Dx Calling the World 2008b
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From its inception in the days of 2LO
during the 1920s until its final demise in
1992, Daventry Wireless Transmission
Station and its well remembered host of
aerial masts became much more than a
Northampton landmark. The name itself
was known world-wide to crystal set
owners and wireless listeners.
Norman Tomalin, who was a senior
maintenance engineer and training officer
there for over forty years, tells the story
of the station's sixty-seven years history,
including the vital part it played in the
war ti me b y transmissions to enemy
occupied countries.
In another sense, the town of Daventry
was also 'occupied' by the many members
of the station staff, whose happ y
memories of those days remain.
COVER: General view of Daventry
Station from Norton to Dodford road.
ISBN 0 905355 46 6
£12.50
DAVENTRY CALLING
THE WORLD
DAVENTRY CALLING
THE WORLD
NORMAN TOMALIN
CAEDMON OF WHITBY
The author, Norman Tomalin, a Senior Maintenance Engineer and Training
Officer, under the C for Charlie mast in 1992. 0 Stephen Shepherd. PUBLISHERS
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced,
stored or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, r ecording or otherwise) without the
prior permission of Caedmon.
To Mildred with my love and gratitude
The above notice applies to the paper copy of the book published for her patience while I was
in 1998. This publication, in the form of a PDF file in 2008, has absorbed in authorship.
been carried out with the approval of the author and Caedmon.
This 2008 publication may be reproduced and stored in the form of
a computer file or paper print, but it must not be used to create a
bound book and it must not be sold for profit.
The right of Norman Tomalin to be identified
as the author of this work has been asserted
b y Caedmon i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e C o p y r i g h t ,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
© NORMAN TOMALIN 1998
ISBN 0905355 46 6
First published in 1998 by
CAEDMON OF WHITBY PUBLISHERS
128 Upgang Lane,
Whitby, North Yorkshire
Republished in 2008 by
Martin Ellen on the web site
www.bbceng.info
Originally printed in 1998 by
SMITH SETTLE
Ilkley Road, Otley, West Yorkshire, LS21 3JP
Out of print in 2008
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CONTENTS
My thanks are due to the Librarian and staff of Northampton Foreword ix
Central Library; Fred Shaw, ex RAF and Daventry GEE station
ground radar mechanic; G I F Tupper, ex senior engineer BBC Introduction xii
transmission dept; Gerald Mansell, ex managing director, external 1 Borough Hill History 1
services, author of Let Truth be Told. I found R V Jones Most 2 British Broadcasting and BBC Daventry 5
Secret War of great assistance and also the BBC publication BBC
Daventry 1925-1992. 3 The Chequered History of 5XX and 5GB Buildings 9
We are most grateful to the BBC Archives department who 4 BBC Daventry's Contribution to Radar Development 24
generously allowed us to reproduce pictures from their extensive
archive files. Stephen Shepherd took the frontispiece picture for 5 BBC Short Wave Broadcasting — The Empire Service
the Daily Telegraph and we thank them for allowing us to and Wartime Expansion 29
reproduce it. Finally, thanks to Laurence Pollinger Ltd holders of 6 The BBC and Daventry in the Brave New World 45
the copyright in the estate of W. Heath Robinson.
7 Sixty Seven Years on Top of the World 57
8 Down Memory Lane 70
9 Daventry Town and the BBC 91
LI S T O F I LLUS T RA TI O NS FOREWORD
1950 The 1920s 5XX building undergoing alterations 8 During the exciting days of amateur wireless, enthusiastic set
1927 General view of the transmitter 10 builders could be a navvy, train driver or perhaps an office worker.
1950 BBC Third programme control room. 16 To those of us connected with this new industry, the name
DAVENTRY was immediately linked to principal stations in the
1951 Dodford mast soars high 18
world such as Schenectady New York, Paris, radiating from the
1984 The demolition of the Dodford mast 20 Eiffel tower, Koenigswusterhausen Germany and Hilversum
1932 Sir John Reith and the Rt Hon J. H. Whiteley 32 Holland.
1932 Senders 1 & 2 building 35 In the early thirties, I recall each midday, Daventry 5GB giving
1938 The New Building 36 us lunchtime music from Frank Cantell and the BBC Midland
1938 General view of the Transmitter Hall 36 Light Orchestra. Thrilled as we were, to be involved with this
1963 The newly installed Marconi 100kW transmitters 51 exciting and popular hobby, little did we think that some of us
would find employment on the very site from whence programmes
1992 Bill Bird at the Daventry transmitter. 55 came and would eventually have such global importance.
1925 The opening of Daventry 5XX 58 The sudden exodus from industry and subsequent appearance
1942 Vera Bartle, one of the many TAFs 59 in the various departments of the BBC contained a considerable
1942 Switching gantry and B Tower 61 variety of applicants via the advertising columns of the Daily
1938 Water-cooled triode valve (C.A.T. 14 SW) in sender 6 61 Telegraph. This was evident particularly in the BBC Engineering
1937 Aerial curtains supported by mast halyards 63 Division and I recall colleagues staffed at Daventry coming from
Australia, Canada, New Zealand and India, as well as from the
How not to erect an aerial 66
whole of the British Isles. It was a great feeling of 'togetherness'
1982 Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Short Wave enhanced by the many dialects in our daily conversation.
Broadcasting 72
The old 5GB Sender was rather special in that the valves could
1983 Members of staff and wives wth forty years service 73 be dismantled for refurbishment and Worn filaments, grids and
1937 English Electric diesel alternator 76 anodes replaced. The necessary air evacuation of these valves was
1938 Changing a truck-mounted C.A.T. 14SW 80 effected during the maintenance period by a variety of pumps; a
1955 Representatives of Daventry District Council visit rotary noisy one and another using mercury vapour. Then it was
Borough Hill 92 necessary to condition the stage to accept a constant feed of ten
kilovolts operation. This was done by incremental steps using a
`conditioner' which supplied a voltage at least double that of
normal operation, namely twenty two kilovolts, when much
crackling of sparks could be heard as the voltage was increased.
x FOREWORD FOREWORD xi
Much of this work is well documented in this historical record the aid of our 303 service rifle. An apocryphal story alleged that
which also covers the pre-transmission days and the reasons for one crack shot arranged to kill the rabbit and clean it out at the
Daventry being first chosen as the site for the EMPIRE SERVICE same time. In any case, the stews were very much enjoyed. It could
of the BBC. be lonely at nights, apart from the drone of the raiding bombers.
All of us at Daventry belonged to the Home Guard, having One particular moonless night is recalled when I could see a bright
daily drills and rehearsals for potential air raids. A password was ring of light around the hut door, and cautiously opening it, saw
given each time a shift changed. I recall early in 1940, an accident a flare suspended above the ground a few yards away. Duly doused,
involving a brush with a platoon of soldiers reporting for duty, the silk parachute became a popular ballet dress for a young lady
causing them to fall in a ditch. It was followed with the password who later became Head Mistress of Long Buckby Infant School.
"bruises". The small guard hut was placed immediately under In 1943 engineers were invited to apply to join the BBC war
the two tallest masts at Daventry which radiated the Home Service. Reporting Unit. This comprised a concentrated course of instruc-
When the kettle was boiling, it emitted a ring of sparks underneath tion on disc recording, coupled with two weeks training with
and the news or programme events could be heard quite clearly, Services; i.e., R.A.F., Navy and Army and with U.S. Air Force and
and the voice of Bruce Belfrage came out as if the kettle itself was U.S. Third Army training at Clevedon, then in Somerset. Prior to
a loud speaker! Humour prevailed by general leg pulling, and D Day, we drove to the airfields to cover as much news as would
entertainment was provided by the staff for the citizens of Daventry pass the censor and recorded personal messages for the families
by putting on pantomimes at Christmas, usually followed by plays of service personel. From D Day, a point near Fareham in Hamp-
such as those of J. B. Priestley or the scripts of other well known shire was used to record dispatches and send them, together with
playwrights during the rest of the year. actuality recordings, up the line to London for BBC Newsreel
In 1942 a daytime raiding German plane strafed the buildings usage. Thus, after D Day, we met and worked with Stanley
where we were ensconced, causing me to dash under the desk in Maxted, Frank Gillard, Chester Wilmot, Stewart MacPherson and
the transmitter room. Mr Bill Gilbert, of Middlemore Farm many other correspondents whose voices we had heard so often
Daventry informed us that it was a Dornier 215 fighter bomber. at Daventry. Now, in 1998 the sounds are mainly of mechanical
During the blitz on Coventry the drone of the raiding bombers diggers; The forest of masts reduced to just one. As the tide of
accompanied the sound of the BBC monitored programmes as human progress creeps over the mast foundations, let us thank
the incendiary bombs illuminated the horizon. Even the buzz of the author for his timely attempts to preserve such an important
falling shrapnel from the anti aircraft fire could be heard on the Piece of broadcasting history.
transmitter site.
In 1943 a small monitoring station was set up in a field about Stanley Unwin
seven miles from Daventry to receive messages from points around Long Buckby, 1998
Britain relating to possible invasion by Germany. It was staffed
by four members, one for each eight-hour shift, with two present
during the day shift. Banks of communication receivers monitored
all the important European programmes while the shift engineer
would be sending coded messages to stations situated around
Britain. The farmer who owned the land ploughed an acre for us
to grow vegetables and an occasional rabbit was despatched with
INTRODUCTION
O n S un d a y 2 9 M a r c h 1 99 2 , wh en D a ve n t r y S h or t W a ve
I
Transmitter (Sender 24) broadcasting on 15.070 MHz was BOROUGH HILL HISTORY
switched off, an historic era came to an end for the BBC on
Borough Hill, Daventry. The event, marked by a reception for Borough Hill (from the Anglo-Saxon Burh, an earthwork) is in the
current and former staff, was a sad and memorable occasion for Jurassic period of the Earth's history, and is an area of oolite limestone,
all those present. which runs the whole length of Northamptonshire (part of the belt
from Dorset to Lincolnshire). It is impregnated with iron-stone to a
For sixty-seven years the BBC had brought the name of Daventry
greater or lesser degree. Hence part of its history is as an Iron-age
to the Nation and the World. It began, when the Post Master
settlement, similar to that of Hunsbury Hill, Northampton. It is
General opened the Long Wave Station transmitter (call sign 5XX)
probably the third largest ancient British camp in the country, and
on 27 July 1925. Precisely at 7.30 p.m., the Director General
occupies the whole of the summit, which at its peak is 660 feet above
John Reith broadcast to the Nation, during which he read out the
sea level. It is two and one third of a mile round, enclosing an area of
poem 'Danetree' by Alfred Noyes, and officially announced that
150 acres, a mile in length, and one third of a mile wide. Three-
the station would be called Daventry.
quarter of the earth-works can be easily traced but the remainder,
Throughout this period, the BBC Borough Hill and Daventry
through the consequence of the plough and other activities has
Town were closely linked. The town was made known to the
completely disappeared. It is difficult to give an approximate age of
nation by its broadcasts and by its name marked on the dials of
the camp, but it is conceded by students of archaeology and earth-
crystal sets and valve receivers, over many decades.
works, that it belongs to the Neolithic period, and may therefore
The station made its name in Britain's history for the develop- be between 5,000 to 20,000 years old. Pottery and three bronzed
ment of national and regional broadcasting. It was the world's socket axes, found around the compound at the Southern end of the
first International Short Wave broadcasting station – conducted hill-fort, indicate occupation in the late Bronze – early Iron age
early television experiments – made a unique contribution to period around the 7th century BC. The enclosure was probably
British Radar development – played a vital role in broadcasting constructed as a refuge for flocks and herds from the attacks of
to the Worl d d uring t he Secon d World War , and a major wild animals and hostile tribes. It later became a military
contribution to world peace during the years of the Cold War. stronghold – the most important one in the Midlands. The
Now, through the development of Short Wave relay stations, Borough Hill camp is supposed to have been the principal
the BBC World Service from Bush House, London, can reach an stronghold of ICENI CORITANI Britons inhabiting this area, and
estimated two billion listeners. according to tradition was the scene of their defeat by PUBLIUS
Throughout this period, the links between the BBC and OSTORIUS SCAPULA, the Roman General under CLAUDIUS, AD51.
Daventry town have been strong – a part of the history of Daventry
and Northamptonshire. One single mast remains, a reminder of Morton, in his History of Northamptonshire, expressed the
those sixty-seven memorable years. belief that this was the scene of the stand made by the Mercians
BOROUGH HILL 3
2 DAVENTRY CALLING
against the Danes in 1006. Anglo Saxon spears and battle axes its operation at BBC Station, Ludlow, Shropshire, enabling
having been found in the trenches. Daventry transmissions to be transferred there. Additionally, the
BBC had the urgent need to fund a high cost updating programme
Much of the earthworks have been destroyed by the Hill's
of the masts and aerial systems on the station.
occupiers at the North end, but evidence of a Tumulus and Roman
Villa can still be seen. A Daily Telegraph article by Byron Rogers on the 25th January
1992, writin g on the closure, included the comme nt "Mr
In the Civil War, prior to the Battle of Naseby in 1645, at least
Gorbachev won't know it, but he has changed the landscape of
part of King Charles's Royalist army was encamped on Borough
Northamptonshire."
Hill. The King slept at the Wheatsheaf Inn in Daventry. The
mediaeval market town, centre of roads linking Oxford, Leicester, In April 1995, Daventry District Council successfully purchased
Coventry and London played an important role in the Civil War. 148 acres of Borough Hill from the BBC, for the establishment of
Horse racing took place on the hill in the 18th century, when an informal countryside and leisure park, with freedom of access
Daventry was the centre of the whip-making industry. and walks within the hedge boundaries. A further 52 acres to the
south of the hill bordering the Roman Settlement of "Burnt Walls"
The BBC came to Borough Hill in 1925. At least six sites in the
was sold to a private buyer. A small area, enclosed by a security
area were considered and Daventry appeared to be the most
fence was retained by the BBC (now Castle Transmission Inter-
suitable. Fifty eight acres of Borough Hill were purchased from
national Ltd). One mast is used for communication purposes
the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for £2,670. The British Broad-
and the station buildings are the home base of a Maintenance
casting Company had arrived and soon the National Service (call
Team base for the BBC's Domestic Service Transmitting stations
sign 5XX on 187.5 KHz) was broadcast to the nation. Further
(radio and television), within a radius of 50 to 60 miles of the
additional purchases of land from different Oxford colleges and
site. Specialist maintenance, stores and supply services also remain,
church commissioners took place over a period up to 1951,
together with the Radio Tape Reclamation Service located in the
increasing the site area to about 220 acres. A twelve foot wide
original 5XX building.
access road was built to link London Road, Daventry, to the site.
It crossed a bridge over the Weedon to Daventry railway line, and The well drained iron-stone soil has been let for sheep grazing,
parts can still be seen. In the post-war period, this important and English Heritage strictly controls the site, particularly soil
historic site has been under the strict control of the County Council disturbance. The only reminder of the silent sentinels on the hill
Archaeological Department in conjunction with English Heritage. that brought the name Daventry to the nation and the rest of the
On Sunday 29 March 1992 at 11.30 GMT the last transmission world, are the huge concrete mast stay and base blocks, that are
from BBC Daventry Short Wave station took place, when Sender scattered throughout the site, and are now slowly being covered
(transmitter) 24 ceased to radiate. For 67 years, the station had by lichens. Only those who worked on the hill will recall the
been in the forefront of technical innovation and achievement ghosts of the past, when gales and storm force winds created a
brought about by the commitment and dedication of its many banshee sound of whine, howl and shriek, as they swept through
hundreds (over the years) of staff, male and female, from all walks the aerial systems, hour after hour. It was an odd place indeed. It
of life. is hoped that a permanent exhibition of BBC Daventry memora-
bilia may be established locally, illustrating the 67 years of the
Daventry, once a name on every radio dial, was no more. The
BBC had closed the town's famous radio transmitting station. It Station's transmitting activities.
came about through Perestroika, when R ussian President
Gorbachev ended the Cold War. Voice of America scaled down
4 DAVENTRY CALLING
The Dane Tree
R H Cox, in his book 'Green Roads of England' wrote "A popular belief
exists in the folklore of Daventry, that an oak tree on Borough Hill
marks the exact centre of England". But William Edgar, a Mayor of
Daventry in 1915, wrote a book about Borough Hill and was very
2
sceptical of the Dane Tree oak which stood atop of the hill. It was he
said "one of many solitary trees detached from hedgerows, and no more BRITISH BROADCASTING AND
than an old land mark used before the enclosure act". The tree fell to the BBC DAVENTRY
woodsman's axe to make way for the 5XX (Station call sign) building
It's difficult to imagine today the wireless fever that gripped the
in 1925. The BBC planted a replacement tree in a location close to the country in the summer of 1925. Broadcasting as a popular pastime
main transmitting building, but sadly it became diseased and died. A was barely three years old. It was the age of the crystal set and
plaque, made from the tree, and in its memory was placed at the outdoor two and three valve receivers.
swimming pool by Daventry District Council. In 1975, a replacement In 1920, several licences were granted by the Post Office for
oak tree was planted close to the site of the original oak, to maintain the experimental radio transmissions, but these were opposed by
legend. military and maritime bodies who were using communication
The opening ceremony of 5XX prompted the writing of the poem point to point links.
'The Dane Tree' by the poet Alfred Noyes, which was recited at the The Marconi company, under licence, had conducted successful
opening ceremony. The prophetic concluding lines are somewhat broadcast transmissions and on 11 May 1922 opened their London
fitting to the closure of BBC Daventry transmissions. Broadcasting Station 2LO on Medium Wave. Also in 1922 the
British Broadcasting Company was formed by a consortium of
major radio manufacturers, and soon took over the London
"Daventry calling: memory, love, Station 2LO.
The grave beneath and the stars A succession of low power Medium Wave stations were opened
above. Even in my laughter
in major towns and cities throughout the UK from 1922 to 1924
(eighteen in all) by the BBC.
you shall hear The power to
whom the far is near. All are in
one circle bound, Savoy Hill, John Reith and 2LO
And all that ever was lost is
found. Daventry calling — The manufacturers realised they needed an appealing radio service.
