - Harrogate
  - Hull
South West
- Bristol
  - Bath
  - Cheltenham
North Eastern
- Liverpool
  - Manchester
  - Chester
  - Preston
London
- The London War Rooms
  - Down Street Station. It was London's prime (ad-hoc) government bunker.
  - Brompton Road Station. It was London's WW2 Anti-Aircraft Defence HQ.
    - Northumberland Avenue, Wanstead group control
    - Beatrice Road, Southall group control
    - Civil Defence centre for Stoke Newington
    - Pear Tree House group control
    - Church Hill Road, Cheam group control
North Midlands
- Sheffield
  - Nottingham
  - Derby
  - Lincoln
  - Buxton
Wales
- Cardiff
  - Brecon Barracks
  - Wrexham
  - Llunlidno Junction
Scotland
- Edinburgh
  - WW 2 War Room at Kirknewton, near Edinburgh
    - Inverness
      - RAF Saxa Vord (ad-hock, unofficial and apparently not activated)
    - Dundee
    - Glasgow
    - RAF Prestwick.
N. Ireland
- Belfast

1945-1948 (? Locations are uncertain due to vague and conflicting sources. ?)[]

Northern
- Gaza Barracks, Catterick Camp
  - Kenton Bar outside Newcastle upon Tyne RAF operations room.
  - Hexam
North Eastern
- Imphal Barracks, York
  - Lawnswood, Leeds
  - Harrogate
  - Bempton former ROTOR bunker and
North Midlands
- Grantham
  - Nottingham War Room
  - Chalfont Drive, Nottingham
    - RAF Digby?
Eastern
- Cambridge War Room
  - Loughborough former hardened cold store.
  - Brooklands Avenue, Cambridge
  - Skendleby ROTOR bunker
  - Bawburgh ROTOR bunker
Southern
- Warren Row, near Henley on Thames
  - Stoughton Barracks, Guildford.
  - Whiteknights Park, Reading
  - Tunbridge Wells
  - Dover Castle
South West
- Bolt Head, near Salcombe in Devon.
  - A underground ammunition store at Hawthorn, Wiltshire.
  - Ullenwood, former anti-aircraft control site near Cheltenham Spa.
  - Flowers Hill, Bristol
  - Portland
  - Weymouth
Wales
- The army barracks at Breckon
West Midlands
- The Drakelow Tunnels, near Kidderminster.
  - Shirley, Birmingham
  - Shrewsbury Police H.Q.
North West
- Carlisle.
  - Liverpool
  - Manchester
  - Chester
  - Preston
London
- The London War Rooms
  - Brompton Road Station. It was London's WW2 Anti-Aircraft Defence HQ.
  - Down Street Station. It was London's prime (ad-hoc) government bunker.
    - Northumberland Avenue, Wanstead group control
    - Beatrice Road, Southall group control
    - Civil Defence centre for Stoke Newington
    - Pear Tree House group control
    - Church Hill Road, Cheam group control
Northern Ireland
- Regional War Room, Mount Eden Park, Belfast.
Scotland
- WW 2 War Room at Kirknewton, near Edinburgh
  - RAF Prestwick.
  - WWII Battle HQ at Inverallochy?

1948-1954[]

Region 1 (Northern)
- Kenton Bar in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was in a former RAF operations room, like so many were.
Region 2 (North East)
- Lawnswood, Leeds
Region 3 (North Midlands)
- Chalfont Drive, Nottingham
Region 4 (Eastern)
- Brooklands Avenue, Cambridge
Region 5 (London)
- The London War Rooms
  - Northumberland Avenue, Wanstead group control
  - Beatrice Road, Southall group control
  - Civil Defense center for Stoke Newington (de-facto, but not de-jure)
  - Pear Tree House group control
  - Church Hill Road, Cheam group control
  - Brompton Road Station. It was London's WW2 Anti-Aircraft Defence HQ. (planned)
Region 6 (Southern)
- Whiteknights Campus, Reading
Region 7 (South West)
- Flowers Hill, Bristol
Region 8 (Wales)
- Coryton, Cardiff
Region 9 (West Midlands)
- Shirley, Birmingham
  - Wootton Basset
Region 10 (Scotland)
- Kirknewton, near Edinburgh
  - RAF Buchan
    - RAF Benbecula
    - RAF Saxa Vord
    - WWII Battle HQ at Inverallochy?
Region 11 (South East)
- Tunbridge Wells

