VMARS

The Vintage & Military Amateur Radio Society Website

VMARS

The Vintage & Military Amateur Radio Society Website

VMARS

The Vintage & Military Amateur Radio Society Website

VMARS

The Vintage & Military Amateur Radio Society

VMARS

The Vintage & Military Amateur Radio Society

VMARS

The Vintage & Military Amateur Radio Society Website

VMARS

The Vintage & Military Amateur Radio Society Website

GB0YAM, Yorkshire Air Museum, on the WWII T1154 transmitter
operated by VMARS member Ken Sanderson, G4KCF
and recorded in the South of England


Click on the picture to listen



VMARS Activity-video and sound recordings

SIGNAL & News Sheet related film and audio
The Lorenz Tape Recorder SIGNAL November 2015 issue 37. Audio from BBC news broadcast circa 1968
The Racal MA4202 voice encoder - SIGNAL November 2017 Issue 45
Click on the above link to hear the audio clip which relates to the Racal MA4202 voice encoder article The clip provides an audio comparison between a statement made in plain language and the same statement made using the MA4202 voice encoder.

For further information on the Racal MA4202 voice encoder please refer to Richard Powell's article on page 20 of SIGNAL, issue 45, November 2017, issued free to all VMARS members.





Click on the picture to listen to the 70th anniversay D-Day commemorative 80m AM net run by VMARS on 6th June 2014. Stations were requested to come on air with vintage military wireless equipment that was in use at the time and to give some background information.
Click here to listen to the VMARS 40m net 6th June 2014

Click here to listen to the VMARS 60m net 6th June 2014
VMARS social and auction event held at Baginton, Coventry 26th October 2013

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VMARS at Bletchley Park "Are You Listening?"4th and 5th October 2013
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VMARS at the National Hamfeston 27th and 28th September 2013
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VMARS at Wartime in the Vale June 22nd & 23rd 2013 - 30 minute video of the event. Includes footage of the VMARS Saturday AM Net (Ron Swinburne, M0WSN )
VMARS Auction Sale6 short video's of auctioneering action at Baginton on 7 September 2013
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VMARS Auction Sale8 short video's of auctioneering action at Baginton on 27 April 2013
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VMARS AGM Elvington 6th July 2013 Produced by Ron Swinburne, M0WSN
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VMARS at Bletchley Park 1hr video of the VMARS 2010 AGM. Produced by Ron Swinburne,M0WSN.
VMARS Saturday Net Joe Bell, G4PMY, working the VMARS Saturday netfrom his Russian Zil communications truckon 3rd May 2008
VMARS at Worthing 6 minute nostalgic look back at VMARS visit to Worthing in 2004(Ron Swinburne, M0WSN )

SIGNAL & News Sheet related film and audio
The Lorenz Tape Recorder SIGNAL November 2015 issue 37. Audio from BBC news broadcast circa 1968

Vintage & AM Interest
The Tale of the Amplion Loud-Speaker A wonderful "must see" 20 minute film featuring the late Frank Marshall, G2XQ, reminiscing about the early days of amateur radio and his discovery of a unique 1920's Heath-Robinson advertising cartoon film made for Amplion loud-speakers. Frank was a regular on the daily morning AM net on 3615KHz, where he was a noted raconteur, as this film will testify.
The Orkney Wireless Museum A short 4 minute video of the museum to the musical strains of Glenn Miller & his Band
Tuning In 47 mins. A 1994 BBC Arena production about Amateur Radio, followed by a couple of shorts, including the late Gerry Wells, founder of the famous Vintage Wireless Museum, describing his early years of obsession with wireless and his time spent in an Approved School after he was caught pinching a coveted wireless set from the local radio shop.The Home Office featured his case in a public information film about Approved Schools and some extracts from that film are included.

Links highlighted in red have been blocked by YouTube. These are mostly BBC productions on copyright infringement grounds. They will be re-instated where possible.