Daventry calling Daventry They made a move of historic significance, inviting a zealous,
calling — dark and still high minded, deeply religious, authoritarian, difficult, but remark-
able and visionary Scot to run this start-up business from a single
The tree of memory, stands like a
room in Kingsway. John Reith was 33 years old. He would define
sentry Over the grave on the
the character, ethos and ambition of the institution more than
silent hill". any other person in its history.
6 DAVENTRY CALLING BRITISH BROADCASTING 7
He graduated as an engineer from Glasgow Technical College, c) The possible danger of interference with other radio users,
progressed in engineering through the First World War. Worked such as the armed services.
in America adopting their practice and procedure, and then moved
back to England. He considered building a railway on the Amazon, Reports of good reception were received from all over the
but applied to run the BBC instead. About the interview he country. Subsequently the BBC requested the PMG for permission
remarked 'They didn't ask me many questions, and some they to operate a high power LW broadcasting station.
did, I didn't know the answers. The fact is, I hadn't the remotest In an article headed 'The World's Biggest Broadcasting Station',
idea what broadcasting was!' Captain P P Eckersley, the BBC's first Chief Engineer stated that
"the choice of the Long Wave transmitter site (5XX) was
Reith gathered together his staff of 21, and began to invent
broadcasting. He started with a high regard for his own abilities. influenced by the authorities, who had laid down that the station
He would later confide in his diary: 'What a curse it is to have was to be situated north of a line between the Severn and the
Wash". The Government also stipulated that it must be placed so
comprehensive ability and intelligence, combined with a desire to
use them to maximum purpose!' that as much as possible of the area served by the station would
be land and not sea. This was a simple geographical problem,
No. 2 Savoy Hill (home of t he Institution of Electrical and there was little doubt that the station would be best placed
Engineers), was a friendly bustling place, close to Waterloo Bridge, somewhere near to Daventry, as a one hundred mile circle centred
Fleet Street, Covent Garden and the theatres. The BBC fitted in on the town included only a small area of sea. Of the six sites
well – the studios had signs warning 'Don't cough, you'll deafen examined, Borough Hill near Daventry appeared to be the most
Millions!' From there, programmes were sent to London Station suitable.
2LO, and the national transmitter at Daventry 5XX. In those
early, heady days, there was a high degree of improvisation. Everyone
was happy to lend a hand. Dame Nellie Melba popped in and The opening of the Daventry Transmitting Station
performed for free. The Chief Engineer sang the theme tune of
Children's Hour each day in a high tenor voice. On the 27th July 1925, the Post Master General opened the station
John Reith gave the BBC its ethos and purpose, and the extra- which operated at a carrier power of 25 kilowatts on 187.5 KHz
ordinary factors which moulded its unique character. There were Long Wave. A special train brought the PMG along with the
four ingredients: growing independence from government: the Chairman and Directors of the British Broadcasting Company,
development of a public service ethos: the ambition to be a national from London Euston to Daventry. Together with local dignitaries,
broadcaster: and the creation of the BBC as a monopoly. they gathered at the station and crowded into the small studio.
In July 1924, the Post Master General (PMG) granted the British On the dot of 7.30 p.m. a red light flashed and the station
Broadcasting Company a licence to test long wave transmissions identification 'Daventry Calling' was broadcast to many millions
from a transmitter sited at the Marconi works at Chelmsford. of listeners (a potential audience of twenty five million). A poem
The objectives of these experimental transmission were to `The Dane Tree' written by Alfred Noyes was read out by Director
determine: General John Reith, who then announced that officially the station
would be called Daventry.
a) The range of crystal set reception;
Lord Gainford read a letter from Prime Minister, Stanley
b) The extent of interference of a high power LW station with Baldwin, who indicated that Daventry was then the highest
other broadcasting stations; and powered station in the world. It was also, he said "A milestone
8 DAVENTRY CALLING
on the road to the social betterment of the people". Lord Gainford
also said "Now Daventry was working, about 90% of the popula-
tion was within crystal set range of one or more programmes".
PMG, Sir William Mitchell Thompson, reaffirmed that the crystal
set coverage of 5XX included Manchester, London, Ipswich and
Cardiff. With one valve sets, the reception radius would be one
hundred and fifty to two hundred miles. 3
Finally, Sir William declared the station open, and handed it
over to Captain Eckersley, Chief Engineer. The Mayor of Daventry THE 5XX NATIONAL SERVICE
concluded the speeches with the prophetic words that "messages TRANSMITTER CENTRE
will soon be sent to all parts of the Empire".
The Northampton newspapers were fascinated by the station
construction and overawed by the height of the two lattice steel,
stayed masts, that towered five hundred and twenty feet above
Borough Hill, dominating Daventry and the surrounding countryside.
No road led to the hill, so the main contractor Sir Robert
McAlpine built a light rack and pinion railway to carry construc-
tion materials to the station. A 'T' aerial was hung between the
masts, and consisted of a cage of ten copper wires grouped around
six feet diameter aluminium hoops.
To improve the efficiency of the aerial, a giant earthing system,
consisting of heavy zinc plates, packed around with quantities of
crushed carbon, was placed in the ground within a two hundred
feet radius of the aerial feeder hut. For four days, a huge Union
Jack hung from one of the masts, fluttering in the wind, effectively
announcing the arrival of BBC Daventry.
Although the station had a small emergency studio, normal
programmes came from the Savoy Hill studios, fed to Daventry
using high quality Post Office line.
Northampton Electric Light company power station in Midsummer
1950 The 1920s 5XX building undergoing alterations twenty-five years later. Meadow, Northampton, provided the 11,000 volt power supply to
©BBC the station using a three and a half inch underground cable.
The 5XX building of common brick and asbestos sheet roof
was built by Daventry builders, Bowsworth & Wakeford, at a
cost of £50,000, and a separate building close to the Daventry
water reservoir, was built later to house the Engineer-in-Charge,
Captain H Litt, and support engineers.
5XX AND 5GB BUILDINGS 11
10 DAVENTRY CALLING
The 5XX transmitter was designed and installed by the Marconi At night during the wartime 'blackout', the only light came from
Company, Chelmsford. The building was divided into three areas the valve filaments, acting like large glow-worms to light the area.
– front offices and studio, central transmitter hall, and a rear power Water gurgled and hissed around the valves, and the hall was filled
room with motor generator sets which supplied valve filaments, with low volume speech and music, coming from the vibrating
bias and high voltage to the transmitter. A spacious high ridged laminations of speech chokes and transformers in the transmitter.
roof hall with cathedral type windows (the building overall is It brought an eerie sound to the ghostly and shadowy building.
little changed), housed the transmitter. The term 'steam radio' was perhaps coined from the ambience of
early transmitters such as 5XX – the 'Old Gentleman', as it was
Modern transmitters are contained in sealed cabinets, with safety called by 'folks on the hill', is warmly remembered by the engineers
interlocks, and small inspection windows – not so 5XX. Imagine who kept watch; they, who threw switches to startup water pumps,
an open space, with an array of cabinets containing valves, filament, bias and high voltage generators, coaxing it into life for
capacitors and resistors in one section, and another open area, with another day's transmission to the Nation.
cabinets linked to large copper coils and flat aluminium plate tuning
capacitors. Staff protection from dangerous voltages consisted of
a single metal pole barrier at waist height. Pride of place went to OTHER MEMORIES AND HISTORY OF 5XX
the amplifying valves, small air-cooled and large water-cooled.
Trans-atlantic reception centre
There is evidence, recorded by the American RCA Company, of
trans-atlantic tests from Daventry on long wave, prior to the
official opening of 5XX. A transmission from Daventry was
picked up at Belfast, in Maine, re-radiated to Van Cortland Park,
New York, and re-broadcast by WJZ in New York.
Still Picture Transmissions
The first UK test transmissions of 'still' pictures by the Fultograph
process (the beginnings of television), took place using 5XX. The
tests started on 30 October 1928, and continued for a year. To
generate the 'vision' transmission signal, one method used a beam
of light to scan a picture, allowing the reflected light to operate a
photo-electric cell, the signals from which modulated the 5XX
signal. A receiver similar to an Edison phonograph, printed a
picture on absorbent paper impregnated with an electrolyte
solution (potassium iodide), when it received the varying current
from the radio receiver. These tests were billed in the Radio Times,
and by then topical news pictures, cartoons and fashion plates
1927 General view of the transmitter (The Old Gentleman). ©BBC were also being broadcast.
12 DAVENTRY CALLING 5XX AND 5GB BUILDINGS 13
Northampton – 'The Wireless Connection' and further musical programmes completed the week's broadcast.
Regular live transmissions came from the stage of the New
While the thousands who had brought crystal or valve sets specially Theatre in Abington Street, which included many music hall stars
to receive Daventry listened at home, a huge crowd gathered in Jack Warner, Suzette Tarry, Nellie Wallace, Stainless Stephen,
the Masonic Hall in Princess Street, Northampton, where the five Issy Bonn, Henry Hall's BBC Dance Band and Northampton's
valve 'Cosmo' had been installed by Brice & Sons Limited, of the Bertha Wilmott.
Drapery, for the opening of the station. Brices were not the only Daventry itself went "on air" in December 1948, when a series
local firm to be pushing the new home entertainment. Tomlinsons called 'microphone at large' came from The Wheatsheaf Hotel.
of 60 Wellingborough Road, were making their own sets, under Harry Masters (the Engineer-in-Charge, Daventry) explained the
the trade name of Ideals, with prices as low as 19/6d. Two valve workings of the transmitting station and the senior rigger, Charles
sets were sufficient for Northamptonians to receive most English Sterret of Daventry, told listeners he could climb a five hundred
stations, but five valves were needed for European stations. The foot mast in eleven minutes.
crystal set was considered temperamental, and needed a gentle Richard Dimbleby came to Northampton in 1952 to record
touch to locate the thin spring wire (cat's whisker) to touch a the 276th edition of 'Down Your Way'. Included in the programme
shiny granule of crystal. Slades, the well known bookshop, sold were members of the Boot and Shoe Industry, printers Clarke &
a range of sets. The Brownie crystal set cost 9 shillings, Western Sherwell, the Express Lift Company, and Thurstons, the fairground
Electric 35 shillings, and the best a B T H Model A with alternative family. Percy Thrower broadcast from Abington Park and the
crystals, 65 shillings. Mundins, house furnishers of 35 Abington park's Superintendent, J McIntosh also spoke.
Street, also sold two valve sets. Lowke & Sons Limited (model
In 1982, the BBC finally gave Northamptonshire its own radio
makers) offered their own make of set 'The Dane Tree', made
station, with the opening of Radio Northampton on the 30 June.
Lowkally! Tuning the valve sets was not easy, and Goldstone
Hereward Radio operated by the IBA opened in October 1984,
Limited of 58 Marefair, were agents for the reliable Tangent set,
funded by commercials.
made by Gent & Company of Leicester. Fred Cave, who ran a
garage at 2/24 Horsemarket, stocked a huge range of sets. In
April 1929 he attracted a large crowd of shoppers outside his The Chequered History of 5XX and 5GB Buildings
radio shop in Abington Street, when he relayed through a loud
speaker, the Grand National from Aintree. The local press said It would be useful to know a little bit about the magic of radio
"The broadcast came through loud and clear – a tribute to the waves, that cannot be seen or heard, invade the air and ground
quality of the instruments used". around us, and play such an important part in our lives.
Long Waves travel at the speed of light, hug for the most part
It was nearly eight years before the County was heard over the the surface of the earth, and travel around it many times before
air waves. In March 1933, a programme 'Northamptonshire's fading into nothing. They prefer to travel over sea rather than
Broadcast Week' was transmitted with a speech by Sir Arthur de land, and can manage large obstacles such as hills and mountains
Capell Brooke, chairman of Northamptonshire County Council, without too much distress.
followed by a pageant of the County by Mary Pendered of Welling- Medium Waves have a more limited range – like the sea – but
borough. A concert by Northampton Symphony Orchestra, and a are seriously reduced in strength by hills and mountains, hence
scene from Shakespeare's King John by the Northampton Repertory, poor reception in some parts of the country.
were relayed direct from the Town Hall. Talks and factory visits, Short Waves are the long distance travellers! They are aimed at
14 DAVENTRY CALLING 5XX AND 5GB BUILDINGS 15
a layer in the sky called the Ionosphere, and like a light beam are agents across the Channel, some of whom were trained in the hamlet
reflected back to earth. This also acts as another mirror causing of Brockhall, near Weedon, and who were flown from the secret
the waves to bounce back to the Ionosphere, and so on around airfield of Harrington, near Rothwell, Northamptonshire.
the earth. The clever bit is to arrange your bounce, so that, for In 1987 a plaque was placed in memory and a Carpet Bagger
example your English programme from London reaches Australia Aviation Museum established, with photographs and exhibits
and New Zealand. showing the important work of the airfield.
Masts support the wires placed between them, and these radiate For a short period, until 1945, 5XX was converted back to
the signals, Long Wave, Medium Wave or Short Wave into space. Medium Wave to transmit Morse Code for the Air Ministry.
Some masts on Medium Wave are designed to act as the radiator. Finally, and sadly, it was scrapped in January 1950. The 'Old
VHF (FM) and TV Services. These programmes use very short Gentleman' had come to rest.
waves, and their signals travel short distances. They are seriously The building also housed a low power Medium Wave Air
affected by mountains, hills, tunnels, buildings and trees. Areas Meteorological service, providing accurate local weather forecasts
of high population receive signals from aerials placed on the top for military and civil air fields and shipping for the period 1935/
of high masts - radiation is analogous to the beacon from a light 1939 and 1946/1950. Farmers, contractors and holiday makers
house. valued this service, and rued its passing.
It was found that the sloping ground of Borough Hill was not
ideal for Long Wave radiation, and in 1935 the National Service BBC Medium Wave Services
was transferred to BBC Droitwich, some twenty miles south of
Birmingham. The flat ground and location of Droitwich proved a In July 1925, when Long Wave transmitter 5XX commenced trans-
boost to reception in many of the more densely populated regions of missions, low power Medium Wave stations were already working.
the country. London Station 2LO and eighteen similar low power transmitters
5XX was not out of use for long. Clouds of war loomed, and provided a service in towns and cities throughout the United
on Government instruction the transmitter was rapidly converted Kingdom.
to Medium Wave (767 KHz) and came back into wartime service The British Broadcasting Company (changed to a Corporation
in December 1939. Unfortunately, the station signal acted as a on 1 January 1927) decided to establish an experimental high-
navigational beacon for enemy aircraft, and after a short period power Medium Wave transmitter, call sign 5GB at Daventry, to
of use, 5XX was shut down. Quickly it was converted back to provide a regional service covering the Midlands. A small self
200 KHz, to join a group of BBC stations, which included the contained building costing £10,000 was built on a flat site further
most powerful of all transmitters (600 kW Ottringham, near Hull) up the hill from 5XX – the running costs were estimated to be
for the European Service. about £3,000.
During this part of its life, until December 1944, the station made The design and installation of the 50 kW transmitter was
its valued and significant contribution to the outcome of the war c o mple te d i n s i x mo nt hs, alt hou gh so me pro bl e ms we r e
with Germany. The ceaseless propaganda and encouragement to experienced. In particular flash-arcs occurred in the large valves,
the enslaved peoples in the countries of Europe sustained their hope causing spectacular failures and consternation to the design
for eventual victory. Secret messages from Daventry 5XX to our engineers. 5GB came into service on 21 August 1927 on 610
agents in France and the Low countries, were also a vital role. KHz, and thus provided the first alternative for the Midland region.
Interesting to reflect, secret messages from Daventry were sent to Two 325 feet stayed tubular steel masts supported the 'T' aerial
16 DAVENTRY CALLING 5XX AND 5GB BUILDINGS 17
programme dedicated to the spoken word and music, which would
span every aspect of the arts in our national life.
It brought about the creation of the Third Programme, and the
installation of a high power Medium Wave transmitter in the 5XX
building at Daventry. It was to be a National Service, and to this
end low power transmitters were installed in locations of poor
reception operating on the same frequency (Group frequency
working).
Transmissions from Daventry on 647 KHz started on 15 March
1950. Initially the service was carried by an experimental Marconi
`Ampliphase' 60 kW transmitter housed in the old 5GB building,
with a 'T' aerial slung between two on-site masts.
On 8th April 1951, the service was transferred to twin Marconi
100kW transmitters housed in 5XX building, in the space
previously occupied by the 'Old Gentleman'. The transmitter
installation was a world first, for it embodied the concept of two
high power Medium Wave transmitters operating in parallel,
1950 BBC Third programme control room. ©BBC remotely controlled and monitored, and without staff in immediate
attendance. Much of the work that made this possible was
undertaken by BBC staff, and paved the way for the wholly
erected to complete the transmitter installation. In the event, it automatic network of BBC Domestic Service transmitters both
was found that one of the 520 feet masts used by the 5XX Long Sound and Television, which currently operate today, computer
Wave transmitter seriously distorted the horizontal radiation monitored and controlled.
pattern of the Medium Wave aerial, reducing the signal strength The appearance of the transmitter was so unlike 5XX. Its
received in Birmingham. A new aerial had to be hurriedly installed a enclosed grey cabinets that lined the whole front of the transmitter
few days before the station opened. had small window apertures to see inside, and the comprehensive
In consequence of the now realised problem of the mutual electrical and mechanical interlock system ensured no entry into
interference of aerial systems, and the prospective opening of a the cabinets could take place until lethal high voltages were
new Short Wave service on Borough Hill, it was decided to transfer s witched o ff. No poss ibilit y of dan ger t o st aff now! The
the Regional Station to BBC Droitwich, and 5GB closed in transmitter was a good example of the BBC's commitment to high
February 1935. safety standards for its staff. Manual operation of Transmitter 3
(T3 as it was known), was done by push-button control panels,
with lights indicating the stepped sequence progression of the
Third Programme (Radio 3) and the 5XX Building
transmitter powering. Switched meters provided information of
Within the many policy and programme changes introduced by the transmitter circuitry performance. Remote control was effected
the BBC in Domestic and Overseas Broadcasting, at the end of in the adjacent control room, or from a panel in the Short Wave
the war, came the commitment to create the world's first cultural building control centre.
