1939 RELATED STORIES

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THE WINTER DAMAGE – 1940

In January 1940, three days of mist and freezing temperatures caused heavy icing on the aerial system. Although the system featured a slipping clutch mechanism designed to cope with increases in weight...

RUGBY RADIO STATION GOES TO WAR

Within weeks of the outbreak of war, the majority of Rugby Radio Station’s short wave telephony transmitters were converted for telegraphy working. Some transmitters were used by the armed services. Others (including a crop of new transmitters) were used by the BBC and other press agencies for news transmissions...

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WHY WAS RUGBY RADIO STATION NEVER BOMBED?

Although its importance was clearly known, the Germans never actually bombed Rugby Radio Station. It could be that they used the station as a radio or physical navigational beacon, perhaps on flights towards Coventry or Birmingham...

THE HOME GUARD

The Radio Station Home Guard platoon was formed early in the war and was commanded by Lt. GH Vickers with Lt. AJ Bailey MC as his second in command. The platoon was made up of telecommunication specialists who would report for work in uniform and armed...

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TOP SECRET – OPERATION CORONA

In 1943, losses of Allied aircraft over Germany were increasing due to German night fighters being directed to their targets by instruction via high frequency radiotelephony...

THE FIRE OF MARCH 1943

As the Rugby GBR (16 kHz) transmitter was vital to the Admiralty’s war effort, the Government decided early in 1940 that a standby station ought to be built. A suitable site was found at Criggion on the Welsh border...

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CRIGGION RADIO STATION

Rugby GBR’s sister station at Criggion (near Oswestry on the Welsh border) was built to provide a continuation of service in the event of damage to Rugby Radio Station during the war. Although Rugby escaped unscathed from enemy action, the services at Criggion were called upon after the fire at Rugby’s Main Building in 1943. Clearly a victory for forward planning. Criggion Radio Station’s towers and masts were demolished in August 2003...