Pathe Film Clips


Nostalgic short news film clips from British Pathe News team. Many commentated by the irripressable Bob Danvers-Walker and most aimed at boosting morale. Today's news reporting is dreary by comparison.
Pirate Radio Afloat - 1964 News clip about Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline - 1965 One year on, Radio Caroline is going strong, but this 5 minute short takes a while to get there
Radio Telescope 1960 Short item about the Cavendish Radio Telescope at Cambridge
RAF Mountain Rescue 1950 3 minute film about the team at RAF St Athan
Time Please 1945 3 minute film about how TIM (speaking clock) worked before the advent of the Atomic Clock. A National HRO receiver plays a part.
The Valve - 1942 explanation by Danvers-Walker of how a valve works
Radiolympia Opens 1947 Remember the Radio Show as it was called when it moved to Earls Court? It ended in 1966.
Cold Comfort 1944 Ministry of Information cartoon about saving fuel
Photo-Telegraphy 1948 news short about sendinding photographs by radio
Royal Corps of Signals 1949 recruitment advertisement
Caravan Man 1959 short news film about a very wealthy radio amateur in Poole
Medical Dash 1959 story about assistance by radio in Accra
Royal Signal Corps Morse training 1940 no audio but worth a look
Fall in and Fly 1940 upbeat short about RAF aircrew training
Royal Signals leave boat 1942 no radio but Nobby and Ginger enjoy leave in Cairo. Not the Cairo that I heard about though!
Royal Signals in the Middle East 1942 Signals operations in the desert. Stirring stuff.
Boys in Blue 1931 posh commentry over short film on Royal Navy signal flag training. Note the blue and white flags.How?
Gels in Blue 1950 short news film about WRNS training
Have You Paid Your Wireless Licence? 1950 Quirky public information cartoon
Is it worth it? 1950 Another film urging you to buy a radio licence
Earth Satellite Station 1969 New earth station set up in Hong Kong
RAF Daylight Raid 1942 Amazing news coverage of a raid on the Philips radio factory at Eindoven with Bob Danvers Walker commentary and the RAF March overdubbed. Wave the Union flag.
The Army's Navy 1942 news report on vessels used by the army. Worth watching if only to see the RN ship's captain looking down his nose at his Army counterpart.
RAF Air Classroom 1935 A report on training RAF Wireless Operator/Mechanics. 3 Years?
Cycle Radio 1954 Pretty girl with a mobile receiver on her bike. Eamon Andrews enthuses.
Radio Buses 1950 Control of country buses using a radio command vehicle in a period when country walkers wore suits and ties.
The Wheels Go Around - By radio 1949 "Your message received and understood - over" - George the train driver.
German Spy Set 1940 news of a spy set taken from captured German spies in England


The Great War- A commemoration of the WWI Centenary
The Porthcurno Cable Station - BBC 15 minute radio broadcast about the Great War undersea cable wars
Admiralty Room 40 Intercepting secret communications in WWI. The Long View - 30 mins BBC radio broadcast comparing intercepts from 100 years ago to those made today

WWII Electronic & Countermeasures Warfare
Four 10 minute 1940's films from the Imperial War Museum on the development of British radar 1930's/40's
Malvern 1 7min 38secs. Some wonderful colour film footage taken at TRE Malvern on July 19th 1944 during a visit by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Included are views of the "latest" 10cm airborne radar and names and faces of people like "Dr Lovell" - later Sir Bernard and Mr Rowe - AP Rowe, both giants in the development of radar.
Malvern 2 3min 29secs. series of photgraphs of personalities at TRE Malvern during WWII. Obviously for internal consumption at the time, so unfortunately not identified
Worth Matravers 24 min. A film about the radar development work carried out at this coastal Dorset location near Swanage until its relocation in 1942 to Malvern as a measure to avoid having secret radar equipment stolen by German parachutists, as the British had just done from the German coastal radar station at Bruneval, near Le Havre. (For details go to this link ) Includes training films for Chain Home radar operators and an explanation of how Rebecca - Eureka homing beacons work.
Breaking German codes in WW 2 - An interesting Secret War film about the information gleaned from Ultra - German code breaking
Radar Jamming - great picture of a Lancaster dropping Window
Radar Jamming 8 min. US Signal Corps training filmon how to deal with radar jamming by the enemy
Battle of the Beams Secret War. One of the best UK TV technical war series. Begins with thefascinating story of the discovery and contermeasures to the German Knickerbein, X-Gerätand Wotan beams used by the Luftwaffe as navigational aids for bombing Britain in WWII. The legendary head of electronic warfare, Professor RV Jones, features and.Willam Woolard narrates. This is a video about scientific and engineering warfare in WW2. The program goes on in detail about other German technical developments and the countermeasures developed against them. Broadcaster Raymond Baxter relates how he saw a V2 rocket launching as his squadron attackeda Dutch rocket site. This is a 5 part series that has been edited together so you will need a spare 5 hours to watch the entire production. If you drop out of the recording your browser should put you back in the same position when you re-visit the site. MUST SEE.
Alexandra Palace beam jamming Two and a half minute short about Alexandra Palace's role in jamming the German beams
The Bruneval Raid 50 minutes. An interesting documentary exploring the background to the Bruneval Raid undertaken by the first British Paratroop Commando raid, which was mounted to recover the German Wurtzburg radar station at Bruneval and return it to England for technical analysis. The German bombing beams and their British countermeasures are also featured in this film, along with other primary and secondary radar developments. Professor RV Jones once more at the forefront. Poor quality video but worth watching.
The History of Radar Technology documentary A U.S. film covering radar development
RDF (Radar) information Film Wartime classified "Highly Secret" short introduction to RDF Air Interception. This is a short extract from a longer aircrew training film
The Secret Listeners BBC-30 mins. The late Rene Cutforth presents the story of how radio amateurs became listeners of enemy transmissions to gather intelligence in both World Wars and reveals, for the first time, what they were actually listeneing to.
Oral History of British Science Richard Brett-Knowles, G3AAT, interviewed in 2012 for the British Library collection. Brett-Knowles was a member of the team who developed radar at TRE Malvern in WWII. These informative and interesting insights total 15 hours of recording.
Over the Horizon Radar 4 mins. A brief film explaining the concept of Over The Horizon Backscatter Radar
Rebecca and Eureka homing system, 30 mins. An Air Ministry colour film about the use of the equipment. Imperial War Museum. This film was made without sound so that it coud be shown using basic projectors. Plenty of screen text to keep you informed of what's going on.
 