18 DAVENTRY CALLING 5XX AND 5GB BUILDINGS 19
Whereas the 'Old Gentleman' was a plumber's paradise, with a
maze of copper pipes, water gurgling in and out of radio valves,
hisses of steam, sounds of programme and the background noise
of rotating generators – T3 embraced the art of up to date
transmitter design, and was air cooled. The specification included
very high quality music and speech reproduction over a wide
frequency range, to meet the requirements of the most enthusiastic
`Hi-Fi' listener. It incorporated high electrical efficiency and
operational reliability. Should one half of the two transmitters
operating in parallel shut-down, the other would continue to
radiate (reduced power). But above all the ambience was totally
d i ffer ent. To s tand i n t he s ile nt hall, be fore t he sta rt o f
transmission, perhaps the warm sun shining through the cathedral
windows; then, suddenly total transformation, silence shattered
by sounds similar to a small cannon firing, as electrical contactors
close, and massive air blowers turn, to make an ever increasing
crescendo of sound. The transmitter comes alive, and the shriek
of high volume air being sucked through valves and cabinets fills
the hall. A following sequence of loud bangs comes from T3 as
various circuitry stirs into life. The transmitter is 'On Air', awaiting
programme from the Third Programme studios in London
Broadcasting House.
Third Programme Dodford Mast Radiator
For many local people, it seemed odd that one tall mast should be
isolated from Borough Hill, and located at Dodford, one and a
half miles from the 5XX building. It was a technical necessity.
The 725 foot Medium Wave mast radiator, should theoretically
have had a roughl y circular service area. BBC Research
Department had determined that the exiting masts and other metal
structures on the Daventry site would have an adverse effect on
the radiation pattern, if the mast was located on Borough Hill.
Additionally, the very high induced voltages into adjacent Short
Wave aerials, would have presented a hazard to engineers and
maintenance staff working on the feeder and aerial system.
1951 Dodford mast soars high above the Northamptonshire landscape. ©BBC An open stranded copper wire concentric feeder connected the
20 DAVENTRY CALLING 5XX AND 5GB BUILDINGS 21
transmitter to the Dodford mast. It looped around the Southern The display might last for a short period, or as on one occasion, it
end of Borough Hill, running close to the original public footpath, went on for hours, as the storm left and returned.
and then trailed across several fields, supported on poles twenty To improve the efficiency of the aerial, copper wires were placed in
feet above the ground. Feeder power losses were low (about 12 trenches below the ground extending to the edge of the site - in the
kW) and acceptable. The mast was somewhat of a technical form of the spokes of a wheel from the base of the mast.
marvel, and a product of the BBC Research Department. The Terrestrial broadcasting has a technical problem. There are
lattice steel structure was made in two sections, the top being insufficient frequencies available to satisfy the demands of countries
separated and supported by huge white insulators that gleamed in the world – it is a very crowded market place. In Europe, each
in the sun. It had an enhanced service area using an anti-fading country is allocated frequencies for its various services, and much
mast. The supporting wire stays had large 'egg' insulators, to bargaining takes place. In the late 1970's, an inter-governmental
isolate the mast from the ground. In violent thunder storms, the conference was held in Geneva, to address the issue of new frequency
mast seemed to attract them like a magnet. The mast would be allocation. Unfortunately Home Office delegates to Geneva
repeatedl y str uck by l ightni ng. From a distance, it was a returned without gaining a frequency for Radio 3 (647 KHz).
pyrotechnic display – blue sparks from the mast and the 'egg' In consequence, T3 was closed down in November 1978, and
insulators glowing like incandescent candles for seconds at a time. the Radio 3 frequency (647 KHz) was transferred to World Service.
The transmitters were scrapped in 1983, and on Thursday 8
September 1984, the mast radiator was demolished.
It was reported in the Northampton Chronicle and Echo, `It
took seventeen seconds for one of Daventry's famous BBC radio
masts - the 725 ft Dodford mast to bite the dust. At 2.13 p.m. a
loud explosion ripped through the countryside, and the triangular
lattice steel mast crumpled to the ground in two sections'. Seventy
people watched t he famous N orthamptonshi re landmar k
disappear, and many more would miss seeing a familiar face.
BBC Engineer Training and the 5XX Connection
The cry for training, more and better training, has for many years
been the concern of Industr y across the country, and now
comparatively recently echoed by politicians of all parties.
In this area of Education and Training, the BBC has excelled.
For many years, starting at the outbreak of the War, training in
every area of Broadcasting is assiduously undertaken. The BBC
has achieved an enviable reputation throughout the world of
1984 The demolition of the Dodford mast was a necessary action, but a sad broadcasting. The expansion of Public Service and Commercial
occasion for the engineers who had erected it. Broadcasting in Sound and Television, where high standards of
© Northampton Chronicle & Echo production and presentation has been achieved, is in no small
22 DAVENTRY CALLING 5XX AND 5GB BUILDINGS 23
part due to the many thousands of trainees that have passed Tape Reclamation Business Unit
through the BBC Engineering Training Department based at Wood
Daventry's central location in the UK, and the expense of premises
Norton, near Evesham, Worcestershire.
in London, resulted in the Tape Reclamation unit located at
At the beginning of the Second World War, the BBC not only
Western House, close to Broadcasting House, being relocated to
had a major role to play in its prosecution, but it also had to
Daventry 5XX buildings in December 1984. The unit covers a
accommodate the loss of trained staff to H M Forces, coupled
wide range of activities, which include the reclamation of audio-
with the rapid expansion of its Overseas Services and relocation
tapes, and selling tapes to BBC departments throughout the UK.
of its departments from London. For the first time female staff
Digital techniques and digital editing play an ever increasing role
were recruited to fill engineer posts and these, together with
in the unit's operation. The debate, tape or disc continues — the
teenage school-leavers, were trained to cover the many vacancies
jury is still out.
in studios and transmitters.
For a short period, Engineer Training was undertaken in Maida
Vale Studios in London, but the severity of bombing in the London
`blitz' necessitated the dispersal of many BBC departments, into
the provinces. In consequence, Engineer Training was set up at
Daventry, in the early part of 1941, and continued to the end of
the war. It was based in a small purpose built lecture room close
to the main Short Wave building.
Shortly after the end of the War, the BBC established a Training
School at Wood Norton, near Evesham, Worcestershire. It took
over premises which included a country house, the former home
of the exiled Duke of Orleans, and out-buildings, which had
previously been occupied by a number of BBC departments
evacuated from London, during the War.
The School offered courses covering fundamental training in
Broadcast techniques from microphone/camera to aerial. Special-
ised engineer training included practical On-Station training. To
this end a Transmitter Training School was set up at Daventry
(Sound transmitters) and at Sutton Goldfield, Birmingham (vision
transmitters). Unoccupied front offices and store rooms of the
5XX building were converted into a classroom and practical work-
shop area. Substantial 'hands on' transmitter operational training
was a major feature. Many hundreds of future BBC engineers
passed through the doors of 5XX, during the years 1970 to 1986.
Finally with equipment changes at Daventry, the school was
relocated to BBC Station, Woofferton, near Ludlow, Shropshire.
RADAR DEVELOPMENT 25
positioned in a field located south of Weedon (Heyfordian Hills).
The pulses, direct and indirect, were monitored on a cathode-ray
tube by Arnold F Wilkins. The results were conclusive, the aircraft
giving measurable reflected signals at ranges exceeding eight miles.
Watson-Watt was so impressed by the results, that he was alleged
4 to have remarked "Great Britain has once more become an island".
The whole exercise was immediately classified as MOST
BBC DAVENTRY'S CONTRIBUTION SECRET and initially was called Radio Direction Finding (R D
TO RADAR DEVELOPMENT F), later to be called Radio Direction and Ranging (RADAR).
An experimental station was then set up at Orfordness (Suffolk)
The early development of RADAR in Britain, and its connection which resulted in the rapid construction of a chain of R D F
with Daventry, came about in 1935. It is important to say at the stations, called Chain Home (CH) placed twenty miles apart, and
outset that Britain did not enter the war as the sole possessor of initially positioned on the South-East and South coasts. The early
RADAR, as the Germans had been developing it since 1934, and warning of incoming German bombers, given by the CH stations,
other countries. played a vital part in the successful outcome of the Battle of Britain
Robert Watson-Watt of the Radio Research Station at Slough air war which saved Britain from invasion, and the eventual
was asked by an Air Ministry Committee to advise on the practical successful outcome of the war.
feasibility of a 'death ray'. The idea being to generate a very
strong electro-magnetic wave in the form of a beam. His colleague
and assistant Arnold F Wilkins proved mathematically that it was RADAR Navigational Aids
impractical and beyond current technology. At the outset of the Second World War in September 1939, Air
It had been observed a few years earlier by Post Office engineers, Marshalls in the RAF were confident that targets could be
that radio reception was disturbed by passing aircraft, and it was satisfactorily pinpointed at night using general instrument flying
considered that this phenomenon could be used to detect enemy (dead reckoning), astro-navigation (stars) and ordinary radio
aircraft. beacons. They believed there was no need for the RADAR type
In consequence, a brief note relating to this observation was aids proposed. Proof of the need to improve navigational accuracy,
made by Watson-Watt to the Committee for the Scientific Survey came to a head in the summer of 1941. An investigation into the
of Air Defence chaired by Sir Henry Tizzard. This resulted in failure of a bombing raid on a target in the German Ruhr valley,
Watson-Watt being instructed to carry out an experimental test found that only one-tenth of the bombers were within five miles of
to confirm the theory of radio wave reflections from aircraft. their target. This proved an urgent need to set up a RADAR
In the early hours of a cold winter morning on the 26th February navigational system.
1933, a Handley Page Heyford bomber, flying at six thousand Whereas Great Britain was slow to recognise the importance of
feet piloted by Squadron Leader R S Blucke, flew along the beam RADAR systems for aircraft navigation and precision bombing
of a forty-nine metre transmission from BBC Daventry. The beam of targets in enemy territory, the Germans were more advanced. It
width of thirty degrees was at an inclination of ten degrees to the was also true that investigations into RADAR type science had been
ground. undertaken by a number of industrial countries, including America
The reflected signal was picked up by a receiver in a caravan and Japan using wavelengths down to twenty centimetres.
26 DAVENTRY CALLING RADAR DEVELOPMENT 27
The German bombing of Britain in the Autumn of 1940 revealed about with the recognised urgent need to improve the navigational
how advanced they were in adopting RADAR technology for accuracy of bombers aiming at targets in Germany and the
aircraft navigation and pin-point bombing. They had developed occupied countries.
two systems called KNICKEBEIN and X-Gerat. Knickebein used In August 1941, it was revealed that a new radio navigational
an adaptation of the Lorentz aircraft blind-landing system. Two aid had been developed by a team at the Telecommunications
powerful narrow radio beams were transmitted from two halves Research Establishment (TRE) at Worth Matravers (near Swanage)
of a focused aerial system. One aerial transmitted dashes (Morse headed by R J Dippy, similar to one proposed by Professor R V
code), the other dots. Using wavelengths of about ten metres, at Jones in 1938. This system was known as `GEE' later for deception
a distance of two hundred miles, and at heights ranging to twenty purposes also known as 'JAY'.
thousand feet, the two beams overlapped. The pilot would alter Trials of the system had been made over Britain and out into
course, so a very sensitive radio receiver could pick up a merged the Atlantic, and it worked well. Tests were also carried out over
continuous note. The plane was then dead on course. An German y, and in consequence Bomber Command became
intersecting Lorentz beam from another location transmitter, committed to 'GEE'.
would pinpoint the target at the beam's cross-over point. The The system used synchronised radio wave pulses generated by a
Lorentz aerials were rotatable using a turn-table, enabling different Master Station and two Slave Stations (A and B). The pulses
targets to be selected. Aircraft could be placed within four hundred picked up by an aircraft at twenty thousand feet, would arrive at
yards of their targets, such as Coventry and Birmingham. During different time intervals. Using a TV type monitor display, the time
these raids, German bombers aimed at the Northampton to Rugby interval between Mastere/A pulse and Master/B pulse could be
loop line passing through Long Buckby. Two attacks occurred; determined. This information would then be transferred to a pre-
one stick of fifty-pound bombs straddled Station Hill, falling close prepared map with an overlay of hyperbolic time interval lines.
to the station. Another stick straddled Brington Road, a short The land position of the aircraft would be identified by the cross
distance from the village. The line was undamaged, but a number over point of the two particular time interval lines derived from
of cows were killed or injured. the TV monitor.
The X-Gerat system differed from Knickebein. It used a shorter The Eastern Chain, which covered parts of Britain and Europe
wavelength, about four metres, and had a beam width of twenty had its Master Station (Daventry) and Slave Stations at Stenigot
yards at two hundred miles. The transmitters were placed at (the Wolds) and Clee Hill (Shropshire). Southern and South
different locations, resulting in the very narrow beams creating Western Chains covered different land areas and operated on
an effective cross-over X at the target. The accuracy of this different frequencies. GEE stations working on wavelengths of
system was high - the fact that the earth is not a simple sphere, about eleven metres, provided accuracy of five hundred yards, at
but flattened at the poles, had to be taken into account. British three hundred/four hundred miles, at heights ranging up to twenty
counter measures, ranging from the creation of false cross-over thousand feet.
and forms of jamming signals, were introduced to combat these The System had the advantage that aircraft could be navigated
systems with some success. to any target within the boundaries of the hyperbolic lattice maps,
and they could also be used to help the safe return to base.
The Master Station at Daventry, with its four hundred feet lattice
RAF RADAR Navigational Aids
steel triangular mast was positioned at the northern most tip of
The second involvement of BBC Daventry with RADAR came Borough Hill overlooking the village of Norton, and on the edge
28 DAVENTRY CALLING
of Daventry golf course. The vertical aerials similar to those of
early TV stations, were placed near to the mast head, to give greater
propagational coverage. Initially three caravan transmitters (one
working, two spare) supplied from mobile diesel generators were
connected to the mast base feeder system. Additionally an
emergency reserve transmitter and generator was installed at a 5
location close to the Main Station 5XX building.
Large scale GEE operations started in March 1942, with Daventry BBC SHORT WAVE BROADCASTING
having an important role. BBC staff relocated from Alexandra Palace - THE EMPIRE SERVICE AND
(TV station) operated the transmitters on a 24 hour shift basis. WARTIME EXPANSION
Very important changes to the transmitter design, in its early days
of operation, improving its power output and range were made by
Origins
Douglas Birkinshaw and staff (ex Alexandra Palace).
At the end of the war RAF ground RADAR personnel based at As far as the British public were concerned, Saturday 19 December
the old isolation hospital Staverton took over the operation of 1932, was an unexceptional broadcasting day. The BBC was
the transmitters now housed in brick buildings. Daventry RADAR operating two Radio networks - the National and Regional pro-
station continued to provide navigational aid to Military and grammes, starting with the Daily Service at 10.15 a.m. But that
Commercial aircraft until the mid 1950's, when an improved morning, at the early hour of 9.30 a.m., one studio in the newly
DECCA RADAR navigational system was brought into use. The built Broadcasting House was busy. Sir John Reith, the Director
mast was dismantled, but the concrete base and some brick General, was there with senior colleagues. The occasion was the
buildings still remain. start of the Empire Service, the BBC's venture into international
A more accurate RADAR system called OBOE (working on a broadcasting. The first transmission lasted two hours, and was
different technique) and supplementing GEE was introduced in beamed to Australia and New Zealand.
late 1942 and fitted into the aircraft of Path Finder Force For some years, Short Wave communications had been pursued
squadrons, and greatly increased the effectiveness of bombing raids by amateur radio enthusiasts. In 1921 British radio amateurs,
on Germany. using two valve radios were in touch with American colleagues
A wide range of RADAR systems developed for the three services 7,000 miles away. In October 1924, communication was estab-
were brought into use. Professor R V Jones in his book 'Most lished between F Bell of New Zealand and C W Goyden, a London
Secret War' gives a fascinating account of British research into school boy. Other countries were also experimenting with Short
new systems and counter measures taken to combat German Wave radio. American cities, such as Pittsburgh and Schenectady
RADAR also developed during the war. had Short Wave transmitters. In Holland, the electrical company
The historian A J P Taylor in his review wrote "The most Phillips, had a regular daily service to the Dutch East Indies, a
fascinating book on the Second World War that I have read". distance of 9,000 miles.
In 1924, Sir Edward Appleton and Dr Miles Barnett, demon-
strated that the reflecting ionosphere layer (sixty miles above the
Earth's surface) truly existed.
Pressure began to build for the BBC to develop a Short Wave
30 DAVENTRY CALLING SHORT WAVE BROADCASTING 31
service. The Colonial Conference of 1927, left the BBC in an co-ordinating link between the scattered parts of the Empire".
awkward position. Put simply, Reith and Chief Engineer Eckersley, Neither Chief Engineer Eckersley or Reith envisaged the service
were eager to get on with building an experimental Short Wave would have more than a handful of enthusiastic amateurs listening
station at Daventry, but the question of funding the project, to London. But, from the outset of the first experimental
hopefully from the Government, had not been resolved. broadcasts from Chelmsford, albeit with an omni-directional aerial
Some support came from Leo Amery, Secretary of State for the and low power, the service was ardently received in many parts of
Colonies, who suggested that the service would be widely the world, other than the dominions and colonies. Listeners were
appreciated in these countries, but indicated it would be premature captivated by the exciting prospect of listening to London, in the
to expect their funding support, until the completion of experi- farthest outposts, the strength of spirit of Empire was still at large.
mental work. For the service to succeed, Eckersley and Reith realised the
By the mid-twenties, Short Wave broadcasting had not gone transmissions must have clarity and reliability and reach audiences
beyond the experimental stage. Fading, distortion and interference throughout the Empire at suitable local listening times. Initially
were common problems. Also the complexities of the ionosphere, they considered the Empire Service as a system of transmitter
with the seasonal effect due to the sun's radiation were not fully relaying posts, set up by dominion and colonial governments. To
understood. overcome the 'on air' commitment for twenty-four hours,
In early September 1927, the Post Office formally authorised Eckersley conceived the idea of 'bottled' programmes (recordings),
the BBC to start experimental transmissions. To save time, the that could be used in the studios or transported to the Empire
BBC initially decided to hire an adapted Short Wave telephony countries. Edward Pawley, historian of BBC Engineering, pointed
transmitter from Marconi's at Chelmsford, using an aerial slung out that no practical recording equipment was available until 1930.
between two masts. On the 11th November 1927, the first Interesting to note, that the BBC Transcription Service now brings the
transmission started, in the form of an Armistice Day outside best of BBC radio to audiences in 100 countries.
broadcast, using call sign G5SW in the 12 MHz band, with a The debate within the BBC continued as to how best to proceed,
power output of 10 kW. The broadcasts were popular with with no money to extend their commitment to the Empire Service.
overseas listeners, but it was immediately apparent, that greater At that time the main players involved, in addition to the BBC,
signal strength was required. Changes in the ionosphere, due to were the Colonial Office (Secretary Lord Passfield), the Post Office
the eleven year sun-spot cycle, also meant any prospective twenty and the Treasury. The BBC argued that some of the £400,000
four hour service would require changes in transmission frequencies. licence fee held back by the Treasury, should be released to expand
the service. They counter-argued, the domestic listener should
not pay for a Colonial Service. A proposed Colonial Radio Licence
Political, Financial and Technical Constraints was also turned down. Thus in May 1931, a possible expansion
scheme was dropped for the lack of £22,000 a year.
