Greenham and Crookham Commons: Part 2 Cruise missiles and the Peace movement 1980 - 1991

A photographic study of Greenham and Crookham Commons: Part 2 Cruise missiles and the Peace movement 1980 - 1991

ROBERT C CARPENTER LRPS My first article (Part 1 The wartime and Cold War years 1941 – 1980s) illustrated some historical legacies from this era and this second part continues the story into the Cruise Missile years.

However, from the 1970s into the 1980s (during a dormant period), it is worth noting that the airbase was used for certain non-military activities. For completeness, these are briefly outlined in the Final Comments section. It is worth noting that the airbase was used for certain non[1] military activities

The decision for cruise missile deployments.

In the spring of 1979, the NATO Nuclear Planning Group agreed to formulate a response to the growing Soviet military might: “In their consideration of NATO’s requirements, as part of the Long-Term Defence Programme, to modernize theatre nuclear forces, Ministers reaffirmed that NATO could not rely on conventional forces alone for credible deterrence in Europe; and that, without increasing dependence on nuclear weapons or prejudicing long-term defence improvements in conventional forces, it would be necessary to maintain and modernize theatre nuclear forces”. This response included negotiations with the Soviets to reverse their deployments of SS-20 intermediate range ballistic missiles equipped with nuclear warheads. If these negotiations failed, then NATO would proceed with the deployment of missiles to NATO members. All subsequent negotiations failed - and on December 12th 1979 the decision was made by NATO to deploy Ground Launched nuclear Cruise Missiles (GLCMs) to Britain and other European countries. This announcement was made by Sir Francis Pym (Secretary of State for Defence) on December 13th and in June 1980 he stated that Greenham Common would house 96 nuclear armed Tomahawk cruise missiles, the warhead of each of which had the explosive force of up to 10 Hiroshima bombs (64 cruise missiles were also to be deployed to RAF Molesworth).

Airfield operations to prepare for cruise missile deployments.

In 1981, a major construction programme, within the Greenham Common airfield area, was started to support the missile deployments. Six hardened shelters were constructed to protect the GLCMs from possible nuclear and conventional attack. Each shelter was designed to withstand the blast of any nuclear air explosion above the base or any direct hit from a 2500lb conventional bomb. It is believed that the shelters, that stand around 10 metres high and 30 metres long, were built with a reinforced concrete ceiling about two metres thick, below a steel plate, around three metres of sand, a further reinforced concrete slab and all covered with tonnes of soil. Each of these housed 4 launch vehicles and 2 launch control vehicles. The vehicles were contained by 6 30-inch-thick steel doors each weighing 42 tons. Other infrastructure such as the Entry Control Point, the Wing Headquarters, armoury, and maintenance hangar buildings were also required. The site was surrounded by multiple fences (some fitted with razor wire), a perimeter road and an advanced

One of the six cruise missile bunkers.

The steel bunker doors (showing the original warning signs) photographed through the three fence lines.

A view of the triple fence line surrounding the bunkers from the main pathway. One of the original access gates to the GAMA site.

The roadway between the inner two fence lines at a different location on the perimeter of the GAMA

movement detection system monitored from a Watchtower. The site also retained the 1950s bomb stores or “igloos” where the Strategic Air

Figure 1. Aerial photograph showing the GAMA site in January 2021. The 6 cruise missile bunkers, the Entry Control Point (behind bunkers) and a length of perimeter fencing are clearly visible.

Figure 1. Aerial photograph showing the GAMA site in January 2021. The 6 cruise missile bunkers, the Entry Control Point (behind bunkers) and a length of perimeter fencing are clearly visible. (Photograph courtesy of Matthew Prior).

A more distant view of the bunkers.

Figure 10. The Wing Headquarters Building looking from the West.

The vehicle maintenance Smurfs (Courtesy of RAF Welford museum).