Bletchley Park:

- Home of Code Breakers
1999 Channel 4 TV series about Station X. This is a very informative and interesting series that provides an in depth insight into the workings of Bletchley ParkEpisode 2 The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg
Episode 3 The Ultra Secret
Episode 4 The War Machines
Secret Listeners - National Archves. Fascinating talk by author and historian Sinclair McKay about the people who fed information to Bletchley Park
Lifting the lid on a colossal secret BBC report - re-enactment of a code breaking exercise using Colossus and the Tunny
Colossus : Creating the world's first electronic programable computer A highly recommended 8 minute film about the people who built and operated the first ever digital computer.
Bletchley Park Podcast Audio only Interesting 50 minute programme about the refurbishment being undertaken at BP and the "Are You Listening" weekend in October 2013. Stuart McKinnon is interviewed about VMARS
Unveiling Colossus 1 hour lecture given by Professor Brian Randell on the opening of the new Colossus display room at Bletchley Park in February 2013 . Professor Randell describes his considerable efforts to persuade the Government to lift the veil of secrecy surrounding Colossus and have it declasssified . He finally achieved his goal in 1975 and went on to uncover the story and publish the details. One or two VMARS friends may be recognised in the audience.
 Alan Turing -  Docudrama about the famous Bletchley Park mathematician who developed the ideas for the first programable computer Colossus.

Diplomatic Wireless Museum at Bletchley Park Dave White, G3ZPA, walks his family round his interesting museum which unfortunately has now closed.

Broadcast History
The History of Radio documentary A view of the development of wireless technology 45minutes
The World's Greatest Radio Station - Aka Rugby 1932 A 3 minute look at the impressive Rugby Radio Station
The First 1000ft TV Mast - A look at building the 1000ft mast at Mendlesham, near Ipswich in 1959
PYE Cambridge Historical View A look at the development of the PYE TV camera and some history about PYE. Other PYE products feature.
BBC 648kHz site at Orford Ness Short film about the Orford Ness transmitting site for the BBC World Sevice to Europe.
Allied 'Radio Aspidistra' of WWII 45 minutes. Excellent BBC radio docudrama about the Aspidistra propoganda radio transmitter
Aspidistra Wikipedia link to a description of the Aspidistra "black propaganda" station set up by Britain in WWII
The "new" BBC outside broadcast van 4 minute short description of the 1948 OB setup used for the 1948 Olympics in London - Alexandra Palace Television Society Archive
Saturday Night Out 30 minutes. TV documentary about early live BBC TV outside broadcasts - Alexandra Palace Television Society Archive
The Discovery of Television 10 mins.Part 1/6. 1966 TV documentary made by Mullard
The Discovery of Television 10 mins. Part 2/6 From the Alexandra Palace Television Society Archive
The Discovery of Television 10 mins. Part 3/6
The Discovery of Television 10 mins. Part 4/6
The Discovery of Television 10 mins. Part 5/6
The Discovery of Television 10 Mins. Part 6/6
War of the Worlds 1hr. 1938. A historic broadcast. The original famous recording of the classic radio play with Orson Welles. Many believed that this was a factual report and that it was actually happening. It scared a lot of people and is worth listening to.
Orson Welles 3mins. Orson Welles recalls the extraordinary reaction to his play, War of the Worlds.