At this point, it is important to understand the various problems
which beset the early days of the Empire Service. Sir John Reith, It was a 'chicken and egg' situation. Until a 'beam' system of
t he D ir e c t or G e n er al , wa s fu l l y c ommi t t ed t o i t s fut u r e transmission was introduced to provide perfect reception, the
development, as were the BBC Board of Governors. At the formal Colonial office would not be pressured by the Empire countries
opening of the service in December 1932, he said "Radio was an to provide the money or bring sufficient weight to bear on the
instrument of the most incalculable importance in the social and Post Office and Treasury.
political life of a community. Now it becomes a connecting and Finall y, t he BBC Board of Governors accepted Reith's
32 DAVENTRY CALLING SHORT WAVE BROADCASTING 33
recommendation, that the BBC should go it alone. On 28 October Later a fifth service was introduced – West Indies 1.00 to 3.00
1931, they agreed to the erection of a high power transmitting a.m. The Broadcasts were in English, and targeted at White
station at the Daventry site. Construction of a new Empire listeners. It became clear, that more than two transmitters would
Building commenced, sited close to that housing Medium Wave be needed to carry an effective service, and the G5SW transmitter,
Transmitter 5GB. Two Standard Telephone and Cable transmitters previously used at Chelmsford, was re-engineered and assembled
were installed (Senders 1 & 2), and twelve directional and six omm- in the empty 5GB Medium Wave building. It operated on several
directional aerials erected. frequency bands, with an output of 20 kW.
With the introduction of the new service on the 19th December The size of the BBC's mailbag from abroad, made it clear there
1932, the two transmitters were able to provide four two hour was a genuine demand for the service. In the first year, 11,250
services daily, to targeted areas of the Dominions and Colonies. letters were received, and each year they increased. What helped to
These were: give the service a flying start, was King George V's eventual accept-
ance to broadcast to the Country and Empire on Christmas Day
Australia and New Zealand 9.30 to 11.30 a.m. 1932. It was the most spectacular success in BBC History. The King
India 2.30 to 4.30 p.m. was heard all over the world with surprising clarity. The New
East and Southern Africa 6.00 to 8.00 p.m. York Times wrote "Distant Lands Thrill To His God Bless You"!
West Africa and Canada 8.30 to 10.30 p.m. Each of the fi ve two hour transmissions with 'Big Ben'
prominent, were a repetitive mixture of music (mostly gramophone
records) – light classics – talks – book reviews – foreign affairs.
Captain G G Graves was placed in charge of the Empire Service,
and had £10 a week to spend on early programmes.
Further expansion
A BBC memorandum fed to the Government, noted that Short
Wave stations were springing up everywhere, some under the
control of their Government.
Their objectives were to keep in touch with their Nationals,
and provide a world presentation of viewpoint and culture. The
Dominions also began to establish their own radio service, and
would only participate in radio relays of great ceremonies and
empire events.
In April 1934, the limit of expenditure from existing funds was
reached, and in February 1935, the Post Master General authorised an
increase in Daventry's capital expenditure to £180,000 plus
£80,000 running costs, which allowed the start of the construction
of the Main Short Wave building, and on the 25th September
1932 Sir John Reith and the Rt Hon J. H. Whiteley on the occasion of the
opening of the Empire Broadcasting Station. ©BBC 1935 the acquisition of a further 95 acres of land. The aerial
34 DAVENTRY CALLING SHORT WAVE BROADCASTING 35
system was completely redesigned, to include new masts, twenty
five aerials, fourteen of which had reversible reflectors. Twelve
frequencies were assigned to the BBC, in six Short Wave bands.
It was a far cry from the rudimentary installation at Chelmsford -
one transmitter, one omni-directional aerial, two frequencies.
King George V's Jubilee in May 1935, was an ideal event for
the Empire Service. But, in the BBC's annual Report in 1935, it
projected that the service was imperceptibly moving from its
original objectives, to a broader conception of its role in the world,
involving the dissemination of British views and British values, to
a wi der pu bli c, wh ich wa s al re ad y be in g e xpo se d t o th e
propaganda effects of Germany and Italy.
At this point, it is necessary to clear up some possible confusion
in respect of the words transmitter and sender. In the early days
of Short Wave telephony and Morse-code transmissions, the
transmitter was called the 'sender' of signals, and in consequence
all BBC Short Wave transmitters were dubbed 'senders'.
Also, it is useful to have some idea of the function of a trans-
1932 Senders 1 & 2 building housing the Empire Service Station. ©BBC
mitter. First, it needs programme from a studio in London.
Electrical currents from the studio are fed to the station using
British Telecom (PO) lines. To transmit signals around the earth,
a transmitter needs an aerial (hung between masts), to radiate the smell of polished cork floor tiles, and shiny black panelled
energy. Inside the transmitter a carrier (frequency) and the transmitter cubicles, that lined each side and the rear of the hall.
programme need to be combined. An apt analogy is - think of the The ambience and smell, would long remain in the memory of
carrier as a `man' and the programme 'boy'. The man 'carries' those who worked on Senders 1 and 2. When 'on air' the trans-
the boy, and together they are fed to the aerial. Here the marvel mitter hall was quiet, apart from the gurgle of pumped cooling
of electro-magnetic radiation takes place. Together man and boy water passing to the anodes of the glowing valves, sound of
are launched into space (ether), unheard and unseen to reach the programme and noise of rotating generators and pumps in adjacent
listener thousands of miles away. supply rooms. Little outward indication that inside the black
cubicles, programme from London was mixing with carrier
The Empire Service building (still standing) was a low profile
(frequency) to pass to aerial and then into space.
quality structure, built by Henry Martin of Northampton. The
red brick walls had a feature of white stucco rendering above and
below galvanised metal windows, under a pitched asbestos roof. Clouds of War
From a distance, the building made little impact on the surrounding
countryside. In 1933 Adolf Hitler seized power in Germany, and both Germany
Inside the building, beyond the front offices, was the transmitter and Italy rapidly increased their broadcasting coverage on Short
hall. It gave an immediate impression of hospital cleanliness, with Waves. The International Broadcasting Union, which tried to
36 DAVENTRY CALLING SHORT WAVE BROADCASTI NG 37
regularise the material used in foreign broadcasts, did not have
Germany and Italy among its signatories. Both countries used
aggressive propaganda, mis-statements and incitements to war.
The German station Zeesen was particularly troublesome, and
received a subsidy of £3 million from the German government,
who were giving high priority to their Short Wave operations.
Similarly the Italian station Bari, was conducting a strong
propaganda service in Arabic, which was causing serious concern in
Cairo and the Gulf States.
The Government in 1936, was pressured into responding to
the need for broadcasts in foreign languages. A poll of British
diplomatic posts was carried out by the Foreign Office, and British
missions in the Arab world were unanimous in the call for
broadcasts in Arabic. In consequence of Government pressure,
1938 The New Building, switching gantry and Towers A & B. ©BBC and the Post Master General allocating additional funds for the
expansion of Daventry, work on the new building started in early
1936, to house three high power transmitters. By the time of the
coronation of King George VI, on the 12th May 1937, two of
these transmitters had been commissioned.
It wasn't until the 3rd January 1938, that the Arabic Service
started (the wheels of BBC and Government grind slowly). This
was followed by the Latin American Service in Spanish and
Portuguese – French, German and Italian services started in the
Autumn of that year.
The construction of the new Short Wave building was again
undertaken by builders Henry Martin of Northampton. It had
similar external features to the Empire Building, with white stucco
rendering, on the brick work front and sides. Above the imposing
fr ont pill are d e nt r ance d oor s, was th e Lati n in scri pti on
Quaecunque (Whatsoever).
The single storey structure had a flat roof, which over the years
supported the adage 'Flat roofs leak'! Its low profile architecture
kept it well hidden from the surrounding countryside, effectively pre-
dating regulations under the Town and Country Planning Act. One
feature, common to many BBC stations built in that period, was
1938 General view of the Transmitter Hall showing two of the 50kW transmitters. the excavation of a deep crypt into the ground beneath the
©BBC Transmitting Hall. The space (warm in winter, oven hot in
38 DAVENTRY CALLING SHORT WAVE BROADCASTI NG 39
summer), was filled with enormous cylindrical water tanks, which The clouds of war in 1938, and the Government's grave concern
supplied cooling water to the transmitter valves. It had an about the aggressive radio propaganda of Hitler and Mussolini,
impressive impact. The noise of high output pumps and air brought about a rapid expansion of foreign broadcasting by the
blowers filled the crypt. Talking was a challenge – 'top voice', BBC. Government money was advanced to expand Daventry's
almost sign language. Miles of grey painted pipes inter-connected Short Wave broadcasting operation. In consequence, the main
tanks, pumps and air blowers, here and there polished brass and Short Wave building was extended in 1938, together with
chromium meters. Then, for the unwary, at head height, metal additional masts and aerials. Concern for the security of the power
trays carrying a mass of lead covered cables. supply to the station resulted in the construction of a separate
Into this building, two high power Standard Telephone and Power House, which housed two huge English Electric diesel
Cable (STC) transmitters were installed, called Senders 4 and 5 alternators for emergency supply, and a low voltage switch room.
followed later by another, Sender 6, made by Marconi. The light On completion of the extension, the building consisted of three
grey panelled transmitters were outwardly similar in appearance. distinct areas – West Hall (original), East Hall, and placed between
About thirty-five feet long and seven feet high, and placed on them two separate Mercury Arc rectifier rooms, supplying high
each side of the hall. The control desks for each transmitter, were voltage to their respective transmitter halls. These much higher
centrally positioned between the transmitters, for ease of control roofed areas contained metal meshed enclosures, housing massive
and monitoring performance when 'on air'. transformers, round tanked rectifiers and control equipment. It
These pre-war transmitters were an impressive example of was the power area of the building, and it had an impressive
British Engineering excellence, in structural, mechanical and ambience of strength and danger. Easily moveable steel girders,
electrical design. A tribute to the design engineers and factory mounted on rails, spanned each room to allow chain operated
technicians, who made, tested and installed them. Along the front pulleys to lift out faulty equipment, weighing many tons, for repair or
of the transmitters inspection windows allowed visual checks of replacement.
the transmitter – glowing valves, copper coils of all shapes, The final transmitter complement, with power outputs ranging
burnished aluminium capacitor plates, white porcelain valve from 50 to 90 kW, consisted of Senders 4 and 5 and Sender 7
support insulators, and a maze of water cooling pipes. Along the (Standard Telephone & Cable) and Sender 6 (Marconi) in the
front of the transmitter, impressive large electrical meters, placed West Hall, and transmitters Senders 8 and 9 and Senders 10 and
behind glass protective panes, allowed the duty engineers to check 11 (Marconi) in the East Hall.
the transmitter operation.
Staff safety and related precautions is a BBC priority. Senders
BBC Independence from Political Control
4 and 5, as with all transmitters, had elaborate mechanical and
electrical interlocks. These ensured no entry could be gained to From the inception of the Empire Service in December 1932,
enclosures containing lethal voltages, without them being isolated. the BBC's thinking about its role in international broadcasting,
The 'clunk' and feel of the electrical/mechanical door and earthing was only slowly moving from its original concept of an Empire
switch will remain in the memory of the many engineers who Service. Director General Reith, saw the Service as a means of
manned the station. holding the empire together, but a growing body of evidence
Steps down from the transmitter hall, led to machine rooms. suggested it could not pick and choose the audience, and non-
Noisy areas, where motor generators 'whirred', producing current whites were also listeners. The international climate of the mid-
to light valve filaments and other supply voltage. thirties, into which Germany and Italy were putting significant
40 DAVENTRY CALLING SHORT WAVE BROADCASTING 41
effort into Short Wave radio, compelled the BBC to think its role Early Wartime Expansion
afresh. Reith was no slower than his contemporaries, in appreciat-
ing that if Britain was to make its voice heard effectively, then Up to 1939, the BBC had developed smoothly, and within a strong
language other than English would have to be introduced. In unitary framework. Its total staff was about 3,500, By the middle
1 9 35, t he ne wl y ap p oi nte d C olo nia l Secr et ar y, M alcol m of 1941, it had risen to nearly 9,000 – a significant number of
MacDonald, brought a n i maginati ve and keen interest i n whom were associated with foreign language broadcasts. If this
broadcasting and at his request, t he BBC submitted a war was indeed the BBC's finest hour, just as it was the nation's, it
memorandum on broadcasting to the Government Broadcasting was not achieved by design, but the outcome of improvisation.
Committee, chaired by Lord Ullswater. They were then made The basic trouble, as historian Asa Briggs put it "both the
aware of the various forces within and outside the BBC, who government and the BBC had gone into the war uncertain of what
were debating its commitment to the Empire Service, but also the their future relationship would be". Despite pleas to the Govern-
pressure to initiate foreign language broadcasts, particularly ment, the BBC's place was not recognised, until well into the second
Arabic. During this vital year of 1935, Reith gave verbal evidence year of the war.
to the Broadcast Committee, chaired by Lord Ullswater, on the
As early as 1938, the Government set up planning for a new
subject of foreign languages. Finally, they recommended "In the
Ministry of Information. Reich was offered the job as Director
interests of British prestige and influence in world affairs, we think
General, but declined. The Imperial Defence Committee had
the use of languages other than English should be encouraged!"
determined, that it would be responsible for censorship control
The report, drafted by J B Clark who subsequently moved to the
over the BBC. With the outbreak of war, the Ministry and BBC
BBC and became Empire Service Director, divided foreign
we r e i ne xt ric abl y i n v ol ved in th e pro secut io n of 'whi t e'
languages into three categories – Latin American, European and
programmes (virtually propaganda free) and 'black' programmes
Arabic. Throughout 1937, a protracted and at times confused
(one of deception and psychological warfare). A Department for
series of exchanges on the subject of foreign languages, and how
Enemy Propaganda, under the Ministry of Information, was
to combat increasing propaganda from Germany and Italy ensued.
established at an indoor riding school at Woburn Abbey in
On 4 October 1937, an important mile-stone in the history of Bedfordshire – the location was a military secret. Woburn guided
the BBC's independence and freedom of editorial control from `white' and 'black' broadcasts. There were frequent grumblings
Government, took place. The Government's Arabic Broadcasting Sub- and reluctance, for BBC European staff to take their instructions
committee accepted the BBC's terms for undertaking Arabic from Woburn. It was the commencement of a battle over what
broadcasts. Six conditions were listed all important, but the most degree of autonomy the BBC would retain over its services, particu-
far reaching set out "The BBC should have the same freedom vis- larly the European broadcasts. The Foreign Secretary, Anthony
a-vis Government departments, as in the Home Service." A further Eden, would have the last word on propaganda policy, and the
pronouncement by Reith, on the central issue of control was "The Ministry of Information would be in charge of day to day running.
effect of a news service carried out by the BBC in any language, With the expansion of foreign language broadcasting, came the
would be based on telling the truth. Prestige depended on truthful urgent need to find a suitable building to house the many studios,
and comprehensive broadcasts. People should feel that a statement and conglomeration of nationals of different countries. The home
on British wireless was correct." found for foreign broadcasting was Bush House (Aldwych),
London. It was a remarkable polyglot community. Allen Bullock
(European Talks Editor), remembers it as "the shadowy world of
SHORT WAVE BROADCASTING 43
42 DAVENTRY CALLING
to the Wood Norton signal, would pick up the programme, and
Europe. When you entered, you stepped out of the streets of using a low power transmitter, re-radiate the Home Service to
wartime London, and entered basement studios, from which the Daventry, and the rest of the country. Fortunately for Britain, the
voices of hope and freedom went out into the night, to the hut in the field at Priors Marston was never needed.
unknown millions waiting on the other side of the Channel".
To prosecute the war effectively, it was essential to monitor all
It wasn't until 1941, when Brendan Bracken was appointed as
enemy broadcasts and communication traffic. Bletchley Park,
Minister of Information, and a change of leadership took place
the secret decoding centre, was the most famous. But also of
within the BBC, when joint Director Generals, Robert Foot and
great importance, was the little known monitoring service of the
Cecil Graves were appointed, did the fear of Government control
BBC; the Ministry of Information, formally asked the BBC to
pass.
undertake monitoring of enemy broadcasts. From 26 August
Attending a BBC Board meeting in August 1941, Brendan
1939, a receiving station on a hill top overlooking the exiled Duke of
Bracken said "he saw no difficulty at all in working in co-operation
Orleans' mansion at Wood Norton was set up. The recordings
with them on the basis of existing arrangements". He felt "it was
were made on wax cylinders, and monitoring staff had to scramble
undesirable in the National interest for the BBC to be taken over
up and down the steep wooded hill, with the cylinders in wicker
by the Government".
baskets. By October 1941, the material monitored was averaging
daily 100,000 words, involving thirty languages and 250 bulletins.
