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Old 16th Aug 2018, 1:00 pm   #1
Andrewausfa
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Default GCHQ Book

I'm just reading Richard Aldrich's 'GCHQ'. a fascinating book and very well written as befits a professional historian. It is a history rather than anything too technical for the average reader but there are some interesting snippets about radio.

One being another factory to add to our list of old and forgotten premises. This was a 'bug' making operation at 4 Chester Road in Borehamwood run by an ex-Philco engineer. This operation employing 400 people made telephone and other devices for bugging purposes, something in which the Soviets were far ahead of ourselves and the Americans at that time, aided by German scientists. Aldrich mentions high fences and the factory boundary being patrolled by aggressive GSD's in the 1950's neither of which are visible in street view today! I wonder if it's the older looking unit in Chester Road?

Another thing that interested me was the ten inch metal cylinder found, if I recall, in the US Embassy in Moscow and placed by the Soviets which acted as a self-powered resonant device when bombarded with microwave signals thus enabling the KGB/GRU to listen in to conversations. I don't understand the technical aspect of how that would work but obviously it must have.

Like in other books, such as Jones' 'Most Secret War', it's fascinating reading about each faction trying to gain the upper-hand then losing it then regaining it again but having an advantage, unknown to the enemy, at something else.

Obviously I do not want to spoil the book too much for anyone but can recommend reading it.

Andrew
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Old 16th Aug 2018, 2:05 pm   #2
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Default Re: GCHQ Book

4 Chester Road (located at WD6 1NA) was originally run by Bob Hornby, who was ex Military Signals. He retired in 1965 after long service in Government Communications.
He designed some of the early transmitters used by the secret service and government embassies, and was involved in fitting out various wireless stations including Creslow and the original radio room in the Mansion at Bletchley Park. Later, along with Harold Robin, he worked on installing the Aspidistra at Crowborough.

From the 1940's onwards, the factory at Chester Road manufactured cipher machines, the Mk233 transmitter, bugging devices, and many other items that were too secret to be farmed out to commercial manufacturers.

Some of its work (HMGCC Equipment Production Department) was moved to the more secure location of Hanslope Park in 1970.

The building was eventually sold off and demolished, and the site is now occupied by the Devonshire Business Park industrial units.
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Old 16th Aug 2018, 2:19 pm   #3
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The passive bug is a resonant cavity with one surface formed as a diaphragm, like a capacitor microphone. The cavity has an aerial attached and it is illuminated by an RF signal. A nearby receiver (probably tuned to a harmonic) picks up the reflected signal, which has been modulated by sound affecting the diaphragm.

No power supply needed, and no active devices to be found by an NLJD. Very hard to detect, especially in that particular case when nobody had ever seen one before.

The design is attributed to Mr Theremin, more famous for his invention of the eponymous electronic musical instrument.
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Old 16th Aug 2018, 3:24 pm   #4
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Default Re: GCHQ Book

Thanks Dave, yes Hornby was the guy, I couldn't recall his name while writing via work. I understand how that device worked now.

I liked the tales about the embassy attache tuning through the wavebands on a radio set and hearing his boss on the telephone, his voice being broadcast to all and sundry. I can imagine the panic.

Are there any other books like this with more technical details you'd recommend?

Thanks - Andrew
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Old 16th Aug 2018, 4:09 pm   #5
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Default Re: GCHQ Book

At a firm I used to work for, the bosses had periodic secretive meetings discussing things out of earshot of mere mortal employees. They used radio mikes.


In a spectrum analyser factory.......



Some people just don't need bugging. Before anyone asks, no, I didn't listen. I didn't bother because I reckoned them too dim to be likely to be discussing anything of any real effect if they couldn't figure out the flaw in their security.




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Old 16th Aug 2018, 4:29 pm   #6
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Default Re: GCHQ Book

The Russian bug mentioned above was hidden in a wall decoration of an American eagle by Russian builders I believe. It’s use involved bombarding the embassy with a high level of microwaves, the health effect of these can well be imagined. Several other embassies around the world were discovered to have devices embedded into the structure, including from the initial build. Now, no local materials or workers are used. There was also a famous incident where typewriters en route to the US embassy were intercepted and cleverly modified to log what was typed and transmit the data in a covert manner. Interesting topics.
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Old 16th Aug 2018, 4:48 pm   #7
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Default Re: GCHQ Book

It was stated (and believed for decades) that after the war one of the largest machines from Station X was 'chopped up with axes and buried in the grounds'...it did however get spirited away to GCHQ.
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Old 16th Aug 2018, 6:42 pm   #8
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Default Re: GCHQ Book

It was a wooden replica of the Great Seal of the US according to this book, given as a gift. The microwave bombardment bit is sad, I've just read the section where a US embassy member relates that the health concerns (of the embassy staff) appeared genuine since the staff suffered a large number of deaths from cancer. The same chap recalls three instances of wives of staff giving birth to children with severe defects.

The Soviet microwave radiation was meant to be upsetting the data collection of foreign embassies.

There's also lots of simple but effective things happen, like jumpering the phones so the mouthpiece is still live when replaced in the cradle.

As a child of the Cold War I always find this espionage stuff very interesting but I'm positive as far removed from James Bond as one can imagine. I also imagine some members here are far more knowledgeable about the technical side of this subject then they would ever be allowed to say!


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Old 16th Aug 2018, 7:12 pm   #9
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Default Re: GCHQ Book

Secrets are like cars, keep them long enough and they leak. What killed the K-141 Kursk sub was supposed to remain secret.. Hmm.

On a less sombre note the Marconi PA system at Baddow was apparently mysteriously hacked into internally some years ago with a very convincing impression of the lady who did the usual announcements. Much satire was included based around the inadequacies of the site, and particularly the size of Arnie Weinstock's wallet. I just wish i'd been there!

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