Covert Wireless
Joan-Eleanor - 18 min. A wartime information film made by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) about the Joan-Eleanor VHF wireless sets developed for communications between agents on the ground and aircraft. Similar function to the S-Phone used by the British Special Operations Executive.
Numbers Stations - 27min. BBC radio broadcast about the mysterious numbers stations that used to inhabit the shortwave bands
School For Danger - Now It Can Be Told 1Hr 08m. A British Government information film about the French Resistance made shortly after the war. The film features two actual French Resistance workers.
John Brown - Designer of the B2 Spyset 6 x 30 minute parts - Fascinating interview with John Brown, G3EUR, courtesy if the Imperial War Museum
WW2 SPY RADIO SET DEMO Dave White at Bletchley Park presents the Paraset
THE SECRET WIRELESS WAR Another short extract from the same 2hr DVD
SSTR-1 spy set WWII training film for OSS agents and technicians
British Auxiliaries A BBC morning outside broadcast programme about the planned resistance in Britain to Nazi occupation in 1940. The report is from Coleshill House in Oxfordshire, where the main HQ for the Auxiliaries was located. Includes an account of the hidden wireless communications network.
Hitlers Britain A docudrama about Britains secret Auxiliaries set up to resist German invasion. Includes input from people who were recruited into the secret army telling what they were expected to do if invasion came.
The Spies that fooled Hitler 45 minutes. An excellent Timewatch documentary film about the interception of German Abwehr spies in Britain and turning them into double agents. Operation Fortitude, the plan to mislead the Germans into believing that there was a US 6th Army based in East Anglia ready to invade through the Pas de Calais, in reality non-existent.


Military, Civil & Amateur Communications
How the Teleprinter Works 11 mins. GPO Film Unit 1940
Command receiver or Command transmitter .ARC-5 command sets: a lengthy but excellent series of YouTube pieces on the restoration and operation of Command receivers. A bit slow, but the detail is interesting
The Secret Life of Radio Somewhat quirky, but entertaining production about the history of radio
US AM on 3870kHz This daily AM net can often be heard in the UK in early morning.
AM Transmitters Heavy AM metal in the US
Hallicrafters HT4 transmitter WWII US Signal Corps film on the conversion of the amateur Hallicrafters HT4 transmitter to become the milspec SCR299
Technique of hand sending morse Learn the US Navy way in 1944
Army Morse Code Pt1 If you need to know how to write the letter H, this is the place to learn.
Army Morse Code Pt2 1960's - not much changed from the Navy method
How AM and FM Works U.S. training film. Poor quality audio
Radio at war RCA production about the uses of radio during WWII
Sage early Warning Defence Radar Not the business accounting system, the IBM early warning system developed in the 1950's
Wireless Set No.19 7 mins. An American view of this iconic set
Heathkit DX40 10 mins. Burt, K1OIK, demonstrates his 50 year old DX40
SCR-694 BC 1306 Radio PART 1/3
SCR-694 BC-1306 Radio PART 2/3 U.S Training film of the predecessor to the very similar GRC-9
SCR-694 BC-1306 Radio PART 3/3
History of Wireless English 7min. Promotional short film from Swedish Ericsson



Civil Aviation
London Airport - Heathrow Crown Film Unit 10 minutes. Building Heathrow in 1949. Hard to believe that it was small villages and farms. Pubs were demolished! "TransCanadian Charlie Baker Dog clear to land" Not radio but interesting for the aviation buffs
Heathrow- City of the air 1964 . A Rank "Look at Life" programme made for cinema - 10 minutes
Heathrow Control Tower - The Final Salute (1955 - 2013) 10 minutes. Nostalgic look at the old Heathrow ATC tower. Includes an almost tearful radio conversation with the cockpit crew of the last BA Concorde flight from Heathrow and weepy music as the tower is reduced to a pile of rubble When did the Brits become so sentimental?