Wartime Monitoring
With the serious threat of imminent invasion by German forces War Time Transmitter Expansion
in 1941, the Government instructed the BBC to establish a chain
of emergency low power Medium Wave transmitters, in towns Before 1938, the BBC's engineering forward planning concentrated on
and cities throughout the country, to broadcast the Home Service, the Empire Service resources for transmitters and aerials. At the
in the event of Broadcasting House being seriously damaged. start of the war, only five of the nine Short Wave transmitters had
The so called 'Group H' stations would provide local inhabitants powers which were comparable to the German station of
with news of the war and Government promulgations. They were Zeesen. It was not until February 1941, when a new station at
set up, where possible, in secret and innocuous locations at high Rampisham, near Bridport, Dorset came into service, did the BBC
points in a locality - local garages, water towers, Council buildings. have comparable power output. During this vital period of the
Northampton's Group H station was located at Stimpson Avenue war, from September 1939 to February 1941, Daventry provided
water tower. the only Short Wave broadcasting link with the rest of the world,
when the country's fate could have been so very much different.
BBC Daventry played an important part in this 'secret war' An out-
Rampisham had four Marconi 100 kW transmitters installed
station of Daventry (a receiving post) was set up in a hut
together with masts and aerials, and able to cover many regions
adjacent to farm buildings close to the village of Priors Marston,
of the world. In order to meet a Ministry of Information expansion
south of Daventry. It was established in 1941 with a staff of four,
programme, set out at the end of 1940, eighteen more high power
and was continuously manned throughout the twenty four hours.
Short Wave transmitters were needed. Two stations were built
In the calamitous event of the destruction of Broadcasting House,
within a mile of each other at Skelton, near Penrith, Cumbria,
emergency studios located in Wood Norton, near Evesham, would
and another station, funded jointly with the Voice of America
o r i gi n a t e a n e m e r g en c y H o me S e r vi c e an d G o v e r n me n t
announcements. The receiving station at Priors Marston, tuned was established at Woofferton, near Ludlow, Shropshire. By
44 DAVENTRY CALLING
November 1943, the BBC had at its disposal thirty three Short
Wave transmitters in the United Kingdom.
One other feature of war time broadcasting, was the RAF's
insistence that all Medium Wave transmitters should operate on a
common s ynchronised frequenc y, to prevent individual
transmitters acting as navigational beacons. In the expansion
6
scheme, more powerful Medium Wave transmitters were built on
existing stations, but one at Crowborough in Sussex, code-named T H E B BC A N D D A VE NT RY I N T H E
`Aspidistra', was jointly controlled by the Foreign Office and the BRAVE NEW WORLD
BBC. The Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, took a strong
personal interest in the station, which broadcast a significant The BBC emerged after the war with a unique reputation for the
amount of 'black' programmes and coded messages. As far as quality and objectivity of its programmes, and with immense
`white' broadcasting to enemy and enemy occupied countries was prestige, as the prophet of victory and freedom. As early as 1943,
concerned, the BBC European Service, whilst remaining an integral the possible scope of the BBC's Overseas Service was debated
part of an autonomou s BBC, received guid ance from the within the Corporation. The BBC's continual problem, was to
Government's 'Political Warfare Executive', which was effectively a convince successive Governments of the case for Britain to retain a
branch of the Ministry of Information. major voice in International Broadcasting. Funding for the
Overseas Service, was by a 'Grant in Aid', voted annually by
Parliament. Successive BBC Year Books indicated that it was
funded reluctantly by each government. Lord Strang, former Head
of the Foreign Office, in a House of Lords debate, summed up the
situation succinctly, saying "the art of hobbling an organisation,
without entirely crippling it, is one which is well understood and
practised in Whitehall".
The Cold War
History will judge the Second World War, and the Cold War, that
followed as the greatest ever threat to freedom and the democratic way
of life in the world. Whereas the BBC and Daventry's contribution to
the war was universally acknowledged, their contribution in the
battle to win the hearts of Russians, the Eastern Bloc
countries, and the Far East, has not been so recognised or acclaimed.
Radio Waves Don't Go to War to Cross Frontiers!
Although the outcome of the Second World War was of supreme
importance to our democratic way of life, the proliferation of
46 DAVENTRY CALLING BRAVE NEW WORLD 47
nuclear weapons brought the prospect of planet Earth being The Suez Crisis and its effect on the BBC
involved in Armageddon. In this period the part played by
Daventry and the other Short Wave stations was of immense In 1956, British and French forces invaded Egypt to regain control
importance in the battle of words between Russia and the West, over the Suez Canal. The Government fully expected the BBC to
during the critical years of the Cold War. In 1949, the Cold War support them in their fight, just as it had done in 1939. The fact
reached its peak, and in response the BBC increased its Russian of the matter was, the British nation was fundamentally divided
service by one hour a day, taken by Daventry and other stations, on the issue of the Suez invasion, as demonstrated in Parliament
including the Voice of America using BBC Woofferton. The and the newspapers. The BBC took an impartial view in National
effectiveness of the transmissions was such, that the Russians news bulletins, and the Overseas news service. In consequence,
launched an intensive and prolonged 'Jamming' campaign. Low the relationship between the BBC and Government became bitter.
power transmitters were built to encircle Moscow and major cities. As historian Asa Briggs put it "Eden in 1956 expected the BBC to
They sent out obliterating signals on the same frequencies used rally to a nation virtually at war". Several important results
by the West for Russian programmes. It was an expensive, and emerged from the Suez conflict. First, the BBC's stand on being
almost impossible task for the Russians to jam these broadcasts, i m p a r t i a l a n d d e t a c h e d f r o m G o ve r n m e n t c o n t r o l , wa s
and there was strong evidence fed back from our embassies, that advantageous to the BBC's reputation and credibility. Second,
many people in Russia and the Eastern Bloc were listening illegally to the long term relationship between the Government and the BBC
the programmes. One method used by the West to overcome External Services was never the same again.
`jamming' was the use of 'Barrage Transmissions'. This involved In the post war period, through four decades until the present
simultaneous broadcas t ing in R ussian on many di f ferent day, the BBC External Services were influenced in their operation
frequencies, which were changed on a daily basis. In the battle of and development by a number of controlling bodies.
words which continued for many years, the BBC had little support Firstly, the Government, and their perception of how valuable
from Governments. Director General Ian Jacob said "The BBC they believed the BBC's voice and influence in the World to be.
should be in the vanguard of the struggle for men's minds in
Secondly, the Treasury, with their tight control over Government
Europe. It is an asset of tremendous value to this country and the
spending, parti cularly in an area which the y judged to be
free world. We are in danger of throwing it down the drain".
peripheral.
The expansion of the overseas services of other countries continued
Thirdly, Parliament, and the three year funding vote taken in
— America, Russia, China and even Albania The Daily Mail leader in
the House of Commons to set the Grant-in-Aid figure to service
1951 wrote:
the External Service budget, and fourthly, the Foreign Office, with
its ultimate control over the hours of transmission time devoted
Voice of America .... Booms to a particular language, or when the need arose to increase or re-
Voice of Stalin .... Roars establish a language service to cover a World event, when it was
judged important for the British voice to be heard, the Suez War
Voice of Britain .... must Whisper for example.
The Grant-in-Aid dominated the development of Bush House,
The final success of the war of words came about with the
where the External Service studios are located, and the Short Wave
election of President Gorbachev, and the collapse of Communism
stations in the UK and overseas.
through Perestroika.
The fight to retain or increase the Grant-in-Aid, was an ongoing
48 DAVENTRY CALLING BRAVE NEW WORLD 49
battle. Much dependent upon Britain's economic strength, which Senior BBC management in pressing the Government for increased
over four decades had a chequered history, meant the External resources to fund the External Services — now World Service, is
Services either maintained their status or suffered cut-backs. For recorded in great detail in Gerald Mansell's book 'Let Truth Be
example: Told' (fifty years of BBC External Broadcasting). It would seem
In 1951/2 the Grant-in-Aid was cut from £5.3 to £4.7 million; few politicians, irrespective of party were strongly and openly
In 1979, it suffered a cut of £4 million which was 10% of supportive of the BBC's arguments for the need to maintain and
operating costs; improve the External Service.
In 1996, the current Grant-in-Aid figure was about £160 At this point, it will be helpful and instructive to understand
million. the function of a Short Wave Station. As previously explained,
And so it will continue, as long as the financing of the External Long Waves travel along the surface of the Earth, and Medium
Services is under Foreign Office and Treasury control, and not Waves similarly radiate, although part of the signal is reflected
part of the licence fee. from the ionosphere, which can cause distortion of a programme.
Short Waves are bounced off the ionosphere and Earth, to reach
their listeners by one, two, three or four hops. The aerials hanging
Transmitting Station Improvements between the masts aim the signal in a narrow beam, to reach
In the 1950's, the war of words between the West and Russia European countries, Southern Africa, India, Australia, North
and its satellites was at a critical stage. The BBC pointed out to America. Daventry External Service programmes were originated
the Government that, with the exception of two new Short Wave in the studios located in Bush House, and their Schedule Unit was
relay transmitters at Tebrau, Malaya in 1949, no modernisation responsible for the twenty four hour daily schedules, which specify
at Daventry and the other stations had taken place. sender time, frequency, aerial (array), number and programme.
Four schedules were prepared each year to accommodate changes
If from the point of view of the External Services, the 1950's
in world time, frequency variation due to ionosphere day/night
will be regarded as a period of decline and lost opportunities, the
height, and the eleven year sun spot cycle. Engineers staffing
1960's were marked by a distinct reversal of the trend. Whereas
Daventry worked a three shift system to meet scheduled changes. It
in fifteen years after the war, the BBC barely succeeded in keeping
was a skilled and demanding job (where the clock was King) to
its head above water, and lost effectiveness through successive
maintain the twenty-four schedule throughout the year, with day
governments failing to provide monies for capital investment, the
to day changes and many technical problems to overcome,
next decade brought about a radical change in official policies.
particularly in severe Winter conditions causing damage to aerials and
Developments in Africa and Asia where decolonisation was feeder wires, on the wind swept hill.
proceeding apace, and the Third World gaining consciousness and
discovering a voice, drove home to Britain that it was now in a Increased competition from other countries, in the restricted
competitive radio wave market place. Short Wave bands ranging from 3/26 MHz created an urgent need
Prime Minister Harold Macmillan's 'Wind of Change' speech for modernisation. Higher power transmitters, greater automation
in Cape Town in 1960 set the tone for the decade. of programme, aerial and frequency to match competitors in the
Successive official reviews in 1961, 1965 and 1967 reiterated field was the driving force. The increased crowding of broadcast
the need for the replacement of obsolete transmitters, and the bands is analogous to a cocktail party, at first quiet, and then
setting up of new relay stations overseas. louder and louder as more guests arrive; a babble of languages in
The contribution made by successive Director Generals and the world competing for limited frequencies. The main players in
50 DAVENTRY CALLING BRAVE NEW WORLD 51
the field were the UK, Russia, America, Albania and later China.
In 1949, the weekly output of the External Services was 687
programme hours, Russia 434 and Voice of America 214.
Without doubt, the biggest impact on Short Wave broadcasting,
was the development of the transistor receiver. In 1945, it was
estimated that the figure was 150 million. At the start of the
1980's the world figure was approaching 1,500 million.
Modernisation of Daventry
With Treasury and Foreign Office approval, the first phase of re-
engineering work at Daventry started in April 1961, with two
Marconi 100 kW dual channel transmitters replacing the pre-
war S T & C, transmitters Senders 4 and 5. By 1963, two more
Marconi 100 kW dual channel transmitters were installed in the
West Hall, and Senders 1 and 2 in the original Short Wave building
were taken out of service after 30 years. The modernisation work
included aerials and an Automated Switching Unit for programmes 1963 The newly installed Marconi 100kW transmitters. ©BBC
and monitoring. The second phase quickly followed and during
the period 1964 to 1966, four 250 kW Marconi transmitters were track with handle operated points, to move them in and out of
commissioned. Additionally, the aerial site was transformed, with the transmitter. The plates of variable capacitors were moved by
the automation of array selection to each sender. In consequence, external tuning wheels with mechanical or hydraulic linkages.
Borough Hill became adorned with eight gleaming metal sheds Tuning some transmitters was a work of art, like riding a
called switch stations, spaced at intervals from the Main building temperamental race horse. The latest 300 kW and 500 kW trans-
and running North almost to the golf course. During the low mitters use microprocessors to initiate changes in the frequency
angle sun months of the year, their sparkle brought curiosity to of tuning circuits, using motor controlled variable vacuum
the landscape, for distant observers. capacitors or a variable inductor with a motor driven contact
It is useful to have some understanding of a fundamental part wheel moving on the inside of a five inch diameter chromium
of a transmitter – the tuned circuit – which enables the carrier plated copper tube, formed into a circle, six feet in diameter.
frequency of the transmitter to be tuned and amplified to its Early transmission schedules allowed fifteen minutes for a
optimum peak. The tuned circuit has two components – capacitor transmitter to change frequency, aerial and programme. Later,
(fixed or variable) and inductor (fixed or variable). A simple with successive phased equipment improvements, and with the
inductor could be a coil of wire, a capacitor, two metal plates air introduction of solid state circuitry, a transmission change could
spaced. In practice, the appearance of coils varies greatly. Early be achieved in twenty seconds. Automation brought about a
transmitter coils were changed in value by metal straps adding or significant reduction in the number of operational engineers on
reducing turns. Marconi 100 kW transmitters had pre-formed each shift, falling from a war-time peak of twenty to three at the
coils ingeniously mounted on movable trucks, using a railway time of the station closure.
52 DAVENTRY CALLING BRAVE NEW WORLD 53
A description of all transmitter components would be somewhat of forced air cooling of valve anodes. The two parallel operated
lengthy. But not to mention the valve and its importance to the Marconi 100 kW transmitters, installed in the 5XX building, used
development of radio, television and a vast range of electronic this technique. The remotely controlled, un-attended Radio 3
equipment would be inexcusable. The Triode valve could be (Third Programme) transmitter was a world first, and pioneered
considered as having its birth in 1883, when Thomas Edison tried the way for the eventual complete automatic and remote control
to produce a longer life lamp. From his early experiments, came of all domestic radio and television transmitters, which are now
the development of the glass vacuum valve with internal metal monitored and controlled at BBC Transmission HQ (now Castle
electrodes, cathode and anode, and one or more metal mesh grids Transmission International Limited) in Warwick.
placed between, If an external voltage is applied positive to anode,
The third and final phase of modernisation was brought about
negative to cathode, electrons will pass from cathode (heated) to
by the changes in the International political climate, and the BBC's
anode, and a metal grid placed between them will control the
concern regarding their relative audibility. Increased interference,
flow. The triode valve acts as an amplifier. Very small voltages
due to the global trend for higher and higher transmitter powers,
applied to the grid varies the electron flow to the anode, resulting
was a major concern. In the mid 1970's, Russia Germany and
in large voltage swings on the anode, which are then fed to the
France were all re-equipping with 500 kW transmitters. In
grid of the next valve, for further amplification. In this way,
consequence the Government released more money, to allow the
programme (audio frequency) and carrier (radio frequency) signals
purchase of six fully automatic 300 kW Marconi transmitters,
can be amplified in the transmitter. Then in the output stage they
which were brought into service between 1987 and 1988 in the
are combined together and finally fed to the aerial, where magically
East Transmitter Hall. Additionally, a new Control Centre, using
they are radiated into space as a radio signal. So, the valve and
microprocessors was installed to control programme, sender,
its replacement solid state component the transistor, are a
frequency and aerial selection, plus visual display monitors, located at
fundamental part of circuitry enabling all communication links
different points in the building showing the schedule status.
on our planet. Unfortunately the valve is not 100% efficient. When the
electrons hit the anode, they dissipate heat. Early triode valves glowed The importance of relay stations placed close to their target
cherry red during transmission, and the heat would warm the air in areas, was also a major feature of the BBC global strategy to
the units, quite cosy in winter, but oven hot in summer. With the combat interference, and improve audibility. The Tebrau station
increase in transmitter powers, valves were placed in water built in Malaya in 1949, with eight transmitters had already proved its
jackets, and water circulated by pumps. A major feature of Daventry, value in targeting South East Asia and India This was followed by
and all large transmitting stations, was the diverse and complex Ascension Island station (south Atlantic) in 1967, aimed at West
ancillary water cooling systems. These included large cylindrical Africa and South America. Then in the early 1970's, a station was
tanks, holding thousands of gallons of distilled water, positioned in built on the Caribbean island of Antigua, jointly funded by the
underground crypts. External fan assisted cooling radiators blasted BBC and Deutsche Welle (Germany), to serve South and North
waste heat into the atmosphere. America. For over two decades a number of Daventry staff were
posted for short and long term contracts on these relay stations,
In 300 kW and 500 kW transmitters their valves are cooled for pleasurable detachment from the UK weather.
using the principle of converting water into steam (vapour phase), As previously outlined, the Foreign Office has strong links with
like boiling water in a kettle, except here, the valve anode acts as the BBC External Service, and they had independently established
the heating element. relay stations in different countries to put the British view point,
A further development in transmitter technology, was the use where for diplomatic reasons, it was 'out of bounds' for the BBC.
54 DAVENTRY CALLING BRAVE NEW WORLD 55
Their stations in Cyprus and Masirah island (Omah) were two
examples. From their inception, they were controlled by a Section
of the Foreign Office called Diplomatic Wireless, later called
C o m m u n i c a t i o n E n gi n e e r i n g . I n t h e e a r l y 1 9 8 0 's B B C
Transmission took control over their operation, which resulted
in a significant increase in the BBC's global involvement. Further
expansion of relay stations took place in the early 1990's in new
locations, Hong Kong, the Seychelles (Indian Ocean) and Thailand.
Initially, programmes from Bush House were sent by specific radio
links using two Marconi single-side band transmitters installed in
Daventry's West Hall. These were withdrawn from service in
1985, when satellites were brought into use.
It would be incomplete not to mention the development work
done at Daventry in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of
its aerial and feeder systems. Early aerials were designed to work
o n o n e fr e q ue n c y. Th e s e we r e s up e r s ede d b y d u al -ba n d
(frequency) aerials, after much pioneering work on Borough Hill.
Then finally, the four-band (frequency) aerial was developed at
Daventry. The new aerial was placed between two self-supporting
towers overlooking Daventry, not quite so conspicuous as the taller
masts. This was the fore-runner of aerial systems on all new BBC
stations and the re-engineering of existing short-wave stations.
