These photographs were originally passed to me around 40 years ago now after they were used as part of a public presentation at R.N.A.S. Culdrose Air Day. I believe that this was around 1978-1979. I have stored them safely here ever since and I believe that they now deserve to see the light of day once again! To respect the privacy of the staff involved, their identities have been discreetly obscured! Near the foot of the page are 2 videos, firstly, one added on 6th July, 2020 “Inside Royal Navy Met Office with weather forecaster” and secondly, a video of a Royal Navy observer at Culdrose Met. Office carrying out observations, etc. This video was added on 7th July, 2020. Just underneath the video is a detailed & very interesting autobiographical story by Clement Olliver, who was stationed at R.N.A.S. Coldrose Met. Office for a while. Finally, there is a History of the Fleet Weather Centre at Northwood. The credits to and thanks for these photographs & videos remain with R.N.A.S. Culdrose & the Royal Navy and for the Clement Olliver story & the Northwood history, these credits and thanks go to cloudobservers.co.uk
(1) R.N.A.S. Culdrose Meteorological Office: stithiansweather.co.uk/r-n-a-s-culdrose-meteorological-office/
(2) R.N.A.S. Culdrose: Taking Readings At The Thermometer Screen (1): stithiansweather.co.uk/r-n-a-s-culdrose-taking-readings-at-the-thermometer-screen-1/ (standard thermometers in a large ‘Bilham’ type thermometer screen)
(3) R.N.A.S. Culdrose: Taking Readings At The Thermometer Screen (2): stithiansweather.co.uk/r-n-a-s-culdrose-taking-readings-at-the-thermometer-screen-2/ (standard thermometers in a large ‘Bilham’ type screen)
(4) R.N.A.S. Culdrose: Changing The Sunshine Card: stithiansweather.co.uk/r-n-a-s-culdrose-changing-the-sunshine-card/ (the instrument shown is a Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorder, which is the standard accepted one for accurate daily readings)
(5) R.N.A.S. Culdrose: Taking A Pressure Reading From The Kew Pattern Mercury Barometer (1): stithiansweather.co.uk/r-n-a-s-culdrose-taking-a-pressure-reading-from-the-kew-pattern-mercury-barometer-1/
(6) R.N.A.S. Culdrose: Taking A Pressure Reading From The Kew Pattern Mercury Barometer (2): stithiansweather.co.uk/r-n-a-s-culdrose-taking-a-pressure-reading-from-the-kew-pattern-mercury-barometer-2/
(7) R.N.A.S. Culdrose: Logging The Recorded Weather Observations: stithiansweather.co.uk/r-n-a-s-culdrose-logging-the-recorded-weather-observations/
(8) R.N.A.S. Culdrose: Teleprinter Communications (1): stithiansweather.co.uk/r-n-a-s-culdrose-teleprinter-communications-1/ (NOTES: These two photographs show the, by now, 5 figure coded groups (recorded weather observational data) being sent to the nearest hub (Plymouth) to be thence sent to Bracknell Meteorological Office H.Q. to be further re-transmitted worldwide. Some of these teleprinters were used to just ‘transmit’ & others were just to ‘receive’ – (this received data would be used in the ‘chart plotting’). It should be noted that the teleprinters being used here are Creed 444 machines (G.P.O. Type 15). (These are the exact same type of teleprinter that we used in the Communications Section of the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service!)
(9) R.N.A.S. Culdrose: Teleprinter Communications (2): stithiansweather.co.uk/r-n-a-s-culdrose-teleprinter-communications-2/
(10) R.N.A.S. Culdrose: Chart Plotting Of Surface Observations (1): stithiansweather.co.uk/r-n-a-s-culdrose-chart-plotting-of-surface-observations-1/
(11) R.N.A.S. Culdrose: Chart Plotting Of surface Observations (2): stithiansweather.co.uk/r-n-a-s-culdrose-chart-plotting-of-surface-observations/
(12) R.N.A.S. Culdrose: Fax Charts Being Received (1): stithiansweather.co.uk/r-n-a-s-culdrose-fax-charts-being-received-1/ (NOTES: The Fax machine being used here is most likely a ‘Mufax’ one!)
(13) R.N.A.S. Culdrose: Fax Charts Being Received (2): stithiansweather.co.uk/r-n-a-s-culdrose-fax-charts-being-received-2/
(14) R.N.A.S. Culdrose: Tracking Weather Echoes By Radar: stithiansweather.co.uk/r-n-a-s-culdrose-tracking-weather-echoes-by-radar/
(15) R.N.A.S. Culdrose: Meteorological Briefing: stithiansweather.co.uk/r-n-a-s-culdrose-meteorological-briefing/
(16) R.N.A.S. Culdrose Meteorological Office Ink Stamp: stithiansweather.co.uk/r-n-a-s-culdrose-meteorological-office-ink-stamp/
(17) Inside Royal Navy Met Office with weather forecaster (6 July, 2020) VIDEO: facebook.com/masculdrose/videos/inside-royal-navy-met-office-with-weather-forecaster/871170423372477/
18) Royal Navy weather observer at RNAS Culdrose Met Office (7 July, 2020) VIDEO: facebook.com/masculdrose/videos/royal-navy-weather-observer-at-mas-culdrose-met-office/892068017939473/
19) “Travels with my Plotting Pens by Clement Olliver” cloudobservers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2011/07/Travels-CO.pdf
20) A History of the Fleet Weather Centre at Northwood: cloudobservers.co.uk/memories/ashore/northwood/
