CTO and BEAM RADIO

Beam radio was a short wave service that used a huge array of vertical wires supported between 'T' shaped masts.  Due to the sharp beam produced by the antenna it required precise alignment during construction to ensure the transmitted signal was directed along the exact bearing of the distant receiving station.

The short wave Imperial Wireless Chain "beam stations" operated in pairs; one transmitting and one receiving. Pairs of stations were sited at (transmitters first):-

• Tetney and Winthorpe (with Ballan and Rockbank in Australia, and with Khadki and Daund in India).

• Ongar and Brentwood.

• Dorchester and Somerton -  These connected Japan and Egypt, though subsequently, Asia, South Africa, North America and Australia were added.

• Bodmin (Innis Downs) and Bridgwater – the latter actually in the hamlet of Huntworth which is nearer to North Petherton (with Drummondville and Yamachiche in Canada, and with Kliphevel (now Klipheuwel) and Milnerton in South Africa).

The CTO had links to these transmitters.

The transmitters were built between 1925 and 1928.

For pictures please click on the Tetney link.

An extract on the Empire Beam Radio from Radio Broadcast, Volume 10, 1927

Bodmin Radio Station

Bodmin Radio Station opened in October 1926, following the agreement in July 1924 with Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company Limited to supply high frequency transmitting stations for greater capacity telegraph circuits. Situated at Luxulyan, Cornwall, it was the first HF Beam transmitting station on which work was commenced in the UK.

The Bodmin South African service opened in July 1927, and the Beam service was augmented by the opening of services to India and Australia using the transmitter and receiving stations at Grimsby and Skegness.

In September 1929, all telegraph communications of the Commonwealth and Empire were taken over by Cable & Wireless Ltd, and the station operated successfully until the outbreak of war in 1939, when it was closed and completely vacated. The station was leased to the Air Ministry in 1940, and the Royal Air Force installed their own equipment and aerials, operating the station until 1945.
In 1947, Cable & Wireless were asked to re-open Bodmin by the Admiralty, installing transmitters provided by them and maintaining services operated from Whitehall to naval ships and bases abroad. A replacement programme for Bodmin was decided upon by the Ministry of Defence in 1969, who agreed to hold the station until 1988.

Last revised: January 06, 2024