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Post Office Factory. Fordrough Lane

Does anyone know if my father Frank Cotterell worked on Colossus? I amm researching my father's working life so if anyone has any information I would be delighted to hear from them
 
I am researching my dad's history, and I would be grateful for any information about him that anyone has. His name was Frank Cotterell and he worked as an engineer at the Post Office in Fordrough Lane from about 1930 until he died in 1962. I know he signed the official secrets act when the WW2 started. I would really like to know what sort of work he might have been doing, especailly if it had anything to do with the Colossus machine which helped to break the Enigma code. Because he died at the early age of 49, I would also very appreciate finding out anything about him as a person - what he was like to work with etc. My children and grandchildren are also very keen to know more about the grandad they never knew.
familysearch, I signed the Official Secrets Act, not that i or any of mates could tell any one Secrets because we were told the items we made were for walkie talkie radios & we kids believed what we were told, talk about naive or did not think they would lie to us, those of us who are still alive found out in 2008 we worked on parts for the Colosuss Code cracker. Len.
 
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Thank you Len. Which factory were you working in at the time. Do you remember my dad Frank Cotterell? Was he involved at all? I'd be really pleased if you could tell me anything that might help me to find out more about my father. My grandchildren are fascinated by what he might have been involved in during the war.
 
Thank you Len. Which factory were you working in at the time. Do you remember my dad Frank Cotterell? Was he involved at all? I'd be really pleased if you could tell me anything that might help me to find out more about my father. My grandchildren are fascinated by what he might have been involved in during the war.
I and my pals worked i the Garrison Lane factory circa 1943, i left in late 1946, did your Dad work there? because if he worked at the Fordrough Lane factory there were about 1,000+ workers and some sections would not know some workers from the next section, do you know what your Dad`s job was?, for example- Fitter, Turner, Miller, Carpenter, Electrician they made so many different products they even had Bicycle makers and repairers, Garrison Lane Lane only had approx 200 or less workers. Len.
 
This book tells a lot about the Colosuss Computer project, the authors worked on the project. Len. POST OFFICE/BRITISH TELECOM FACTORIES - 1870 - 1994 by Messrs K. Govier, D. Proctor, J. Spanton & C. Reynolds. - Priced at £7.00 plus £1.95 P&P from YPD-Books, 64 Hallfield Road, Layerthorpe, York, YO31 7ZQ.
- Also available online from https://www.ypd-books.co.uk/
 
My Dad worked at Fordrough Lane and Garrison Lane, His name was Ray Clinton, (d 1989) I remember him telling me he started there in 1943 (aged 14) until 47 when national service came calling, he came back in 49 and worked there until 1983 when he retired, names I can remember him talking about were - Johnny Morris, Roy Haddock, Ray Harrodine, Bob Crawley & Stan smelt, My mom also worked there during the 1950's (Gillian Bunford -then Clinton- still going strong !!) does anybody remember them?
 
Great finding this thread. Just discovered my Granddad worked at Fordrough Lane in 1921 as an Electrical Enginner. His name was Horace Watkiss and he was 17 then. I think he worked there for some years. Great to see pics of it. Thank you.
 
Here's a link to a Youtube video that explains how Colossus came about and the important part it played in WWII. The content is very techy to the point of being boring. Skip through the boring bits and after an hour a Post Office engineer called Thomas Harold Flowers is mentioned. If it wasn't for Thomas Harold Flowers, Post Office engineer, World War 2 would have had a very different ending.
Those of you who understand computer science will find the video interesting also.

 
I see what you mean about the boring bits. I vaguely understand what he was getting at, but anyway the whole film was very interesting. Thanks
 
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