We at WDU had a directive from the MAP (Stafford Cripps) that we should take up some form of military support in the way of 'Fire Watching' but only on the WDU premises due to the secret nature of our work. It was also suggested that we could assist the Observer Corp.
The younger and active staff would be recruited as those of us under 60 were employed on protected employment (Reserved Occupation). After the Memo was sent round, we heard nothing for several weeks but then I and others got official papers telling us to report to the commanding officer Major Hurst VR (Manager of the Silk Mills), who was then commissioned by the brigade.
This was to be our company headquarters. I and others at WDU were told we should form the signals section. This included most of the drawing office and machine shops personnel although the only one's I remember at the moment were Kevin O'Connor (draughtsman) Tubby Belsham, Jeffery Binsted and Bob Breech.
The rest had to join the local ARP or if suitable the AFS if you had no phobia about height. I was told that during the Bristol blitz the Malmesbury fire services as well as those from all over Wiltshire were sent to help put out the burning city.
(Editors note: On at least one occasion, the Malmesbury fire engine was away in Bristol for at least 3 days and during one of these detachments it is known that one of the firemen (Dennis Poole) was awarded the Royal Humane Society medal for saving the life of a small girl from a blazing building).
Within WDU, I know that in the event of fire there were plans to get the 'top secret; equipment and documents out the building and every one of the personal had their particular part to salvage.
Within three weeks of reporting and having got our uniforms and rifles we were whisked off to SPD (Salisbury Plain District) headquarters of the Royal Signals to inspect and find out how to use the RX & TX equipment. We arrived there at about 7 am and were dished up with good fried eggs and bacon plus two sausages. Tubby thought he had now found heaven on earth.
The rest of the weekend was spent watching the Command operators sending and receiving messages in Morse code. Then about 6pm on Sunday evening we were dismissed and piled into a lorry with a officer in the front cab and started our journey home stopping at a pub on the way and found a pint of beer and pork pies waiting for us.
Upon the parade on the following Tuesday night we found a massive army radio waiting for us. I forget the number but it was 1930's vintage and a dam great-perforated cage containing the Mercury Vapour rectifier unit (power supply) and this also worked on two 12-volt batteries. It was CW only and un-modulated and for its size only pumped out around 5 watts EMF all told. I also had a lid on top that you could change the coils according to the frequency you were working.
There was chap in the platoon who suffered a weak bladder (shade of Dad's Army) and he was to be station control operator which turned out to be a really easy job apart from the Major forever going on exercises keeping him busy sending messages to us lot roaming the country side. After we had down our initial Morse code training (easy for me because 'BIG HEAD knew it all and got onto instructing others.
Five words per minute was the standard Army requirement although the SPD operators could rattle away with ease at 15 wpm some even up to naval standard of 22 wpm. I was intrigued by the way those super operators played chess with other army unit operators. I was told it was allowed because according to the European Resistance it confused the Germans but we later found out that the German operators were doing exactly the same thing.
I now come back to the Priory House (lodgings for many WDU staff). Not many knew this but it was a virtual ammunition dump at times with us hiding grenades, Sten gun magazines, plastic explosive fuses. Most were hidden under the floorboards in the attic room and passages and as far as I know there must have been a lot of the stuff still there when the place caught fire causing a firework display.
The grenades were returned when we stood down in 1944 along with the Sten guns and magazines but I know that there must have still been boxes of 9mm ammo under some of those floorboards. I phoned up a couple of months after I returned to Southend and told Major Hurst about it but I got a message back a few day afterwards that no ammunition or grenades had been found. As far as I know, the Major and the sergeant were the only ones who knew where the ammunition was hidden, but someone must have had the lot or I am sure or they were still there when the place went up in smoke.
Cyril Lingwood – September 2005
