Royal Observer Corps, Rottingdean by Roland Vivian Pitchforth, watercolour on paper

As an Official War Artist, Roland Vivian Pitchforth undertook many commissions through the War Artists' Advisory Committee during the Second World War. This watercolour shows a Royal Observer Corps observation post. It was commissioned by the Admiralty as part of a series representing naval vessels and subjects related to maritime warfare around the British coastline.

The Chain Home radar system could only detect German raids over the sea. Once the Luftwaffe were over land, it was up to the volunteers of the Observer Corps to calculate the position and height of a raid. This information was reported to a Sector Control room, together with the number and types of aircraft. In recognition of its vital contribution during the Battle of Britain, the Corps became the Royal Observer Corps in April 1941. From the Air Ministry allocation of works from the War Artists' Advisory Committee, 1947. Original accession number LD3828. On loan from the RAF Air Historical Branch (MOD). Copyright: Crown (expired) / RAF Museum.