Emergency Telephone System

[Pontius Navigator]

It was in papers that Government drivers in the 60s had to carry four pennies in case the Prime Minister had to contact Whitehall when he was in the road and using the AA boxes.

Now I though at the time AA/RAC boxes were free.

But there were lots of systems some of which we were not aware.

Apart from the GPO, initially operator based, then direct dialled local and operator trunk calls for long distance, there was a parallel military operator system.

The military then got a GPTN (Government Private Telephone Network) and an AOTN (Air Operational TN). Linesman/Mediator was another.

Then we had a number of PW (Private Wire) including the Telescramble (Bomber) and Telebrief (Fighter). But I wonder if OFSO can throw any light on to any others.

One was a mysterious phone on the Waddington Ops Desk with the number:
Lincoln Trunk Sub Two. I used it once when I was at home in Birkenhead. The operator connected me immediately. I was surprised that she accepted the number and it was so quick. Never knew what the line was intended for.

Then of course there was Military Flash. We once put out flash calls to Machrihanish over military and civilian lines. GPO won.

Another, don't know how many people knew or used it but it was MODICUM to have calls routed via landline rather than micro wave. Not as secure as the proper secure phones but a modicum of securi ty.

[OFSO]

It's all very long ago, but when I was in the GPO pre 1968 I used to have an "L" key. Now what on earth would that have opened?

[Pontius Navigator]

I am talking same period. Lots of little secrets.

I remember being told by a policeman in the East End that they could use a particular code either to get a call or a time check. Something like WEXCO, I was about 8-9 at the time.

[OFSO]

Deep contemplation brought the answer from the depths of my memory. An L key opened any telephone exchange door.

[ExSp33db1rd]

I recall realising that there was a "code" to the start of making local calls, i.e. cost only 2d. and so stopped at all the various "local" areas on the way home from Heathrow to Dorset, to check the code from where I was back to the one I was just leaving, then by adding all the various codes in sequence I could make what in those days was an expensive toll call from home to Heathrow for the 2d cost of a local call ! It created something like a 40 digit number to dial, no punchbutton phones in those days, needed some concentration and half a day - 'cos one invariably made mistakes ! Yes, I did have better things to do with my time and I only did it once, to prove my point. Such fun.

[unifoxos]

When I was in (residential) training, a number of us were using a similar system to call their girlfriends long distance for 2d. GPO suddenly found that takings from the phone box had dropped considerably and installed a machine that logged the called numbers. By calling these numbers and asking who they knew in the source area, GPO were able to identify the callers and threaten them with legal action. The hack rapidly fell into disuse.

[Ex-Ascot]

Do I vaguely remember a system in the late 70s where there was a service network but you had to go through various operators to get to AKT for example.

And, then there was the squawk box where you couldn't understand a word anyone was saying.

[Pontius Navigator]

We did a similar malpractice with the minute system when it was first introduced. We were given a 2 digit number to call Pitreavie Castle.

We found by experiment we could reach many places. Found I could even ring the office next door via Pitreavie Castle and Northwood. Best and most useful hack was reaching two civilians in Woolwich Arsenal from Kinloss.

Others were rather more exciting. "Century House" hung up PDQ. Also got to Curson Street "Who's that?" hung up.

Then "You have the wrong number. " Who? "You don't want to know". Pressed for an answer. "Air Cdre Carter's residence"

[Pontius Navigator]

Do I vaguely remember a system in the late 70s where there was a service network but you had to go through various operators to get to AKT for example.

Obviously someone knew the system better. They found that sqn ldr ops at AKT was ringing up large overseas telephone bills. It was after hours and there were regular phone calls to Tehran. It was eventually found someone had hacked into the MOD.

[Pontius Navigator]

Malta had a unique system, a hang over from the war I expect. There were all the airfields, the naval units and the NATO and UK HQs. I seem to remember the overhead rats nest of cables across the Graneries from the various military buildings. What was unique was the seamless integration with the civil system and apparently no charge.

You wanted a taxi, any phone would do.

[ExSp33db1rd]

The hack rapidly fell into disuse.

When an Apprentice I would take the train to our home town at the end of the working day, and then have to decide whether to walk to my fathers' workplace - in the wrong direction, and find he had gone - or go the other way to wait for the bus home. I would call him from a station phone box, and if he answered the phone I knew he was still there and I could drive home with him and save the bus fare, so if he answered the phone I pressed Button B, and got my 2d back, equally he knew it was me, and if ready to leave he would look out for me walking.

After awhile I found that his phone wouldn't ring, and the operator would ask me for the number, then tell me to press Button A to drop my 2d and talk to my father, of course, if the operator told me to spend the money I knew he had answered the call and was there, so I still pressed Button B, but we decided that "they" were on to us, and as his phone was a business phone decided to stop the practice.

[OFSO]

Ever tried "tapping out" from the handset rest in an old telephone box ? Could make all your calls for free, but required concentration.

[Pontius Navigator]

AEOs were dab hands at tap dialling

[k3k3]

In the mid-seventies it was not possible to direct dial from Lossiemouth to England, you always had to go through the operator who would then tell you how much money to insert, and would always interrupt asking for more.

Ten years later I was at Waddington with a broken E3A and needed to phone "home", we tried booking a call through the operator and were told she would call us back when the line was free. After about an hour of inactivity I was leafing through the front of the station phone book and read the bit about flash, priority calls etc., I looked at the Canadian colonel across the desk from me and asked if I was his designated representative, he said if it got the call made I could be anything I wanted, I called the operator again and declared a priority call, click, click, whirr, and the phone was ringing in GK. At the end of the call each leg had to be individually and manually disconnected, what surprised me was that we had been routed through Oslo.

[llondel]

There was the classic DTMF hack on payphones for a while. Some banks issued customers with DTMF gadgets so they could interact with the bank's system, and someone discovered that if you picked up a payphone and dialled the number you wanted with the tone pad held over the microphone, then dialled 999 on the phone when it connected, the phone would think you were calling the emergency services and enable the forward path but because you were already connected, the exchange would ignore the dialled digits. They fixed that one pretty quick once it became widely known.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

My brother and I would tap out to get around my dad placing a lock in the phone dial at home.

[G-CPTN]

Then there was 'back-dialling' where you used the 0 to run back to your desired numbers.

[OFSO]

Waaal....back in the Olden Days in Leicester you could tell the operator you worked for the GPO and ask to be put through for nothing and add "when I'm back in Free Lane exchange at work I'll pop up and give you a kiss." The repeater station was on the ground floor, manual phone exchange on the top floor and we'd see the girls at coffee break. One girl called Honey was a stunner...

[Cpt_Pugwash]

Surprised no one has mentioned dial-through yet.

[Pontius Navigator]

Surprised no one has mentioned dial-through yet.

Explain?