The GLCMs would only have been launched from Greenham Common following receipt of a genuine war alert from the Command Centre, when the QRA crew would have driven the TELs out of their bunkers and elevated the launch tubes prior to receiving the Presidential order to fire. More routinely, and once or twice a month, operational convoy dispersals typically headed for Salisbury Plain or RAF Lyneham to carry out field exercises from possible launch locations. Three sides of the GAMA site are in wooded areas, but pathways follow most of the fences so the perimeter can be mostly walked around. Apart from the Main Gate (Green) which is currently in frequent use (see Final comments) most of the gates are overgrown. Some of the fence areas show evidence of repair following cutting of the fence (it is unclear when this occurred, but the Peace women frequently cut the fences to gain access) or, in some areas, they have been damaged by tree growth.

Approximately 500 metres to the East of the GAMA site can be found the original Wing Headquarters

Repairs to the fence line. The Combat Support building.

Command’s nuclear bombs were originally stored with one being adapted to store the cruise missile warheads. Thus, the Ground Launched Cruise Missile Alert and Maintenance Area (GAMA) was born. On the 1st of October 1982, the flag of the 501st Tactical Missile Wing was raised at Greenham Common and the first cruise missiles were delivered in November 1983. By 1986 there were 96 missiles and five spares made up into six mobile cruise missile flights housed at GAMA. The GAMA site and Cruise missiles. Figure 1. Aerial photograph showing the GAMA site in January 2021. The 6 cruise missile bunkers, the Entry Control Point (behind bunkers) and a length of perimeter fencing are clearly visible. (Photo courtesy of Matthew Prior). At the core of the GAMA site are the six bunkers, each of which housed a tractor unit for towing, two Launch Control Vehicles (LCVs) and four Transporter Erector Launchers (TELs - each of which held four missiles), giving a total of 16 missiles per bunker. One of the bunkers was also a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) shelter, with an attached crew room that was permanently manned and totally self-contained. Within minutes of an alert, these crews would travel in convoys to predesignated dispersal sites for launch of the missiles. During bunker operations, massive hydraulic pistons at both ends raised and lowered the thick steel plated bay doors over a moat-like trench, and movement between the bays would have been through passages with steel isolating doors. When closed, the bay doors would sit against steel plates with specialized rubber seals to create an air-tight environment, and each bunker contained an extensive air filtration system to ensure survivability in the event of an attack or accident. The bay doors are still in place in the closed position together with their original warning signs - “Warning keep clear of pit. Door may open without warning. Stand clear when klaxon sounds”.

An outline map of the site (in the 1980s) showing the locations of the bunkers and the entrance gates (identified by colour).

Building (Bld. 274) which is now a Grade 2 listed building. This building was the Command-andControl centre for the Greenham Common base and was reinforced against first strike conventional, biological, and chemical attack. It was used to control the operations of the cruise missile forces at Greenham Common; receiving instruction from higher command to deploy and launch missiles, and

then relaying them to its mobile forces. The blast proof building housed a decontamination suite (for chemical and biological weapons), a briefing room, telecommunications, and plant rooms. The structure reflected NATO’s policy of hardened and camouflaged specialist buildings and, of note, is the decontamination suite which is one of the two best preserved in the country. This suite is entered via the terracotta-coloured concrete entrance through a turnstile and a blast door. The building is now equipped as a modern, commercial computer suite for data transfer and storage. Close by is the Combat Support Building (Bld. 273) which is also Grade 2 listed. This building’s purpose was to provide protected accommodation for about 100 military personnel who could be immediately available, even after a conventional, biological, or chemical attack, to defend the base against enemy infiltration. Its colloquial name of ‘The Armoury’ reflects the fact that weaponry for the soldiers would also have been stored here. In common with the Headquarters building, this has a blast proof construction of reinforced concrete and heavy steel doors. Other buildings associated with the site included a vehicle maintenance unit and a hanger (Bld. 302). These buildings have been demolished but before

A recent photograph (2020) showing the main entrance gate (Green) to the GAMA site.