Royal Air Force
Knights of the Air 1940-1942 10 minute film of an RAF Benevolent Fund Appeal followed by an overview of RAF operations and "ceasless attacks on the Hun!"
RAF Ferry Command 1942 Pathe news clip about bombers being ferried to Britain from Canada
Youngest VC of the war 1940 Pathe news clip where 18 year old Air Gunner/ Wireless Operator Sgt John Hannah talks about his action. In hospital recovering from burns he received in the action, he contracted TB and was eventually discharged from the RAF as unfit. He died of TB in 1947
Two Lancasters at sunset 15 minutes. It's been great to see two Lancasters flying together after so many years, and there are plenty of opportunities this summer (2014) to see them for yourself. Here's a good film clip, filmed at sunset over Lincolnshire, with the Spitfire and Hurricane of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
The story of the TSR2 55mins. Unseen British Aircraft Corporation archive file compiled into a documentary about the fabled TSR2.
The story of the Spitfire 55 minutes. Includes details of the air defence network using Chain Home
The Lightning Interceptor 1hr 4mins. The story of the background and the development of the Lighning fighter. Some amusing anecdotes about pilots taken by suprise by the stunning performance on their first flight.
Night Bomber 53mins Very rare WWII Colour film of the work carried out by an RAF Lancaster squadron of No.1 Group based at RAF Hemswell, Lincolnshire on night bombing raids. This is a very detailed and interesting film covering an operation from maintenance preparation through full briefing, to the bombing operation itself. A real eye opener to the careful planning involved.Well worth watching.
RAF in the 1960's 9mins. Two RAF Locking Apprentice graduate radar fitters get their first operational posting at Akrotirie. RAF recruitment film
RAF low flying navigation training film 1/2 - Includes footage of the low level attack on the Philips factory at Eindhoven
RAF low flying navigation training film 2/2
RAF Lancaster intercom chat on a raid Short intercom recording of a Lancaster crew. Guns can be heard, but no engines, so perhaps a bit of RAF propaganda.
Why We Fight 52mins. 1943. Battle of Britain. One of a series of films made for US wartime consumption.
PR944 Heart warming 15 minute film about a WWII US veteran pilot being united with 1944 footage of his unarmed Photo Reconaissance Spitfire landing wheels up on an Oxfordshire airfield.


Royal Navy
Winkle Brown - A recorded lecture given by the legendary late Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown RNAS on his life experiences as a WW2 Royal Navy fighter pilot and test pilot into the 1980's. A fascinating man who flew more aircraft types and achieved more aircraft carrier deck landings than any other pilot in history. 
Winkle Brown TV documentary. Film about this remarkable aviator.

Victorious Receives New Strike Force - 1966 New Buccaneer aircraft deploy to HMS Victorious
The Battle of the Atlantic Two part documentary about the epic sea battle between the Allies and the German U-boats.
Atlantic Battle Part 1 1hr
Atlantic Battle Part 2 1hr
The Atlantic War 49 minute documentary narrated by William Woollard. Describes "Huff Duff" (HF DF) ASV radar, the radar controlled Leigh Light and modified H2S radar which finally overcame the U-Boats. Sir Bernard Lovell makes an appearance.
The Battle of the Atlantic 1hr 40mins. A more in depth analysis of the fight against U-Boats in the Atlantic. Interesting insights into some of the key personalities and tactics involved but not much about the pivotal role of radar.
Wings Over Water Excellent 30 minute WW2 film about Royal Navy aircraft carriers
Royal Navy Aviation 1960's 9 mins. Short film of Carrier acitivity set to music
Royal Navy 1hr34mins - A 2 part documentary which has been cut together to form a single video about the work of the modern RN. A little outdated due to the untimely removal from deployment of the Harrier VTOL jets which feature in this film. Some interesting operational information.
Operation Pedestal 1hr. Channel 4 documentary about the epic releif convoy of Malta in 1942
"Tiffy" - The Royal Navy Articifer 1952 One for the RN buffs. Not much radio but quite entertaining.


British Army
Radio in Battle. WW2 10 minute information film about radio communications. Feast on British Forces wireless sets of the era.
History of the Royal Signals 7min. Narrator Robert Powell waxes lyrical
Operation Varsity 15 minute recording of Richard Dimbleby on board a tug aircraft on the way to the Rhine Landings WWII
Aden Protectorate 1960 Should bring back memories for some
REME Trailer 1947 1 minute advertisement encouraging chaps to join REME
Army of Today 1930 - Short Pathe News 2 minute film about the modern army
Royal Signals Recruitment Royal Signals short video's
Royal Signals: Communication Systems Operator Modern day British Army signals teams
Royal Signals: Communication Systems Engineer
Royal Signals: Electronic Warfare Systems Operator


Interesting
Night Mail - Famous 1930's GPO film about the night mail train to Scotland. WH Lauden waxes lyrical - literally.
The Coming of the Dia l - 1933 GPO film on the introduction of the dial telephone
History of the British Police Force 1.5hr documentary film used in police training
WW2: Feindlicher Terrorangriff (1943) 15min. Luftwaffe training film on air defence control (German language)
Amateurfunk 1955 15min. German language 1955 film about amateur radio

 

Click on the logo to be taken to the TX Factor video website. Video productions of items of interest to UK amateurs, made by UK amateurs.

 

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