1955-1958[]

Tyneside
- Nevills Cross
- Durham
Teesside
- Scotch Corner
- Richmond
The industrial area of the West Riding and North Derbyshire
- Killinghall Moor,
- Harrogate
- Conisborough
Derby, Nottingham and the adjoining parts of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire
- Matlock
Southampton, Portsmouth and adjoining parts of Hampshire
- Andover
Cardiff, Newport and adjoining parts of Glamorgan and Monmouth
- Crickhowell
- Breckon
Swansea and adjoining parts of Glamorgan and Carmarthen
- Llandilo
- Carmarthen
Birmingham, Coventry, the Black Country and adjoining parts of neighboring counties (Damage was assumed to be very serve in the region after any major atomic attack.).
- Stafford
- Worcester
South Lancashire, Wirral and adjoining parts of Cheshire
- Rawenstall,
- Rufford
- Macclesfield
Bristol, Bath and adjoining parts of Somerset and Gloucestershire
- Box\Box Hill
- **The RAF Bolt Head protected radar station in Devon.
London (London, Middlesex, adjacent parts of Essex, adjacent parts of Kent, adjacent parts of Surrey. It was presumed to be totally destroyed and inoperable after any major atomic attack.).
- The London War Rooms
  - Northumberland Avenue, Wanstead group control ?
  - Beatrice Road, Southall group control ?
  - Civil Defense center for Stoke Newington (de-facto, but not de-jure) ?
  - Pear Tree House group control ?
  - Church Hill Road, Cheam group control ?
  - Brompton Road Station. It was London's WW2 Anti-Aircraft Defence HQ. (planned)?
    - Gravesend bunker
      - Chatham navel buildings (?)
      - Rochester castle (?)
  - A few vague and informal and more hope than logic driven plans in the Harlow-Epping-Hornchurch area?
Thames Valley
- Reading town hall (planned)
  - Slough Trading Estate (planned)
  - Oxford Collages (planned)
  - Buckingham town hall (planned)
Lincolnshire?
- (It was assumed that an atomic war would cause near 100% losses in the region and poison it for decades to come, thus making it's short term governance irrelevant. It would probably survive, but be at best near minimal value and probably be abandoned to it's fate.).
  - RAF Digby?
Norfolk, Huntingdonshire, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire
- (It was assumed that an atomic war would cause 100% losses in the region and poison it for decades to come, thus making it's short term governance irrelevant. Essex would probably survive, but be at best of minimal value and abandoned to it's fate. Norfolk and Suffolk would be mediately written off as totally dead and destroy due to obvious reasons).
  - The existing War Room at Cambridge
    - A few vague and informal plans in the Harlow-Epping-Hornchurch area
Scotland
- Kirknewton, near Edinburgh
  - East Kilbride town hall
  - RAF Buchan ?
    - RAF Benbecula ?
    - RAF Saxa Vord ?

1958 and 1961 []

Region 1 (Northern)
- Gaza Barracks, Catterick Camp.
Region 2 (North East)
- Imphal Barracks, York
Region 3 (North Midlands)
- Plans for a new site at Grantham were abandoned, favouring Nottingham's old War Room as the RSG
Region 4 (Eastern)
- The existing War Room at Cambridge was expanded to serve as the RSG
Region 5 (London)
- The London War Rooms
  - Northumberland Avenue, Wanstead group control
  - Beatrice Road, Southall group control
  - Civil Defence centre for Stoke Newington (de-facto, but not de-jure)
  - Pear Tree House group control
  - Church Hill Road, Cheam group control
Region 6 (Southern)
- Warren Row, near Henley on Thames, an underground aircraft components factory which dated from the Second World War.
Region 7 (South West)
- The Bolt Head/Hope Cove RSG near Seaton in Devon. It was the former protected radar station RAF Bolt Head and later the adjacent Hope Cove, Salcombe 1950s era ROTOR station, near Salcombe in south Devon.
The underground aircraft factory and ammunition store at Hawthorn (near RAF Chilmark), Wiltshire was to take a local sub-control in the western Wiltshire-Bristol region.
Region 8 (Wales)
- The Barracks, Breckon
Region 9 (West Midlands)
- The World War II era, Drakelow Tunnels, near Kidderminster.
Region 10 (North West)
- Fulwood Barracks, Preston.
Region 11 (Northern Ireland)
- Regional War Room, Mount Eden Park, Belfast
Scotland
- The WW2 era ROTOR station Barnton Quarry in the Western outskirts of Edinburgh, became the Scottish National HQ, with regional powers at 3 other WW2 era facilities.
  - North Zone at Anstruther in Fife.
    - RAF Buchan
      - RAF Benbecula
      - RAF Saxa Vord
  - East Zone at Kirknewton.
  - West zone at East Kilbride.

