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Old 14th Jun 2018, 10:46 pm   #1
bigtony
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Default Seeking information about wartime equipment Production by PYE in East Anglia

Hello

I Am presently doing some research into the Production of radio equipment by the then PYE radio limited in East Anglia and primarily the Waveney valley area. Does anyone know anything about the mention in some sources of production being carried out in village halls and other `secret' locations? And also what equipment was being produced? Also interested if anyone has memories of the Oulton Broad factory and any radio manufacture carried out there and any information whatsoever on the Harleston factory. Hoping to create an equipment display at Waveney heritage centre that reflects equipment manufactured in and associated with the region. Many thanks
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Old 15th Jun 2018, 1:31 pm   #2
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Default Re: Seeking information about wartime equipment Production by PYE in East Anglia

Hi,
Not an subject I can contribute to personally, though I did work for Pye in the 60's.
Presumably you have been in touch with the Pye Trust history group (www.pyemuseum.org) who know a good deal about the history of the company.
good luck
Peter G8BBZ
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Old 15th Jun 2018, 5:38 pm   #3
G3VKM_Roger
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Default Re: Seeking information about wartime equipment Production by PYE in East Anglia

Hello Tony,

You might find something in the book "Radio Man - The remarkable rise and fall of C O Stanley" by Mark Frankland and produced by the IEE. There are some photos of an "outworking" site at Sawston and a couple of photos in Chapter 5, one is captioned about making 19 Set parts.

Let me know if that's what you're after. I can scan the relevant pages if required.

73

Roger/G3VKM

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Old 15th Jun 2018, 10:00 pm   #4
bigtony
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Default Re: Seeking information about wartime equipment Production by PYE in East Anglia

Hi Roger
It would be excellent if you could. I have gone through most of what's available on the net and although there are clues, such as the mention of radio production at Leiston in the Longshop, very little else. Have managed to confirm the later C12 was being built there in the 1950's. There is also a possibility that the CAT marine radio equipment was produced at the Oulton Works as well.

Many Thanks

Tony
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Old 15th Jun 2018, 10:10 pm   #5
bigtony
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Default Re: Seeking information about wartime equipment Production by PYE in East Anglia

Hi Peter

I was also an employee at Cambridge in the 1980's, although it was pretty much PRCS at that time. When I checked the museum site it said that the curator had passed away last year. Have found out some useful information from the site though.

Best Regards

Tony
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Old 16th Jun 2018, 7:00 am   #6
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Default Re: Seeking information about wartime equipment Production by PYE in East Anglia

Quote:
Originally Posted by bigtony View Post
It would be excellent if you could. I have gone through most of what's available on the net and although there are clues, such as the mention of radio production at Leiston in the Longshop, very little else. Have managed to confirm the later C12 was being built there in the 1950's. There is also a possibility that the CAT marine radio equipment was produced at the Oulton Works as well.
Hello Tony,

I Googled "PYE Village Industries" as that was a term used in Ch. 5 of the book which discusses PYE during WW2. The book came up on Google Books, so I think that reading on line is a better method than me scanning just a few pages. The two photos I mentioned of 19 Set parts production are in the digitised version of the book. I'd hate to think of today's value of the armful of WS19 wiring looms the lady is holding!

https://books.google.co.uk/books?isbn=0852962037

I have a CAT manual and I think it is a PYE publication with an address in Lowestoft. I will dig that out of the filing cabinet and check.

Good luck with the research.

73

Roger/G3VKM
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Old 16th Jun 2018, 9:49 am   #7
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Default Re: Seeking information about wartime equipment Production by PYE in East Anglia

The PCR2 'Invasion Receiver' was produced by Pye (and Philips) in 1944/45 designed to give good reception of UK broadcasts in Continental Europe. It's essentially a high sensitivity domestic design (with RF stage) in military clothing, housed in a rugged 19 set enclosure.

For obvious reasons, it was something of a rush job and was said to have been produced in village halls all over East Anglia. Final assembly and test was said to have been in Cambridge (and perhaps at Philips in London), with sub assemblies being outsourced to the village hall operations. Whether any village halls were equipped for full PCR2 testing I don't know.

It's worth a search on this forum for this competent receiver which, post war, found application as an excellent source of entertainment programmes in many a NAAFI.

Martin
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Old 16th Jun 2018, 10:44 am   #8
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Default Re: Seeking information about wartime equipment Production by PYE in East Anglia

More info on the PCR series: http://www.cryptomuseum.com/spy/pcr/index.htm
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Old 16th Jun 2018, 2:32 pm   #9
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Default Re: Seeking information about wartime equipment Production by PYE in East Anglia

Hi,
Re: Pye Museum
I think the curator who passed away was Dave G8EPR who ran his own Pye collection and museum.
The museum I refer to is operated by the Pye History Trust and appears to be still going strong.
Also, the reference to a factory in Lowestoft may well refer to Rees-Mace Marine who were taken over by Pye in the 50's and who manufactured for the marine market - most notably the Royal Navy 619CAT receiver and transmitter.
cheers
Peter G8BBZ
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Old 17th Jun 2018, 7:06 am   #10
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Default Re: Seeking information about wartime equipment Production by PYE in East Anglia

You are right, Peter. My CAT manuals were produced by Pye at their Oulton works in Lowestoft and are dated 1956 and 1957.

Tony,

I don't know how detailed your research is but it might be worth asking your original question on PYE "Outworking" sites on the WW2Talk forum. There will most likely be a list of the small production locations in The National Archive and you'll find several people on that forum who provide TNA file searches and copying for third parties. I've used ARCRE for this purpose and was happy with his service.

https://www.arcre.com/

73

Roger/G3VKM
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Old 18th Jun 2018, 1:51 pm   #11
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Default Re: Seeking information about wartime equipment Production by PYE in East Anglia

Thanks for the help Roger, the book is particularly useful and was not aware of the PCR receiver being outworked as well. I will follow up on your link as like many of these things the deeper you dig the more interesting it becomes. Presently working back through the Rees Mace company although it is looking quite likely that it was a company bought by Pye and the name used on some commercial and domestic equipment. The Oulton works having originally been used for textile production before purchase.
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Old 19th Jun 2018, 7:18 am   #12
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Default Re: Seeking information about wartime equipment Production by PYE in East Anglia

I was on holiday in Yoxford a couple of years ago, talking to locals who told me that Pye had a small factory in a wooden hut in the village during the war. I don’t remember any more details but I was interested how much people remembered.
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Old 19th Jun 2018, 5:21 pm   #13
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Default Re: Seeking information about wartime equipment Production by PYE in East Anglia

That's interesting and I often pass through Yoxford. Your previous thread on the topic is here:

https://vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=108668


Cheers

Roger
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Old 19th Jun 2018, 8:33 pm   #14
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Default Re: Seeking information about wartime equipment Production by PYE in East Anglia

Ah yes, re-reading that thread makes me think I gleaned more information later in the holiday. I do remember that the owner of the restaurant Yoxford was more forthcoming.
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Old 19th Jun 2018, 9:31 pm   #15
bigtony
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Default Re: Seeking information about wartime equipment Production by PYE in East Anglia

Hi Richard

Thanks ever so much for the information, do you remember the name of the restaurant?

Best Regards

Tony
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