Observation posts?

John · Post by **John** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 10:11 pm

Hello,

The OS stopped marking the Army Observation Posts (OPs) on their maps years ago. I thought I had kept an old map with them still marked on, apparently I did not

I noticed a clue in the new catalogue that mentioned (I think!) OP16. However, I have no idea where OP16 is or indeed (almost) any of them.

So the question is, does anyone have a list or can name a book which contains the OPs and their grid refs?

Before anyone says anything, yes I know where OP15 is

Thanks.

whoisthechallenger · Post by **whoisthechallenger** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:00 am

Hmmm.. Your post got me thinking. I have a photocopy of this MOD map. Its on pieces of A4 paper, and I had to piece it together, but it is occasionally very useful! Observation Posts, datum poles (old and older), impact areas, dropping points (?), the lot!

OP16 is at grid ref 608 882, close to East Okement Head.

Further to your question though. The ministry of defence have a list available online in pdf format of their 'stuff' in Okehampton Military Range. Locate it here: http://94.236.30.88/NR/rdonlyres/EBF59C ... _Posts.pdf

Post by **Sowerby Streaker** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 3:20 pm

Here you are - the complete list and the state they are in:-

OP1 59693 90426 Demolished.
OP2 58132 89636 Demolished. Clear remains left.
OP3 59077 89952 Extant. (It’s all there!)
OP4 59363 89249 Demolished. Clear remains left.
OP5 58903 88857 Demolished. Minimal remains – flattened.
OP6 60181 89717 Extant.
OP7 60562 89361 Extant.
OP8 60753 89412 Demolished. Identifiable remains left.
OP9 60475 88683 Demolished. Clear remains but flattened.
OP10N 59942 89756 Intact but blocked up.
OP10S 59964 89550 Demolished. No remains found.
OP11 59988 89020 Demolished. Clear remains left.
OP12 59950 88466 Demolished. Flattened mound remains.
OP13 59562 88311 Demolished. Flattened mound remains..
OP14 59862 88056 Demolished. Mound covered with reeds.
OP15 60245 87897 Extant.
OP 16 60825 88264 Extant.
OP17 61295 88620 Extant.
OP18 61733 88553 Demolished. No remains found. Location unknown!!
OP19 61296 87370 Demolished. No remains found. Possibly removed in the past few years!!
OP20 58589 88028 Demolished. No remains found.
OP21 57110 90060 Demolished. Clear remains left.
OP22 59837 90742 Extant.

A fellow letterboxer set out boxes from all these OP's a few years back and spent a lot of time trying to find the sites of the demolished ones from military records.

I also have the military map showing the - still standing - OP's and also all the Datum poles. There were always boxes off the Datums, but unfortunately as with the range poles - the Military decided to move a few of them which spoilt our game!!!!

reg the bullmastiff · Post by **reg the bullmastiff** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 8:38 pm

Right I'm going to make it my aim to ask a question about Dartmoor that the Sowerby Streaker does NOT know the answer to, Hmmm time to start thinking? Game on!

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 8:52 pm

reg the bullmastiff wrote:Right I'm going to make it my aim to ask a question about Dartmoor that the Sowerby Streaker does NOT know the answer to, Hmmm time to start thinking? Game on!

Lol I think you will stuggle with that. Maureen knows her subject well.

Post by **Sowerby Streaker** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 9:09 pm

Always learning more about the moors everyday. Don't think anyone can really say they know everything about Dartmoor.

John · Post by **John** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 9:20 pm

Thanks for the replies, they will help a lot

John.

John · Post by **John** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 8:29 pm

Sowerby Streaker wrote:Here you are - the complete list and the state they are in:-

OP18 61733 88553 Demolished. No remains found. Location unknown!!

Not sure why this one gives a grid ref but then says location unknown!

John.

The Wandering Artist · Fri Apr 05, 2013 8:57 pm

The information by SS is of course correct and all credit to the person who researched the locations.
I also have a Military map, dated 14 May 1993, which gives Military access routes to the Moor, all Ranges, and range zones within ranges, Flag poles and Datum Poles as they were, and all OP`s.
Would love to have the 'latest version' of this map!

Post by **Sowerby Streaker** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 9:00 pm

John wrote:
Sowerby Streaker wrote:Here you are - the complete list and the state they are in:-

OP18 61733 88553 Demolished. No remains found. Location unknown!!
Not sure why this one gives a grid ref but then says location unknown!

John.

Information would have been given for its last known position off old Military maps. But when the researcher went out to the spcified location, there was nothing there, nor any remains of an OP nor evidence that there had been one there - therefore he put down - 'location unkbnown'

John · Post by **John** » Tue Apr 16, 2013 3:09 pm

whoisthechallenger wrote:Further to your question though. The ministry of defence have a list available online in pdf format of their 'stuff' in Okehampton Military Range. Locate it here: http://94.236.30.88/NR/rdonlyres/EBF59C ... _Posts.pdf

Thanks for this. The URL worked the first time I tried it but hasn't worked since! I have however found the same document in the MoD archives at:

http://rapidlibrary.com/source.php?file ... ef3ceaed8b

John · Post by **John** » Tue Apr 16, 2013 3:12 pm

Hmm, okay lets try again with the URL:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov. ... _Posts.pdf

Or use the 'rapidlibrary.com' URL and then just click on the 'The National Archives' link.

low creep · Post by **low creep** » Wed Aug 19, 2015 10:55 am

With reference to the OP's which are still extant, the above 10 fig grid references differ from those in the above document, which from measurements on the OS map seems to verify the military ones as correct.

OP1 SX 59693 90426 Demolished.
OP2 SX 58132 89636 Demolished. Clear remains left.
OP3 SX 59091 89728 Extant. (It’s all there!)
(previously 59077 89952)
OP4 SX 59363 89249 Demolished. Clear remains left.
OP5 SX 58903 88857 Demolished. Minimal remains – flattened.
OP6 SX 60292 89843 Extant.
(previously 60181 89717)
OP7 SX 60561 89288 Extant.
(previously 60562 89361)
OP8 SX 60753 89412 Demolished. Identifiable remains left.
OP9 SX 60475 88683 Demolished. Clear remains but flattened.
OP10N SX 59942 89900 Intact but blocked up.
(previously 59942 89756)
OP10S SX 59964 89550 Demolished. No remains found.
OP11 SX 59988 89020 Demolished. Clear remains left.
OP12 SX 59950 88466 Demolished. Flattened mound remains.
OP13 SX 59562 88311 Demolished. Flattened mound remains..
OP14 SX 59862 88056 Demolished. Mound covered with reeds.
OP15 SX 60254 87767 Extant.
(previously 60245 87897)
OP 16 SX 60820 88196 Extant.
(previously 60825 88264)
OP17 SX 61234 88768 Extant.
(previously 61295 88620)
OP18 SX 61733 88553 Demolished. No remains found. Location unknown!!
OP19 SX 61296 87370 Demolished. No remains.n the past few years!!
OP20 SX 58589 88028 Demolished. No remains found.
OP21 SX 57110 90060 Demolished. Clear remains left.
OP22 SX 60098 91124 Extant.
(previously 59837 90742)

trekkernod · Post by **trekkernod** » Thu Aug 20, 2015 9:25 am

Hi,

Try this:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... ic-surveys

It links you to a page with a list of historic appraisals for areas used by the military on Dartmoor.
If you open the Okehampton Range pdf and scroll through it, you will find a list of the Op's on Dartmoor and their condition.

This information has been repeated in earlier posts.

Dartmoor Letterboxing