1961-1972[]

Region 1 (Northern)
- Hexham in a WW2 era reinforced frozen food store.
Region 2 (North East)
- Bempton in a WW2 era reinforced frozen food store.
  - RAF Bempton early warning station.
  - Conisbrough
Region 3 (North Midlands)
- Nottingham's old WW2 War Room
- Skendleby
  - Loughborough
    - RAF Digby
Region 4 (Eastern)
- Bawburgh
  - Hertford (especially made under a new government office block).
Region 5 (London)
- Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker,
  - The London War Rooms
    - Northumberland Avenue, Wanstead group control
    - Beatrice Road, Southall group control
    - Civil Defence centre for Stoke Newington (de-facto, but not de-jure)
    - Pear Tree House group control
    - Camberwell and Southwark borough councils' joint bunker (de-facto, but not de-jure)
    - Church Hill Road, Cheam group control
  - Fort Bridgewood, Chatham (?)
  - Stoughton Barracks, Guildford (?)
Region 6 (Southern) -
- Basingstoke, a protected basement built under the HQ of the Civil Service Commission.
  - Dover Castle, with tunnels and protected accommodation dated back to the Napoleonic wars, but a large citadel was built here for naval operations during the Second World War.
    - Gravesend bunker
      - Fort Bridgewood, Chatham (plus other Chatham navel buildings (?))
      - Rochester castle (?)
    - Stoughton Barracks, Guildford.
Region 7 (South West)
- The Bolt Head/Hope Cove RSG near Seaton in Devon.
  - Ullenwood, a former anti-aircraft control unit on a hilltop site near Cheltenham Spa.
Region 8 (Wales)
- A former ammunition storage bunker at Brackla Hill, Bridgend.
  - Llandudno Junction (planned)
  - A protected basement under Government buildings at Ruthin (planned)
  - Coryton, Cardiff
Region 9 (West Midlands)
- The now reinforced Drakelow Tunnels RSG
  - The ammunition store at Swynnerton, Staffordshire.
    - Shrewsbury City Police H.Q.
    - United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation bunker at Lawford Heath near Rugby.
Region 10 (North West)
- RAF Hack Green.
- A new purpose built SRC was built under a technical college at Southport in 1964.
  - Wellington Barracks, Bury
  - Fulwood Barracks, Preston
    - Preston town hall
    - Carlisle.
Region 11 (Northern Ireland)
- The Regional War Room, Mount Eden Park, Belfast
  - The military headquarters in Lisburn.
Scotland
- The WW2 era ROTOR station Barnton Quarry in the Western outskirts of Edinburgh, became the Scottish National HQ, with regional powers at 3 other WW2 era facilities.
  - North Zone- Anstruther
    - RAF Buchan
      - RAF Benbecula
      - RAF Saxa Vord
  - East Zone- WW2 War Room at Kirknewton.
    - Kirknewton town hall
  - West zone- The Aircraft control station at East Kilbride.
    - RAF Prestwick/Prestwick Airport.