The closure of Daventry
And so it all came to an end, when it was decided to close Daventry as
an operational Short Wave station. One reason was the cessation of
the 'Cold War', resulting in the Voice of America vacating
broadcasting facilities at BBC Woofferton (Shropshire), enabling
Daventry transmissions to be transferred there.
Also, and probably the main reason, the high cost to the External
Services of re-building Daventry's mast and aerial system, which
would have involved the construction of a large number of self-
supporting towers on Borough Hill, rather than stayed masts.
Perhaps it would have been a contentious impact on the Hill
skyline.
1 9 92 Bill Bi rd p erfo rm s t he clo sin g do wn ce remo ny a t t he Da ven try
The closure took place at 11.30 GMT on Sunday 29 March transmitter.
56 DAVENTRY CALLING
1992, when Sender 24, transmitting on 15.070 MHz to South
West Europe and North Africa was switched off. Bill Bird, who
joined Daventry staff in 1928, and worked on the Hill for 49
years was given the honour of pressing the button to signal the
end of nearly 67 years of BBC broadcasting from Borough Hill.
The event was marked by a reception for current and former
7
Daventry staff.
It was a sad and memorable occasion for all those present. The 67 YEARS ON TOP OF THE
poem, the 'Dane Tree' recited by Lord Reith at the opening of WORLD
Daventry 5XX, has prophetic concluding lines:
"Daventry calling ... Dark and still ...
New faces
The tree of memory stands like a sentry
Over the grave on the silent hill' And so they came to the hill on 27 July 1925. Fourteen dignitaries
including Lord Reith (Director General), Post Master General Sir
William Mitchell-Thomson, and the Ma yor of Da ventr y,
Councillor I Johnson. A rainy day, befitting raincoats, umbrellas,
top hats, bow ties and spats. They were indeed different from
previous inhabitants of the Iron Age hill fort Borough Hill. The
stronghold of ICENI CORITANI Britons, Roman legionnaires
under General Claudius in AD 51, Mercians against Danes in
1006, and of course King Charles 1's Royalist army, encamped
prior to the Battle of Naseby.
Bow-ties and spats, commonplace in London, established
standards of dress for early Daventry staff, recruited mainly from
the merchant navy and armed services. It was expected that staff
should dress smartly, a suit, bow tie and perhaps even spats.
Captain H Litt, the first Engineer-in-Charge, and his engineer
support staff, were housed in the Staff Quarters building, close to
the 500 foot 'N' mast. They maintained 5XX on a shift basis,
ready to spring into action in an emergency. Naval terms, and
the discipline of shift keeping of transmitters, set the tone of
operational and maintenance duties on the station. Mess-room
rather than canteen, quarters for staff, shift logs for most trans-
mitter and auxiliary equipment, rather than record books. Memos
for internal and external communication, very much Civil Service.
Annual reports, disciplinary procedures, equipment reports,
shutdown reports, and most of all log books for each operational
58 DAVENTRY CALLING SIXTY-SEVEN YEARS 59
The gentle pace of the station was disturbed by the clouds of
war, and then with its outbreak in September 1939, caused the
main building to become a heaving mass of contractors involved
in the expansion of buildings, masts and aerials - the building
echoed to a frenzy of activity of all descriptions.
National Service call-up reached into the BBC resulting in a
staff shortage. Only engineers over the age of 26 were placed in a
reserved category. Women for the first time, were recruited to fill
vacancies in Studios and Transmitters. Older engineers were also
recruited through an advertisement in the Daily Telegraph. They
came from all walks of life in the UK and Commonwealth countries.
War-time Daventry engineers had a wealth of experience and talents,
and additionally, women in the category Technical Assistant
Females (T A F's) were posted to Daventry for transmitter shift
duties. They all brought a refreshing impetus of life and
excitement to the previous, perhaps staid community. Ladies on
1925 The opening of Daventry 5XX. Sir William Bull, Captain P. P. Eckersley
(BBC Chief Engineer), Lord Gainford, Sir W Mitchell-Thomson (Postmaster
General), and Sir John Reith (Director General). ©BBC
position including the senior maintenance engineer on duty. Paper
ruled the day.
The increase in the number of transmitters prior to the War in
September 1939, brought attendant increases in staff, which meant
more engineers, and people recruited in Daventry and neighbour-
ing villages, to fill posts in office, workshop maintenance, aerial
rigging, transport and cleaning. New engineers mostly settled in
Daventry and the immediate locality. Transport had to be provided
to make the short, but often hazardous journey from the town to
Borough Hill, with its own climate, often obscured by fog and
low cloud. The dark green Bedford bus, with the BBC logo, was a
familiar sight in Daventry. At least eight times a day, it turned left
off London Road on to the private single track concrete road with
its passing places, over the railway bridge, to then crawl in bottom 1942 Vera Bartle, one of the many TAFs (Technical Assistant, Female) recruited
gear up the final winding slopes to the summit. in wartime. ©BBC
60 DAVENTRY CALLING SIXTY-SEVEN YEARS 61
transmitters were different. Particularly on Senders 1 & 2, where
to change frequency in 15 minutes was hectic – a scramble of
copper straps and wing nuts. It was said the sight of skirts being 1942 Switching gantry
hitched up to retrieve copper straps dropped into the trenches and B Tower. ©BBC
under the Final Amplifier stage, was a sight worthy of memorable
recall. TAF's, with the minimum of training, worked on all duty
positions, apart from aerial switching duties, and their work was
greatly valued. In 1940, even greater change took place. The
television transmitter at Alexandra Palace was closed on the orders
of the RAF and many staff were relocated to Daventry. Shortly
after their arrival, the incumbent Engineer-in-Charge, F N Calver,
was transferred to the new Short Wave station at Rampisham,
near Bridport, Dorset, and replaced by D C Birkinshaw, Alexandra
Palace's many talented Chief Engineer. One of Daventry's engineers
Bill Adams had the bright idea of writing a pantomime, to be
performed by the staff, and staged at the Regal Cinema, Daventry. It
was an excellent script, full of good gags and house jokes. It was `Jack
and the Beanstalk', and the first of three pantos performed in Daventry
during the war, some of which were broadcast live on the General
Overseas Service radiated from Daventry.
The music for the panto was composed by Douglas Birkinshaw,
DCB as he was affectionately known, a congenial man, whose
enthusiasm for the panto as well as the efficient running of the
station was reflected throughout the staff. Once walking through
the station building, he saw an engineer about to strike a match
on the front panel of his control desk. A horrified look came over
DCB's face, and he ran towards the pipe smoker with outstretched
hands saying "No! No! Please, please"! He could not bear to see
even one small scratch on his lovely equipment.
In the summer of 1941, the Eastern Chain Master GEE station
was installed on Borough Hill, close to the fourth tee of Daventry
Golf course. Douglas Birkinshaw's engineering expertise, together
with other ex-TV staff, in modifying the transmitter to extend its
1938 Water-cooled triode
range was of major significance to the prosecution of the war, valve (C.A.T 14 SW)
and was one of the many unsung contributions made by BBC in sender 6 ©BBC
Daventry in the war effort.
In addition to the recruitment of older engineers and female
62 DAVENTRY CALLING SIXTY-SEVEN YEARS 63
technical assistants, many school leavers were engaged, not only
at Daventry but throughout the BBC. They were initially trained
in basic radio techniques, in the station mess-room, and for
practical training, were 'double banked' with an experienced
engineer on shift, to learn the skills of operating a high power
transmitter. Although they were called up into the services at the
age of 18, they made a valuable contribution to war-time Daventry.
For a short period they were housed in a hostel set up by the BBC
at Murcott, Long Buckby, and ferried daily by the green Bedford
bus.
Later in the War, the BBC purchased Welton Manor, to replace
Murcott. Then for a number of years after the War, the Manor
played an important role in providing cheap accommodation, and
an alternative to Bed and Breakfasts, which were hard to find.
As the years passed by until Daventry's closure, the station saw
many changes in staff, from Engineers-in-Charge (later Station
Managers) downwards. TAF's were absorbed into Studios and
other posts, some married Daventrians old and new. Technical 1937 Aerial curtains supported by mast halyards. ©BBC
Assistants were trained at the Evesham Training School to be
Engineers. But the most important policy change in the BBC's
Transmission Department, was to automate all its UK stations, a small place if you have the privilege of standing between two
and train future engineers to be broadband – knowledgeable of masts to look up at the dangling wires, and then line your eyes on a
TV short wave and medium wave equipment. Hence Daventry, distant ob ject at right angles to the curtain. For that particular
as with other short wave stations became a Team Base, covering aerial, you would then perhaps be on a journey to India, Australia
many locations in a large area of the Midlands. Out in their and New Zealand. Another aerial could take you to Europe or
Range Rover they go, to maintain or repair transmitters and other Africa. As the sun rises on horizons all over the globe, so services
faulty equipment, to provide viewers and listeners with an could come from Daventry.
uninterrupted service. One of the hazards and more physical work from the early
years of Short Wave broadcasting, was aerial switching. First, a
transmitter might need to be connected to different aerials, and
Magic Aerials second, an aerial might need to have its beam direction changed.
Without aerials, communications as we know it, wouldn't take This could be done by reversing the beam from say 80 °, to 260°,
place. The short telescopic rod of a mobile is the key to its usage. or slewing - slightly changing the beam direction. At Daventry,
On Medium Wave, it could be a mast 725 feet high, as Radio selection of an aerial to a transmitter was done in the 'Gantry'. A
Three – now no more. But with Short Wave, the aerial hangs large open concreted area, close to the Main Building, consisting
between support masts – one or two curtains of horizontal copper of a mass of interconnecting two-wire copper feeders, supported
wires, taut on still days, billowing on stormy days. The World is by pylons and poles reaching to heights of 30 feet. It was an area
64 DAVENTRY CALLING SIXTY-SEVEN YEARS 65
of danger and hazard to even the most experienced engineer. danger, even with protective helmets, from 6" diameter chunks of
Selecting a transmitter to one of six aerials, was done using an 8 ice dropping from 500 feet. Borough Hill was not a nice place in
foot wooden pole, to which flexible transmitter feeder wires and winter.
connecting hooks were attached. Moving the pole from one aerial Perhaps it might be thought the countryside air around Daventry is
termination point to another, placed in an arc of a circle, was a pristine clean. Not so — masts and stays suffered corrosion
struggle. In the war-time blackout, driving rain in a howling gale, from chemicals drifting across from the industrial Midlands. At
with a dim torch, it was difficult and dangerous, particularly if least every four years, masts needed to be painted, and stays
the wrong 100 kW transmitter was unhooked. Changing the beam greased. So the Hill, periodically would echo to sand blasting of
direction was achieved by moving ground work switches, using metal, and the shouts of men working on high. Grey lead paint
wooden poles fitted with hooks. In all hours of the day and night, could on windy days drift across the site, landing on buildings
and in all weathers, engineers with hand held torches could be and parked cars — not so easy to remove.
seen cycling like mad along narrow concrete paths, dodging steel Air is a natural insulator of electricity, and normally feeder wires
posts, sleeping sheep and security gates to complete in 15 minutes can safely carry very high voltages. But sadly, there were occasions
several field changes at different parts of the site. To locate, when birds, mostly hawks and owls landed on feeder wires, to
perhaps 16 switches, and to know which to open or close, took cause a loud bang and flash, as they were engulfed in a feeder
experience. Were the switches always changed correctly, did flashover, called a corona. There was no way of preventing this,
perhaps a Russian language head for North America, or Arabic strangely crows and pigeons seemed to know danger. Additionally,
to South America – no one will ever know. Was it perhaps to fool in the heat of summer swarms of crane flies rising from the ground
the Russians into thinking it was some dastardly British plot? would trigger a corona, perhaps causing a sustained arc, to damage
The hill has its own micro-climate – invariably windy, very windy, both feeder and transmitter. A burst of high quality sound, music
or a howling gale, that might last for hours on end. Banshee shrieking or speech could often be heard across the hill, to break the peace,
in the aerial curtains, then a lull, before it started again. After a and disturb grazing sheep.
storm, in the first light of day, an inspection of the aerial system Without doubt, the period of greatest difficulty and damage to
would take place. At least no masts on the ground. But many broken Daventry's operational schedule, for many years, was the 'scorched
aerial wires and insulators, that might take weeks to repair. earth' policy of farmers burning stubble after the harvest. The
months July, August and September, saw havoc created on the
Most staff viewed each winter with foreboding. Days, perhaps a
station. Billowing clouds of black smoke with lengths of blackened
week of dense fog, blanketing the landscape. The particularly
straw drifting across sausage feeders, caused coronas galore, often
severe winters of 1940/41, 1946/47 and 1962/63 brought snow
sustained, resulting in copper wire feeders to melt and fall to the
blocked roads to the Hill. No green Bedford bus to the hill top.
ground. For years the black clouds of summer brought many
A final walk through snow drifts to the summit – cars abandoned.
problems and high cost to Daventry.
Then the hazard of freezing fog, causing icing of aerials and feeders,
Putting mast structures at risk, through the enormous additional Finally, the station made its own contribution to Astronomy.
weight on halyards and mast heads. If conditions became extreme, Many local enthusiasts peering through telescopes might well have
then the aerials had to be partly lowered to reduce tension. Life thought they were witness to a new star in the heavens! Certainly
for the Senior Maintenance Engineer (Aerials), and his staff, could very realistic — what was the new star? It was a ceramic rod
be an ongoing battle for weeks, until the weather improved to insulator, in an aerial curtain glowing and sparkling like a star
allow repair of damage to curtain wires. With a thaw, came the some 1,000 feet above sea level.
66 DAVENTRY CALLING SIXTY-SEVEN YEARS 67
War Time Daventry
The Autumn days of 1939 and early 1940 were called, for good
reason, the 'phoney' days of the war. There was a strong sense of
unreality. But, with successive events in Europe, and news bulletins
pointing an even grimmer picture, there was a slow appreciation
that life in the UK and BBC Daventry was going to change
dramatically. Many new faces joined the staff, some to stay, others
to pass through. Graduates of various disciplines from Oxford
and Cambridge universities came for brief training, before going to
special assignments. RAF and Telecommunication Research
Establishment staff arrived to commence installation of the main
and reserve GEE master station transmitters. Building, electrical
and transmitter installation staff together with BBC Head Office
personnel all combined to bring about a period of frenetic activity.
But for many, the blackout brought the greatest change – no
mast or aerial site lights. The gloom of the first Winter, together
with its severity, made an unpleasant combination. Painstakingly,
the concrete approach and building site roads were camouflaged
to make dreariness complete. Although throughout the war, the
station was a prime target for German bombers, it was not easy
to pin-point. Only one incident occurred, when a lone Dormer
fighter bomber straffed the station, injuring a building contractor
workman. With the imminent prospect of invasion, and the
importance of BBC Daventry being the only link in broadcasting
to the outside World, more changes took place. A company of
the Pioneer Corps were stationed on the hill, to provide protection
against enemy agents and paratroops. Barbed wire fences and
the daily password became features of life. To be confronted
with a perhaps trigger happy guard on a pitch black night, when
approaching the guard post, was unnerving. Rumours of sightings
of parachutes descending in the vicinity, made aerial switching in
the dead of night, on the lonely hill top site somewhat testing,
particularly when a nearby sheep gave a human like cough.
How not to erect an aerial. ©Estate of W Heath Robinson Invasion threats in 1940 resulted in Home Guard units being
established throughout the country including BBC Daventry, where a
platoon was formed from older staff.
68 DAVENTRY CALLING SIXTY-SEVEN YEARS 69
Threat of the station being bombed brought further building were killed. But another B17 and British Lancaster had amazing
work. All external windows were bricked up, and blast walls luck, they flew through an entire curtain of aerials, amid flashes
erected at entrances. Within the Main Station building, blast walls and bangs as the high voltage wires were cut, to fly home with
were built, effectively to create three isolated areas. Outside the wires dangling from their fuselage.
large fan assisted water cooling radiators had blast wall treatment,
as these were vital to the transmitters. Under the 1935 station
expansion programme, a Power House was built, housing two
English Electric diesel-alternators for emergency power. For long
periods during the war, when electricity supplies were in danger,
they came into use. On still days, the thunder of the engines and
exhaust noise and smoke, became part of the ambience.
A transmitter cannot work without valves, small or large. It
was evident that any bombing of the Marconi, (Chelmsford) valve
factory could have very serious consequences for broadcasting at
Home and Overseas. Bomb shelters were hurriedly built, not
only for staff, but for the storage of very precious valves.
It was appreciated in the building modernisation programme,
that should the war break out, then programmes from London
studios could easily be lost, if Post Office line failed. To guard
against thi s, a purpose built studio was installed, with a
m i c r o p ho n e a nd t wo t u r n t a bl es , f o r pl a yi n g e m er g e n c y
programmes designed to cover different service areas throughout
the twenty-four hours. On one auspicious occasion the wife of
the Prime Minister, Clementine Churchill, arrived to broadcast to
Overseas listeners. After the war, the studio was used regularly
by local reporters to make contributions to the National Networks,
before Local Radio arrived.
From an observation point on a neighbouring hill top, it might
be thought the station would be an easy target for enemy bombers.