Detail of symbols on one of the posts.

this happened, many artefacts and examples of wall art were carefully removed and are now in the RAF Welford museum. Workers in the vehicle maintenance area were known as the Smurfs and some of their wall art has been preserved.

The Peace Movement

Greenham Common was the earliest site to be commissioned of the six European bases to house cruise missiles and hence provided a national focus for the peace movement. In 1981 a group called “Women for Life on Earth” marched from Cardiff to Greenham Common and set up the first peace camp. The Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp (GCWPC) itself evolved to consist of nine smaller peace camps, each separately identified. The yellow gate, at the main entrance to the base, was the first to be established following the march from Cardiff. The actions of the women were to disrupt preparations for the arrival of the cruise missiles and to observe and monitor activities inside the base. Many protests occurred over the next few years including regular illegal site break-ins and encircling the base. In 1983, in a joint action with CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament), a human chain involving 70,000 protesters linked hands from Greenham Common to the AWRE (Atomic Weapons Research Establishment) Aldermaston and on to the Ordnance factory at Burghfield near Reading. Most Newbury residents did not welcome the peace women for many reasons including the repeated illegal activities with the costs of policing and legal action, the insanitary conditions of the camps, and the women’s apparent rejection of family values. Local groups including Women and Families for Defence and Ratepayers Against Greenham Encampments (RAGE) organised local marches and lobbied Parliament to get their voices heard. There were peace camps at most of the entrances, with the original camp shown at the main (yellow) gate. (Photo courtesy of smudgyguide.net). The peace camps were constructed from a variety of materials, for example, the “Benders” used saplings and plastic sheeting, and these were seen together with other wood and metal constructions and tents. No evidence remains of any of the actual camps themselves at Greenham Common, however, an original tent and many other artifacts and clothing etc. are held by the West Berkshire Museum in Newbury (and by many other Museums). The original location of the Yellow camp is remembered by the construction of a Peace Garden in 2000 and this will be covered in the last article of this series. The main vehicular entrance and exit for the GAMA site were via the Green gate (see Figures 16 and 17) and this is one area where the location of the original peace camp is marked. The locations for this camp area were marked with concrete posts in an attempt (it is believed) to contain the camp and keep the vital access road clear. Some of these concrete marker posts are still in place and were decorated with symbols from the camp; it is possible that these symbols have been “refreshed” over the years As the decade progressed the political landscape was changing and talks between the USA and USSR led to the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). This was signed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in December 1987. This Treaty provided for the destruction of all ground launched short and medium range nuclear and conventional missiles operated by NATO and the USSR. Over the next few years, the Base was decommissioned and the missiles with their nuclear warheads were returned to the USA. During this period, the Base was subject to inspections by the Soviets as part of the INF. The final cruise missiles left the base in 1991 followed by the remaining USAF personnel in September 1992.

Final comments

In 2003 the GAMA site was sold to a private owner and planning permissions have been obtained over the years to continue its use as a massive car storage area (vehicles can be seen around the periphery of the GAMA site in Figure 1). The site is being actively marketed as a location for filming, events, TV and commercial storage. Any operational changes on this site are limited by planning permissions from West Berkshire Council and are scrutinised by Natural England (because of the site’s proximity to a SSSI location), English Heritage and the Berkshire Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) who manage the Common.

References.

Nuclear Planning Group, Final Communique 24th 25th April 1979. In defense of freedom; a history of RAF Greenham Common. J. J. Sayers. ID: 310488, www.lulu.com. Womens’ Peace Camp 1981-2000. Sarah Hipperson (in Cold War Pastoral. John Kippin). ISBN 1 901033 97 X. The Common Good. The story of Greenham Common. Penelope Stokes and published by Greenham Trust. ISBN 978-1-5272-0785-1. Figure 1 Courtesy of Matthew Prior. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons AttributionShare Alike 4.0 International license.