1972-1979[]

Region 1 (Northern)
- Catterick Barracks
Region 2 (North East)
- Imphal Barracks, York
Region 3 (North Midlands)
- Nottingham war rooms
  - RAF Digby?
Region 4 (Eastern)
- Cambridge war rooms
Region 5 (London)
- Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker,
Region 6 (Southern) -
- Reading
  - Dover Castle
    - Gravesend bunker
      - Chatham navel buildings (?)
Region 7 (South West)
- Salcombe
  - Cheltenham
Region 8 (Wales)
- Brecon Barracks
Region 9 (West Midlands)
- The Drakelow Tunnels RSG, Kiddiminster.
  - Shrewsbury
Region 10 (North West)
- Fulwood Barracks, Preston
  - The technical college at Southport.
Region 11 (Northern Ireland)
- Armargh.
Scotland (officially mothballed and partly de-facto abandoned.)
The WW2 era ROTOR station Barnton Quarry in the Western outskirts of Edinburgh, became the Scottish National HQ, with regional powers at 3 other WW2 era facilities. (officially mothballed).
- North Zone at Anstruther in Fife (officially mothballed, but de-facto abandoned).
  - RAF Buchan
    - RAF Benbecula
    - RAF Saxa Vord
- East Zone- Kirknewton Town Hall (officially mothballed, but de-facto abandoned).
- West zone- The Aircraft control station at East Kilbride (officially mothballed, but de-facto abandoned).

1980-1992[]

Region 1 (Scotland)
- A purpose-built HQ was constructed on a military base at Cultybraggan in Central Scotland.
  - Anstruther
    - Inverbervie
  - RAF Buchan
    - RAF Benbecula
    - RAF Saxa Vord
Region 2 (North East)
- Hexham
  - Durham
Region 3 (North Midlands)
- Skendleby
  - Loughborough
    - RAF Digby
Region 4 (Eastern)
- Bawburgh
  - Hertford bunker below the government office block.
  - Norwich
    - Kings Lynn
Region 5 (London)
- Kelvedon Hatch bunker RSG
Region 6 (Southern)
- Crowborough in Sussex. A older bunker had been built here during the Second World War to broadcast to Nazi occupied Europe under the code name Aspidistra.
  - Horsham
  - The Basingstoke site suffered from leaks and was down graded.
    - Winchester
  - Maidstone
    - Gravesend bunker
  - Aylesbury
    - Beaconsfield
  - Milton Keayns
  - Bedford
  - Cowley
Region 7 (South West)
- The Bolt Head/Hope Cove RSG/SRC, until A purpose-built HQ was constructed (Hawthorne bunker) under a military base at Corsham Wiltshire in 1985.
  - A new bunker near RAF Chilmark, Wiltshire, that was used for storing nuclear warheads, until the Bunker Woodlands RSG bunker near Chilmark replaced it in 1985.
  - Ullenwood, until the Bunker Woodlands RSG bunker near Chilmark replaced it in 1985.
    - Yeovil
    - Bristol
Region 8 (Wales)
- Brackla Hill, Bridgend
  - No 17 Group HQ Royal Observer Corps barracks at Borras, Wrexham, which became redundant in 1991.
    - Colwyn Bay
Region 9 (West Midlands)
- Drakelow Tunnels RSG
  - Swynnerton
    - Shrewsbury
    - Coventry
Region 10 (North West)
- Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker, a modified former ROTOR bunker near Nantwich, Cheshire
  - Longley Lane at Goosnargh near Preston.
    - The Southport SRC had to be abandoned as it had suffered from flooding.
Region 11 (Northern Ireland)
- A purpose made bunker at Woodside Industrial Estate, Ballymena, County Antrim.
  - Cookstown
    - Draperstown

Present day[]

Warren Row, became a protected storage facilities operated by security companies.
Hexham, Tunbridge Wells, Loughborough and Kirknewton were all demolished. The Tunbridge Wells war room was so strong that it took 3 months - not the planned 2 weeks to be demolished.
Crowborough is now used by Sussex Police for police training
Cultybraggan was first returned to Army use, but is now owned by the local community in Comrie.
Kelvedon Hatch, Hack Green, Dover Castel bunker and Anstruther have all became Cold War museums.

Also see[]

British Civil Defence Corps
Region 6 War Room
Royal Observer Corps
Spies for Peace
Thames flood notes (OTL)
Thames flood notes (1962 atomic strike)
Wartime Broadcasting Service
Nuclear warfare
Designated survivor
Two-man rule
Permissive Action Link
Emergency Action Message
Special Weapons Emergency Separation System
Operation Square Leg (1980) and Exercise Hard Rock (1982)