Stories from Teleprinter Maintenance
Arthur Mulot
Jim ?
Bill Conroy

Alan Baukham tells me:-

I do believe that the teleprinter technicians had an enigma machine in the workshop for a while to correct some wiring. I don’t know the full story. I trust somebody checked out the codes after!

 

Trying to recall some of the technicians names: Jim Allen, Bill….

posted 19th October 22;19
John Raymond remembers some Teleprinter maintenance staff:- If my memory is correct there was a "Big Bill" - Bill Conroy(?) one of theTeleprinter mechanics.   This must be in the late 70's early 80's so were
they both around at the same time?   Anybody remember?

The Tele Mechs I recall were Arthur Mulot (last saw him at Ron Metcalf's funeral), Jim Allen, Bill (I think) Conroy, Fred (can't remember), plus a
couple more.   Does this trigger any more names for Mike's web page?

Posted 20th October  20:34

John Reymond corrects my spelling and tells how teleprinter maintenance could have 'Won the War'

Alan is correct the Tele Mechs restored a three rotor Enigma for the R V Jones TV programme 'The Secret War'.

There is a picture of Arthur Mulot with Colonel Lisicki "examining the French copy of an Enigma Machine restored by BBC Comms dept for the 1977 television programme".   See page 311 of The Secret War book by Brian Johnson producer(?) of the TV programme of the same title.

From my memory and subsequent research it was an original German Enigma - the French didn't make copies, only the Polish ever achieved this and passed their research, machines and even more importantly the rotors to Bletchley Park just before Poland was invaded.

Curiously and I don't know whether playing with this machine had any influence on me, I now lecture on Bletchley Park and the D-Day deceptions in the South east of England - but I won't bore you!

The actual restoration was done by one of the Tele Mechs, I cannot for the life of me remember his name, think it might have been Bill, but not Bill Conroy.   All I can remember that during WW2 he was a cinema projectionist in Evesham and used to, according to him, race between the two cinemas to change reels!   He left the BBC around about the time I moved into Comms HQ with Frankie and the two Ronnies.

Can anybody add the missing names?

John Reymond

ps It is spelt REY not RAY - I blame my Swiss grandfather.

Posted 22nd November 23:21



 Return to stories index page









MJ  221106