But this wasn't the case, it could easily be missed. Unfortunately
the masts and aerials were a danger to our own low flying aircraft
and tragically lives were lost. Early in the war, and in conditions
of low cloud and thick fog, an Avro Anson training aircraft crashed
into one of the masts, killing all occupants. During the war, many
other aircraft had close encounters with the aerial system. One
day, in thick mist, the wing of an American B17 bomber struck a
stay of one of the masts - sadly the aircraft crashed and the crew
DOWN MEMORY LANE 71
The four printed schedules, produced by the Schedule Unit in
Bush House, The Strand, London, were the raison dWre. They
set out the Daventry daily work load. Complications of urgent
schedule changes to meet reception difficulties, or transmissions
operating on particular days made life complicated. Additionally,
8 the eleven year sun-spot cycle, and the ever increasing competition
from other broadcasters for space in the congested frequency
DOWN MEMORY LANE bands, meant the 'playing field' for Short Wave broadcasting was
never settled. When the sun-spot cycle called for higher frequencies to
First Impressions be used up to 26 MHz, transmitter components were 'stretched' and
For the many thousands of staff and visitors to the Station on tuning some transmitter radio frequency amplifiers needed
Borough Hill, the first impressions were probably of a wind swept patience and experience. Spectacular flashovers in the output
plateau, with a landscape and buildings dominated by lattice steel stages of transmitters, particularly during Winter storms and icing
masts, aerials and feeder wires. Then perhaps to glance at the of feeders and aerials, were a common experience of shift engineers,
Latin mural inscription 'Quaecunque' (whatsoever) placed necessitating swift action to clear the fault. The ever increasing
between the white stucco pillars leading to the Main Building demand for higher transmitter powers to compete in the crowded
entrance doors, allowing access to the vestibule. All quiet, to `market place' meant that Short Wave technology nudged at the
recover from the wind outside, before passing through further edge of component strength and development design.
swing doors into the cavernous West transmitter hall, lined with
Clocks dominated the lives of all staff on the Hill, particularly
grey panelled transmitter units, with inspection windows and large
engineers and technicians who maintained the 24 hour operational
chromium rimmed electrical meters. Probably the feeling and
schedule, transmitting programmes all over the World. Memories
atmosphere of a hospital ward - gleaming clean, with polished of programmes might well include the Victory V signal with drums,
floors and shining panels. Then to hear unusual sounds, noise of
World Service jingle 'Lily Bolero', sound of 'Big Ben', time signal
motor generators, pumps, hiss of steam, sounds of programme,
`pips' and then the announcement "This is London". Of the thirty-
and for some newcomers, the all enveloping sound of high pressure
five or more foreign languages broadcast in a day, only a few
cooling air passing through transmitter cabinets. To remember
would be recognised by the ardent linguist – Arabic, Russian,
the two large clocks placed at either end of the transmitter hall,
French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Urdu and Hausa. Maintain-
ticking away the seconds in GMT (Daventry's schedule operated
ing the daily schedule, with its many changes in a week, brought
in 24 hours GMT).
the possibility of mistakes being made, some small, some large.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, a 'big brother' watchdog receiving
station was employed to monitor both World Service and Domestic
Making the Station Tick
Service transmissions. This was Tatsfield Monitoring and Receiv-
The station staff complement was divided into two categories. ing Station based in Kent, later relocated to Caversham, near
Management, office maintenance and support staff working a Reading. The dreaded sound of a Control Room voice saying
conventional 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. five day week, operational "Hello tats" would herald a telephone enquiry from Tatsfield
engineers working a three shift system, Day, Evening and Night which raised the heartbeat of many shift staff. Could it be a
every day of the year. query relating to – wrong frequency, wrong programme, wrong
72 DAVENTRY CALLING
day, wrong aerial, sender 'off' or 'on' in error — the permutations professions and BBC management. To commemorate the occasion, a
were endless. It meant the inevitable enquiry, written report and plaque was unveiled at the entrance to the vestibule in the Main
admonishment. Building.
The 50th Anniversary effectively marked a water-shed in
Daventry's technical development and staffing. At that time the
Historic Event
total staff under Senior Transmitter Manager Maurice Williamson
In October 1982, the Station celebrated the 50th anniversary of numbered 61, made up of shift, aerial, maintenance, admini-
Short Wave Broadcasting. The distinguished gathering of guests stration and support staff. The team effort enabled a daily output
included the Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, Lt Col T of 37 languages, totalling 240 hours. A daily power bill to
Chandos-Pole, the Director General, Alisdair Milne, and the maintain 15 transmitters ran to £2,000, with an annual overall
Director of Engineering, Bryce McCrirrick. Visitors came from a cost of £1.7 million. Over the site area of 220 acres, were 18
wide cross-section of society - from Daventry Town and District, lattice steel masts ranging from 150-500 feet, 4 steel towers from
C ou nt y a n d ma n y p l ac es in En gl an d, re pr es enti ng Lo c al
Government, Education, Utilities, Manufacturers, different
1983 Members of staff and wives who celebrate forty years of service. I to r:
STANDING — Mrs Tomalin, Peter Arnold, Mrs Vallis, Des Vallis, Mrs Elcock,
1982 Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Short Wave broadcasting. I to r: Des Elcock, Mrs Radford, Mrs Rhodes, Ken Radford, Bob Boughton, Mrs
George MacKenzie (Chief Engineer, transmitters), Alisdair Milne (Director Boughton, Dennis Sheppard, Mrs Sheppard, Roy Clark, Mrs Clark. SEATED
General), Maurice Williamson (Senior Transmitter manager, Daventry), Bill — Mrs Arnold, Mrs Williamson, Norman Rhodes, Norman Tomalin, Maurice
Dennay (Cheif Engineer, external broadcasting). Williamson, Mrs Cook, Ron Cook. ©Clan Blackmore
74 DAVENTRY CALLING DOWN MEMORY LANE 75
115-356 feet and 22 tubular masts from 80 to 150 feet. A total also had to be carried out in high voltage equipment areas where
of 47 aerials hung between the masts covering 4 to 26 MHz, all for staff safety, all voltage supplies had to be removed. This was
directional with reversible reflectors, giving the station the done by operating an auxiliary isolation switch to the 'off' position,
capability of broadcasting to every country in the World. Daventry which changed warning lights from red to green, indicating that it
was the biggest Short Wave station operated by the BBC. was safe to enter an area. Additionally, in some transmitter
From 1982 to the closure in 1992, significant technical changes enclosures mechanical door interlocks coupled to earthing switches
took place. At that time, four Marconi transmitters installed in had to be operated.
1939 still required manual movement of pre-set inductance trucks Operational shift staff were involved in many routine tasks.
for frequency changing. Manual operation was also needed to Each year Bush House originated four new schedules, involving
change pre-set channels on one Standard Telephone and Cable frequency and aerial changes, to take account of changes in the
1940 transmitter, and four Marconi transmitters installed in 1962. ionosphere due to the seasons, and the 11 year sun spot cycle.
But the most labour intensive work involved inductance changing The preparation work involved power testing transmitters on each new
on four Marconi 250 kW transmitters installed in 1965. At the frequency and aerial. For the Senior Maintenance Engineer (Aerials)
closure in 1992, the station had been re-equipped with six totally and his rigging staff, it meant a great deal of hazardous work in all
automatic Marconi 300 kW transmitters, with micro-processor weathers to carry out re-routing of feeders and switches changes in
control of their operation, change of frequency, programme and the open wire 'Gantry'. For many years, until the early 1960's
aerial. Transmission schedule changes took place in twenty when automate aerial switching was installed, the scramble to
seconds instead of fifteen minutes, and operational staff were complete the work during the one hour maintenance break was
reduced to three on shift, compared to a war time peak of twenty. ongoing and demanding, fraught with the possibility of error.
Characters Transmitter and other Routines
Memories of wartime and World events were intermingled with From the beginning, Long, Medium and Short Wave transmitter
the great mix of people who came to Daventry from all parts of circuit design incorporated electrical meters to indicate not only
Britain, and many overseas countries for short and long periods. circuit performance, but critically, to enable the correct mains,
The comedians, who kept a shift alive, with stories and jokes, high voltage, bias and filament supplies to be adjusted to their
helped periods of inactivity to pass more quickly. One such person, correct value. The routine taking of meter readings, at regular
Stanley Unwin, later 'Professor' Stan Unwin of gobbledegook intervals during transmission was a necessary chore. These
fame, together with other colonial recruited staff, created a legend readings did have value to the extent of indicating incipient fault
of jokes played on other staff, particularly fresh faced youths from conditions, some minor, some catastrophic. Short Wave trans-
school mitters at Daventry, as with other stations were completely
dependent on the aerial 'load' (ability to absorb transmitter
power). In high wind and severe winter conditions, which brought
Station Rituals damage to aerials and feeders due to freezing fog, transmitter
For the many thousands of staff who came to Daventry, they would output amplifier stages could react alarmingly. Some more than
probably recall the twice weekly 'mopping out' in every station others, but all relying on meters to help engineers to make tuning
building, by station attendants, with mops and buckets. Cleaning
76 DAVENTRY CALLING DOWN MEMORY LANE 77
load, it nevertheless enabled an emergency restricted service to
operate, invaluable during the war and during the severe power
restrictions in the post war period. In the bleak Winter of 1946/
47, when the Industrial Midlands was shut down for weeks, the
diesels pounded away to feed power into the National Grid. For
many years, the routine testing of the diesel-alternators was a
feature of Daventry. Paralleling the output of the alternators by
the closure of an oil circuit breaker at precisely 'twelve o'clock'
on the phase meter, would be remembered by many engineers
who carried out the task. Easy to get it wrong, and suffer the
wrath of the diesel mechanic tentatively watching developments
through the diesel room door.
Distilled Water
All visitors, students and new staff posted to Daventry would
inevitably be taken down the steps leading to the crypts under the
1937 English Electric diesel alternators, emergency power supply. ©BBC
Main Building transmitter halls. Faced with an overwhelming
coll ec tio n o f mas si ve c yl i n dri cal ta n ks, p ump s, me ter s,
int erconnecting pipes and other equi pment i n wi re mes h
adjustments, which would reduce the risk of severe flashovers, enclosures, they might be excused if their senses became deadened
often accompanied by speech and music, that could damage by sight, noise and heat. As described before, valves work
capacitors and valves. inefficiently, and their anodes can glow cherry red, and need to
In 1982, Daventry's annual power bill came to £800,000. be cooled. This was achieved in older transmitters by pumping
Taking the weekly meter readings in the EMEB sub-stations was high pressure distilled water around the valve anodes placed in
an important ritual. Too high or too low, explanations were water jackets. Large fan assisted external water cooling radiators
demanded. Should the maximum power demand exceed the ensured the water temperature in the transmitter cylindrical tanks
negotiated figure with the Electricity Board, it would effectively was controlled. Every transmitting station that used water cooled
be the 'crime of the century' — the air would be 'blue' in the front valves, had a similar array of plumbing equipment. In the course
office. of their careers, many Daventry engineers and other staff could
relate to transmitter shut-downs involving a variety of water
problems. Leaks, large and small, some flooding the crypt to
Diesel Alternators several inches (all hands to the pump), or other incidents involving the
From the mid 1930's until the station closure, the two English replacement of large valves.
Electric ship diesel alternators (located in the Power House), played an For many years, until the early 1960's, high grade water was
important role in providing stand-by power in the case of mains produced by two distillers (periodically checked by Customs &
failure. Although they provided less than a quarter of the station Excise). Operating 24 hours a day, they supplied a trickle of
78 DAVENTRY CALLING DOWN MEMORY LANE 79
water into the central storage tanks in the two crypts, to replace the valve jacket was replaced by the valve boiler - steam cooling
leaks and losses. The introduction of the `elgastat', which used a had arrived.
chemical de-ioniser process to produce high grade water, replaced It is of historical interest to note that the highest power 500
the distillers, and thus ended another part of Daventry history. kW transmitters currently used in the BBC and other countries
use vapour phase cooling, with hyper- vapourtron valve anodes
developed by the French Thomson Co.
Valves
Valves are a weak link in high power transmitters – higher the
It would be well beyond the scope of this book to detail every power, shorter the life. They need to be handled with great care
part of Daventry's technical history, but the valve occupies a unique and attention – no prizes for breakages. For many years the routine of
place in Broadcasting. Over 67 years Daventry Station used power testing new valves, and the hurried replacement of large faulty
diodes, triodes, tetrodes and pentodes (two, three, four and five valves in shut-down conditions was a vivid memory of shift life.
electrodes) valves. Small valves used in the Programme Control Large valves came to the Station in wooden crates fitted with
Room and Central Drive Room (where the carrier signal was long coil springs, to reduce transit shocks. Then after checking for
generated) low power amplifiers produce little heat. Water cooled damage, were carefully placed in valve cupboards, for later
valve anodes present a problem, as anodes can reach potentials of power testing. The electrode connections and protusions on valves
20,000 volts, and because of impurities, tap water conducts brought the possibility of breakage. Standard Telephone lighter
electricity and is unusable – hence the requirement of distilled valves were manhandled into position, but the larger valves in
water. The manufacturers, Marconi and Standard Telephone and Sender 7 (S17), employed a four wheel truck, which gave the feeling
Cable had different approaches to the problem. Marconi pumped of instability, and was treated with caution.
distilled water at high pressure to the valve anodes, through coiled Changing the Final Stage valves in the Marconi 100 kW trans-
rubber hoses. Standard Telephone used ceramic tubes and flat mitter was an engineering exercise. The manufacturer designed
pancake ceramics to feed water to the valve anodes. New type an ingenious 'taylor' made truck, with four pram type wheels, the
Marconi 100 kW, 250 kW and 300 kW transmitters employing rear two moveable. It incorporated a platform that could be moved
vapour phase valve boilers were insulated from ground by the use backwards and forwards and raised a few inches. To remove a
of small bore PTFE tubes through which distilled water was valve from its transmitter unit pedestal, an empty truck would be
supplied from gravity controlled tanks. Each system met the design inserted into a location channel. An interlock would then allow a
technology of the day, but water systems do have ongoing hand operated wheel to move the valve platform forward into the
problems. Unfortunately they leak, suffer from corrosion, and unit, using a worm drive. Once the platform was correctly
require high levels of maintenance. positioned under the valve flange, it could be raised a few inches
Over the years, three designs of water cooled valve/jackets were by a lever, allowing the valve to be withdrawn from the unit. A
used, plus the unique demountable valve manufactured by valve change, in shut-down conditions, might taken 10 to 15
Metropolitan Vickers installed in Sender 3 transmitter (in the old minutes or longer.
5GB building). In vapour phase transmitters, valve changing was mechanically
S T & C valves had an integral envelope and water jacket. simpler. To lift the valve from its boiler, a detachable hoist with
Marconi valves and jackets were manufactured separately, which four hooks was used. The hoist, placed on a unit frame runner
reduced cost and made val ve replacement eas y. With t he would be positioned above the valve, allowing the hooks to be
installation of Marconi 100 kW, 250 kW and 300 kW transmitters, fitted around the valve corona ring. A handle on the hoist would
80 DAVENTRY CALLING DOWN MEMORY LANE 81
then be turned to winch the valve from its boiler, after all
connections had been released. It sounds to be an easy exercise.
In fact the unit temperatures in steam cooled transmitters made it
hazardous through scalding water and very hot metal work -
protective arm length leather gloves had to be used. If problems
were met with water sealing gaskets, a valve replacement could
run to thirty minutes.
BBC 'In House' Departments
Whereas the BBC purchased transmitters, high voltage supply
equipment, motor generators and cooling equipment from a wide
range of manufacturers, light current amplifiers used at Daventry's
Control Centre, concerned with programme source (audio), carrier
source (radio frequency) and aerial selection were designed and
made within the BBC.
For many years, Designs and Equipment departments based in
London produced equipment for Studios and Transmitters.
Additionally, the BBC Research Department based in Kingswood
Warren, Surrey, also made a major contribution to new technology
in all fields of Sound and Television Broadcasting.
The Drive and Control Rooms situated in the centre of the Main
Building, on a first floor previously occupied by the Station Stores,
were fitted with Designs Department equipment.
Control Room
For over half a century the Control Room at Daventry was the
focal point of 24 hour communication with the outside world.
Incoming programmes from Bush House, London, received on
Post Office (later BT) lines were processed, amplified and then
switched to particular transmitters as required by the printed and
colour coded schedule. A dedicated chain of amplifiers would
handle each language, for example Chain 3, Green for English
overseas, Chain 2, Red for Arabic, and similarly for other
languages.
1938 Changing a truck-mounted C.A.T. 14SW triode valve. ©BBC
Initially, switching different programme chains to a transmitter
82 DAVENTRY CALLING DOWN MEMORY LANE 83
was done manually. Electrical connecting cords, with plugs at of the valve in variable frequency synthesiser, making the Central
each end were inserted into different sockets in a 'jack field' - not Drive Room redundant. Finally, with the introduction of the
unlike an old manually operated Post Office switchboard. Marconi 300 kW transmitters, all functions, including the resetting
Changing a transmitter programme from one Chain to another at of the frequency synthesiser were micro-processor controlled.
p r e ci sel y t h i r t y s e c on d s t o e ach q ua rt e r hou r d e ma nd e d
concentration and experience – another place for error.
Th e ea r l y 19 6 0 's mo d er n i s a ti o n p r ogr a mme b r o ugh t a Station Maintenance
significant change to the Control Room operation. BBC Designs The contribution made by the two maintenance sections at
Department produced a central control desk to enable one engineer D a ve nt r y t o e n s ur e t he S t a ti o n o pe ra t e d e ffi c i e nt l y a n d
to push buttons and control all the station transmitter schedule economically was of inestimable value.
changes – programme, aerial, transmitter on/off. The introduction
of the new Marconi 300 kW transmitters, totally micro-processor
controlled, brought the demise of the Control Centre. Aerial Maintenance
Throughout the year, the Senior Maintenance Engineer (me!) and
Drive Room his rigging staff did battle with the elements. High winds and
severe winters played havoc with aerials, resulting in broken
An overseas broadcasting organisation like the BBC has an copper dipoles, ruptured insulators, broken feeder wires, faulty
international commitment to radiate frequencies to an agreed switches in the field and switch stations, some requiring immediate
schedule. To help listeners receive programmes in different parts attention. Aerial repairs could be carried out only by lowering
of the world, Bush House produces a periodical of scheduled the curtains to the ground. This was done initially with hand
frequencies, called 'London Calling'. The Drive Room at Daventry operated winches, which were later replaced by diesel powered
was the radio frequency source, using variable frequency winches on trailers. The spectacle of wires from two or three
oscillators, and the BBC took great pride in their endeavour to aerial curtains thrashing around on the grass in a high wind was a
radiate correct frequencies. Setting the variable frequency daunting sight and hard work for the riggers. Would this tangled heap
oscillators (ranging from 0.7/ 1.4 MHz), which were then ever rise in the air again?
multiplied by Harmonic Generators, to feed each transmitter with Additionally, new aerials had to be fabricated in the workshop
the correct frequency was tricky. Dial readings were not accurate to drawings received from London, a precise exercise, as the 'rig'
enough to be relied upon. The problem was overcome by mixing of an aerial is dependent upon copper wire being cut to the correct
the output with a 'comb' of frequencies, produced by a high dimension. Four new schedules each year also generated ongoing
stability crystal oscillator, and listening to the beat on a loud work - re-routing feeders, and moving switches in the aerial field
speaker. Some frequencies presented a challenge, as the human and switch stations. A healthy life, but not many engineers thrust
ear can be deceived by the sound of an audio beat frequency. But themselves forward to combat with the elements on Borough Hill.
there was help at hand. Monitoring station Tatsfield would
telephone to say "Can't hear Sender 8 on its frequency in the 17
MHz band or Sender 10 on its 26 MHz band frequency". Oh Transmitter Maintenance
dear - more paper work – off frequency was a crime.
The Senior Maintenance Engineer's team was divided into two
When the transistor was invented in 1948, it heralded the end sections — light current engineers and heavy current technicians.
84 DAVENTRY CALLING DOWN MEMORY LANE 85
When transmitters and their auxiliary equipment are first installed, tank top had to be winched off to allow inspection, and clear the
there is a 'twilight' period when equipment operates satisfactorily, fault. Thank goodness for the Maintenance Section.
with few electrical and mechanical faults. With age, and the
constant wear and tear of components involved in transmitter
frequency changes, and the repeated operation of high voltage Steam Cooled Transmitters
circuit breakers and their associated equipment, serviceability
The installation of Marconi 100 kW, 250 kW and 300 kW
problems occur. Over the Station's history, the maintenance section
transmitters, steam cooled, brought the valve boiler to the station,
played an invaluable role, and it would be impossible to detail
and a great deal of additional work. Boilers suffer from corrosion,
the work carried out. The main tasks involved:
steam leaks and electrolytic action. This latter fault required the
fitment of an antimonial lead target at the water input to the
Cooling equipment boiler to protect both boilers and the system. Target replacement
and their manufacture was an ongoing task, a skill which Daventry
Maintenance and repair of a wide range of water cooling and air technicians developed, resulting in them making targets for other
cooling equipment; UK and overseas stations.
Rotating machinery Transmitting Tuning Circuit Coils
At its peak, Daventry had an extensive range of motor generators Copper tuning coils in high power transmitter circuits can suffer
supplying filament current, bias and high voltage to the different damage due to careless handling during frequency changes, and
type transmitters. Maintaining the machines, blowing out copper additionally suffer serious damage through overheating. On many
and carbon dust from the windings, plus the routine grinding of occasions, without the expertise of the workshop technicians, it
filament generator copper commutators which was a dirty and would not have been possible to maintain scheduled transmissions.
unhealthy job;
High Voltage Mercury Arc Rectifiers Modifications to Station Equipment
For many years, from the late 1930's until the modernisation Another feature of the maintenance section's work was to
programme from 1982 onwards, Daventry used Mercury Arc undertake 'in house' modifications to a wide range of ancillary
Rectifiers (manufactured by the British Houston Co (B T H) based circuitr y, involved wit h removing redundant equipment,
in Rugby — now GEC — to supply 11 kV and 22 kV voltages for modification and installation of new equipment schemes initiated
transmitters in the West and East Halls. The maintenance and by London's Transmitter Capital Project Department.
repair of the air and oil circuit breakers associated with the
rectifiers required the skill and expertise of the section technicians.
The unique noise of the 'arc rooms' and the explosive sound of In Conclusion
the breakers closing, when each transmitter powered would be a Operational shift engineers would often be the first to meet a
strong aural memory for many staff. problem, and attempt to rectify, but quite frequently it meant
Periodically, the grid controlled rectifiers gave trouble, and the Maintenance Section saved the day.
86 DAVENTRY CALLING DOWN MEMORY LANE 87
Stores of Broadcasting House in the early 1930's brought more change,
with Administration becoming a dominant force. For many years,
To find or not to find, that was the question posed by many shift the Director of Engineering had a prestigious position in the BBC
engineers who entered the Main Building central stores, when the Directorate, under the Director General. Over a period in the
store keeper was away. Some achieved instant success in finding late 1980's, with changes of Director General, and external
a vital spare, others were not so fortunate, and reluctant to admit competitive market forces, its importance was eroded. Now, under
defeat. In a transmitter shut-down situation, precious minutes Director General John Birt, the BBC Transmission department
could be lost, tempers and tension could be high. has been privatised.
Throughout the years until its closure, the Station had three Engineering Division under the Director of Engineering (DE)
stores – Aerial, under the control of the Senior Maintenance based in Broadcasting House, controlled a number of departments,
Engineer aerials, Main Stores and Valve Stores under Senior principally Research, Equipment, Designs and Installation and
Maintenance Engineer workshop. Only the Main Stores, located Transmitters. The Engineer-in-Charge (EiC) Daventry was
on a first floor in the Main Building, and later relocated to the responsible to Chief Engineer Transmitters (CET), but titles do
1932 Empire Building, employed a store keeper, to maintain stock change. At the 50th anniversary of Short Wave broadcasting, the
levels of a wide range of parts and materials. With the expansion EiC was then titled Senior Transmitter Manager (STM) and
of overseas relay stations, from the 1970's onwards, Daventry supported by a Transmitter Manager (TM). The STM directed
became the main base for transmitter and diesel engine spares. the smooth running of the station day and shift operations, and
The introduction of computers, brought a regime of minimum controlled 61 staff.
stock holding, which significantly reduced capital costs. Valve
and Aerial Stores were useful areas to enable new trainees and Detailed administration was carried out by three office staff,
visitors to have hands on experience of transmitter parts. Valves who dealt with Head Office returns, payment of wages, shift
in particular could be made 'alive' when demonstrating their allowances and other matters. An important and ongoing
component parts to enquiring eyes. A large steam cooled valve requirement, was the production of a shift rota wall chart. This
winched from its crate, and dangling in the air had particular ensured that the three shift 17 day rota (which operated for many
value. years) had all positions filled. Allowance had to be made for
Now, the once cavernous West Hall, lined with grey panelled annual leave, requests for shift change, training new staff and
transmitter units has been transformed. The once noisy humming sickness. It was a constant juggling act to maintain numbers and
area is stacked with lines of wooden shelves, holding a multiplicity balance experience. Not easy to keep everyone happy. The Mess
of spare components for UK and overseas stations and pride of Room played an important role in the history of the station,
place, refurbished 2LO, the BBC's first transmitter. Daventry has particularly during the war, when many new staff arrived. It
truly changed. operated a seven day week, three shift system in this period, and
as rationing was a feature of life, for many staff the subsidised
wholesome meals provided were a great asset. After the war,
Administration with the reduction in staff numbers, its role slowly diminished
resulting in its closure. In 1996, the kitchen and restaurant area,
From the early days of the BBC at Savoy Hill, and its first with its magnificent view over the Daventry landscape, was
transmitter 2LO, there was clear division between programme transformed into an open office. Administrative staff sitting at
and engineering staff. The expansion of the BBC and the opening desks with visual display monitors dealing with a multi range of
88 DAVENTRY CALLING DOWN MEMORY LANE 89
tasks associated with transmitter spares, now occupy the area. During this period the BBC was seriously concerned about the
Drinks are dispensed from a machine, and pre-packed sandwiches problem, and spent a great deal of money, time and effort to modify
arrive by van. Daventry's transmitters to reduce harmonic radiation levels.
The consequence of their research resulted in recommendations
to international bodies, who then laid down very strict standards
Singing Fences of permissible harmonic radiation from transmitters. This was
"On dark nights they say you can hear metal fences talking on an important step, as each subsequent decade has brought an ever
the hill that broods over Daventry". This story was echoed by increasing proliferation of new services and frequencies throughout
many Daventrians who worked on or visited the hill, or came to the UK and other countries.
poach rabbits from the woods and hedgerows. It was of course One amusing story related to a New York taxi driver who
correct – a phenomenon particular to Short Wave stations. complained bitterly, in very colourful language, that his taxi radio
Electromagnetic waves radiated by the aerial system induced picked up the World Service loud and clear.
energy into metal objects, and their oxide crystals act as minute
radio speakers. The chimneys and guttering of nearby houses
could have opera singing or a news broadcast, dependent upon Beauty and Wildlife
the transmission frequency and beam direction. Metal fences on Beauty it is said is in the eye of the beholder. For many Daventrians
the aerial field could literally 'make the hill alive to the sound of and staff who worked on Borough Hill, masts, aerials and
music'. It was said that wartime Pioneer Corps soldiers boiled landscape were perhaps common place, a feature of the Uplands
their water on a kettle ring with sounds of music from the General of Northamptonshire, but nothing more. To some on the Hill,
Overseas Service. the surroundings brought occasions of great beauty. In the many
severe Winters, particularly 1946/47, the pristine white Arctic
snow fields brought a magic carpet to reflect the sun's rays. Iced
Rolling Bars feeders danced in the wind, feeder insulators sparked and flashed
across the site. Ice covered aerials hung like giant cobwebs in a
It was not until the re-introduction of the Black and White
grey blue sky. Winter hoar frosts made nearby trees, and those in
television services from Alexandra Palace, London with BBC 1
the valleys below look like a host of Christmas decorations. The
(405 lines) on 44 MHz, followed by Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham,
beauty of fog banks covering Daventry Town — whilst masts and
on 60 MHz in the early Fifties, that it was appreciated that
hill were covered in sunshine; Silence of sunrise on a Summer's
interference by Daventry's Short Wave transmissions presented a
day, looking down on mist filled valleys; Clouds of smoke
problem. Short Wave transmitters not only radiate a fundamental
thrusting upwards from the Daventry Gusher (origin name of the
carrier frequency (for example 15 MHz), but harmonics of that
local paper) toiling its way in the cutting beneath — heralding the
frequency - second harmonic 30 MHz - fourth harmonic 60 MHz.
start of another day; most beautiful perhaps, nights of a full moon,
It was the harmonics of particular Daventr y transmission
scudding clouds and twinkling red mast lights, accompanied with
frequencies which unfortunately matched the Alexandra Palace
the banshee shriek of wind in the aerial rigging.
and Sutton Coldfield TV signals. Viewers in Daventry and District
and the Northampton area in consequence had the experience of Night time silence on Borough Hill brought sounds not heard
seeing 'rolling bars' and 'herring bone' patterns on their screens during noisy days. Hoots of owls, cry of pheasants in the boundary
for a number of years. woods, scream of a rabbit transfixed by a stoat, playful sound of
90 DAVENTRY CALLING
badgers, distant cries of foxes calling to each other. In day time,
one saw the dance of mad March hares, hovering hawks, flocks
of migrating birds, wild pigeons. Rabbits galore, white tails
bobbing to their nearest burrow. One of Daventr y's many
characters, Michael Leeston-Smith wrote from South Africa, to
relate that Sunday papers there carried a story of rabbits attacking 9
the BBC in Daventry. (Yes it was true rabbits enjoyed chewing
cables on the aerial site). He went on to write "May I ask you to DAVENTRY TOWN AND THE BBC
be good to the rabbits who are descendants of my good friends, Over 67 years until the station's closure, Daventry supplied the
who I defended from many local poachers. I spent many good Station with a significant number of staff. One Daventry family
years of my life living a rough but idyllic period in an ancient was represented throughout the entire life of the Transmitting
cottage with my wife, close to the site of the Roman villa on Station. James Bird joined at the very start in 1925, later joined
Daventry golf course. The cottage and the farm buildings alas no by his son Bill in 1928, who remained for 49 years, and was then
longer exist. We miss the rabbits and owls of Borough Hill, but in turn joined by his son Bill junior in 1975. Many BBC new
South Africa has its compensation". Michael, probably the only entrants started their careers at Daventry, and settled happily into
one to ski to work on the Hill, had a distinguished War record, the local community. Some have taken something of Daventry
and later became an acclaimed TV producer. with them — a local girl for a wife.
Over many years sheep have dotted the landscape. The lambing Now, with the Station's role totally changed, links still continue.
season bringing renewed youthful acrobatics, and the anxious bleat In April 1995, Daventry District Council's purchase of 148 acres
of mothers will be a poignant memory for many station staff who of Borough Hill, for the creation of an informal countryside and
worked on the site. leisure park means that they, together with English Heritage,
effectively became the main guardians of the site. To illustrate
their commitment, in early December 1996, Daventry District
Council Chairman, John Russell, unveiled three interpretative
panels on Borough Hill, jointly funded by the Council, Cummins
Engine Co and the BBC depicting the origins and history of the
Hill.
For the many thousands of BBC staff who briefly came to
Daventry, the BBC Club, at the end of the High Street, a listed
castellated Gothic structure, was home from home. It provided a
central cosy meeting place, a break from the digs, a bar, billiards,
table tennis and photographic rooms, and on the top floor, pride
of place, a much treasured amateur radio transmitter, Call Sign
5XX
Many successful sporting activities were initiated and supported
by Club members. Burton's Meadow, off the Inlands, was the
venue for cricket, hockey and tennis matches and sports days.
92 DAVENTRY CALLING
DAVENTRY TOWN 93
Club members were active in supporting Stead and Simpson's aboard. Bill Bird and Stan Barden, drivers for many years, took
Bowls Club, and this ground also hosted the annual cricket match the green Bedford on numerous shopping runs to Daventry shops
between the Mayor of Daventry's eleven and the BBC London and businesses, to Argylls (Newsagents), Meacocks (Chemist),
club team. After the war, Daventry's Golf Club was re-established, Osbornes (Ironmonger), Bortons (Butcher), Eatons (Greengrocer),
due in no small part to the enthusiasm and interest in this project Barclays Bank, Sparshotts and Goodchilds ((Garages) and of
by F N Calver (Engineer-in-Charge, Daventry), and a number of course the BBC Club. It was a familiar face in the High Street,
Club members, including Harold Harriss and Alf Gardner, both almost a part of the land-scape.
Daventrians. Members also gave strong support for a Table Tennis
league, Darts matches and Billiards. The building was the venue
for bridge and whist drives, Christmas and special parties. Daventry Calling
It was a building that brought to Daventry, for at least four These words, first broadcast in the opening programme of the
decades, a valued asset, which through its large associate member- BBC's 5XX transmitter on Borough Hill, are now the title of
ship, created a strong link and bond between the town and the Daventry District Council's news and information bulletin. These
BBC. Its eventual closure, due to reduced staffing and financial quarterly issues, will be a continual reminder of the link between
reasons, was a sad loss for many Daventrians. Daventry and BBC Borough Hill. The Moot Hall Museum, with
Not to forget the green Bedford bus which ferried staff to the its collection of pottery and artefacts, gifted to the town by William
Hill every day of the year, and became part of the Daventry scene. Edgar, and the BBC's donated selection of transmitter parts, will
It kept a tight schedule of pick-up points, the most notable being for years to come be a reminder of Daventry's famous Borough
No 1 London Road. There were many occasions when latecomers Hill.
missed the bus at No 1 and had to dash to the Inlands to climb
Future
Although transmissions from Daventry have ceased, the BBC link
with Borough Hill and Daventry will continue. The single mast,
the lone remnant of the 44 similar structures on site, will remain
for communication purposes. Daventry will be the base for the
maintenance of BBC Domestic Services Radio and Television
transmitting stations within a 50/60 mile radius of the site. Other
specialist maintenance, stores and supply services will remain,
together with the Radio Tape Reclamation Service.
Ten thousand years ago, Britons first came to the Hill. The
epitaph of the BBC's occupation, could for the next ten thousand
years be the giant's graveyard of Ferro-concrete tombstones that
are sunk into the iron stone hill. Currently the World Service
standing and position in the BBC is being changed by Director
1955 Representatives of Daventry District Council visit Borough Hill at the General John Birt. The resolution of funding by the Foreign
time of the 350th anniversary of the Battle of Naseby. Office's Grant-in-Aid has yet to be agreed, and the sale of BBC
94 DAVENTRY CALLING DAVENTRY TOWN 95
Transmission for £244 million pounds, to enhance the finances become available from any point on earth, watched on large, flat,
of the Corporation in order to allow its advance into Digital widescreen displays, with sharp pictures and CD quality sound.
domestic services is now completed, and regretted by many. This He ended by saying 'John Reith created nothing less than the
n o w m e a n s t h a t t h e U S c o m p a n y, C a s t l e T r a n s m i s s i o n most successful cultural institution in the whole world, one of the
International Limited, is the new owner of BBC Daventry and great inventions of the twentieth century, in this or any other
occupier of part of Daventry's historic monument. country'.
On the 21st January, 1998, John Birt, BBC Director General
gave a lecture to over 500 people at Savoy Place, London, home
Finale
of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, as part of the 75th
anniversary celebrations of the BBC. At the start of the 1990's, the BBC's hard won reputation
He began his lecture by comparing the excitement and energy remained untarnished, and if Lord Reith was alive today, he would
of today's Internet technologies, the move from analogue to digital, see, despite the changes of the last 67 years, the vindication of his own
with what must have been a similar experience 75 years ago, when vision and the tradition he began.
the BBC launched into a communications revolution. The size of the BBC's world wide following is indisputable. By
He said 'a move of historic significance took place when John the most conservative and scrupulous estimates, 100 million people
Reith was appointed General Manager of the new British all over the World are regular listeners, more than two-thirds of
Broadcasting Company.' A deeply religious, remarkable and them in foreign languages. In 1996, the newest relay station
visionary man who in John Birt's words 'would define the opened in Thailand, some 200 miles north of Bangkok, and it
character, ethos and ambition of the institution more than any will reach an estimated 2 billion listeners. The World Service
other person in its history!' stands on the edge of a new era, it has never been in such a position of
Through the decades the BBC had undergone immense change, real market strength.
said Mr. Birt 'In the early days protected from competition, it had During this period, the contribution made by BBC Daventry
felt no need to provide a service of wide appeal. A combination both to Domestic and World listeners has been of inestimable
of war and social change transformed the BBC, forcing it to adjust and importance, and will be judged as a historic landmark in the history of
become an institution for all the people'. Daventry and Northamptonshire.
The final vital characteristic was to see broadcasting as
independent from Government. History was to lead the way, as
the General Strike of 1923, the Munich crisis prior to World War 2
and the Suez war, made the BBC compulsory listening for the
public.
After the war the BBC lost its monopoly, first with television
and then radio, which brought a significant impact on BBC
management.
The lecture concluded with a look at the BBC in the 21st century,
and the possibilities that the digital age will create in the next ten
ye ars, with broadcasting becomin g 'pl enti fu l, global and
interactive'. An enormous number of channels and services will