General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
Re: Atlantiksender
Posted by:
Terry Andrews
()
Date: January 31, 2002 08:43PM
<HTML>Hi all
I am a tour guide at Bletchley Park and within a 20 mile radius of the "Park" was where most of the Black Propaganda was transmitted from. This became known locally as "The Bedford Triangle" the transmitting stations were located at very anonomous locations such as in a stable block at Woburn Abbey! The Home of the Duke of Bedford.
These stations wer helpful in not only building up the morale of Allied troops, they were also employed for Allied broadcasts aimed at the German people and her armed forces. These broadcasts were the perfect vehicle for passing on a great deal of 'disinformation' to the unwary listener, especially if he thought the music was coming from inside Germany.
When Germany invaded Poland on Friday 1st September 1940 Woburn Abbey became the HQ for the Political Warfare Executive and the PID (Political Intelligence Department).
Black Propaganda (secret broadcasting) and the small clandestine broadcasting teams were known as Research units (RUs), whose members lived and worked in a dozen or more private houses in the Woburn Dustrict. Whaddon Hall, a few miles west of Bletchley Park, a recording centre at Wavendon Tower and the Old Rectory at Toddington, a village about 4 miles south of Woburn were all used by the PWE. 'The Rookery' at Aspley Guise, a few miles from Woburn, was used by Sefton Delmer, head of the 'black' propaganda service, and 'Dawn Edge' at Aspley Guise was staffed with German emigre political groups who were anti-Hitler.
Eventually many of the people that worked for the PWE and PID were employed by the BBC (British Broadcasting Company).
The establishment of short wave and medium wave transmitting stations in Britain was one of PWE's greatest achievements. Some of the stations attempted to give the illusion that they were broadcasting from inside Germany. By February 1942 sixteen stations were recording material for broadcasting at a common recording centre in the Woburn area, outside the control of the BBC and classified 'Most Secret'. American 7.5 kw trasmitters were installed at Gawcott, 2 miles south of Buckingham. A similar one was sited at Potsgrove, close to Milton Bryant and not far from Woburn Abbey. The recording disks used were of American manufacture.
Before 'disinformation' could be imparted to the enemy, the british had to capture their audience. Any station, especially today, must broadcast music which will appeal to their potential listener. The British were particularly successful in their attempts to demoralize U-boat crews. The German Propaganda Ministry would not permit American jazz to be broadcast in Germany. However, the U-boat crews and thousnads of young Germans serving in the Werhmacht in occupied Europe greatly enjoyed it. Many popular German recordings reached Woburn from Stockholm and programmes containing 'American jazz with the German flavour' were broadcast from England over 'Grey transmitters (relying on the listeners' gullibility or commonsense to establish where they were being broadcast from). German refugees and even U-boat POWs, carefully screened, were used.
When America entered the war it was also only natural that they would exploit also the possibilities of propaganda warfare, one such person who was used in this role was Major Glen Miller (the famous band leader) who was based at Twin Woods Airfield in Bedford, 20 miles from Bletchley Park and also within the range of the other locations already mentioned... hence the name The Bedford Triangle!
I would recommend the following books that covers the areas of Discussion here.
Richard Deacon, The British Secret Service, (Muller)
Ellic Howe, The Black Game, (Michael Joseph, 1982)
And a book that was written locally here and was entitiled The Bedford Triangle by Martin Bowman, and was published by Sutton Publishing Ltd 1996.
Hope this is of some help!
regards
Terry Andrews.</HTML>
I am a tour guide at Bletchley Park and within a 20 mile radius of the "Park" was where most of the Black Propaganda was transmitted from. This became known locally as "The Bedford Triangle" the transmitting stations were located at very anonomous locations such as in a stable block at Woburn Abbey! The Home of the Duke of Bedford.
These stations wer helpful in not only building up the morale of Allied troops, they were also employed for Allied broadcasts aimed at the German people and her armed forces. These broadcasts were the perfect vehicle for passing on a great deal of 'disinformation' to the unwary listener, especially if he thought the music was coming from inside Germany.
When Germany invaded Poland on Friday 1st September 1940 Woburn Abbey became the HQ for the Political Warfare Executive and the PID (Political Intelligence Department).
Black Propaganda (secret broadcasting) and the small clandestine broadcasting teams were known as Research units (RUs), whose members lived and worked in a dozen or more private houses in the Woburn Dustrict. Whaddon Hall, a few miles west of Bletchley Park, a recording centre at Wavendon Tower and the Old Rectory at Toddington, a village about 4 miles south of Woburn were all used by the PWE. 'The Rookery' at Aspley Guise, a few miles from Woburn, was used by Sefton Delmer, head of the 'black' propaganda service, and 'Dawn Edge' at Aspley Guise was staffed with German emigre political groups who were anti-Hitler.
Eventually many of the people that worked for the PWE and PID were employed by the BBC (British Broadcasting Company).
The establishment of short wave and medium wave transmitting stations in Britain was one of PWE's greatest achievements. Some of the stations attempted to give the illusion that they were broadcasting from inside Germany. By February 1942 sixteen stations were recording material for broadcasting at a common recording centre in the Woburn area, outside the control of the BBC and classified 'Most Secret'. American 7.5 kw trasmitters were installed at Gawcott, 2 miles south of Buckingham. A similar one was sited at Potsgrove, close to Milton Bryant and not far from Woburn Abbey. The recording disks used were of American manufacture.
Before 'disinformation' could be imparted to the enemy, the british had to capture their audience. Any station, especially today, must broadcast music which will appeal to their potential listener. The British were particularly successful in their attempts to demoralize U-boat crews. The German Propaganda Ministry would not permit American jazz to be broadcast in Germany. However, the U-boat crews and thousnads of young Germans serving in the Werhmacht in occupied Europe greatly enjoyed it. Many popular German recordings reached Woburn from Stockholm and programmes containing 'American jazz with the German flavour' were broadcast from England over 'Grey transmitters (relying on the listeners' gullibility or commonsense to establish where they were being broadcast from). German refugees and even U-boat POWs, carefully screened, were used.
When America entered the war it was also only natural that they would exploit also the possibilities of propaganda warfare, one such person who was used in this role was Major Glen Miller (the famous band leader) who was based at Twin Woods Airfield in Bedford, 20 miles from Bletchley Park and also within the range of the other locations already mentioned... hence the name The Bedford Triangle!
I would recommend the following books that covers the areas of Discussion here.
Richard Deacon, The British Secret Service, (Muller)
Ellic Howe, The Black Game, (Michael Joseph, 1982)
And a book that was written locally here and was entitiled The Bedford Triangle by Martin Bowman, and was published by Sutton Publishing Ltd 1996.
Hope this is of some help!
regards
Terry Andrews.</HTML>
| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
Atlantiksender
|
Visje | 01/30/2002 11:39AM |
|
Re: Atlantiksender
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M.S.Laarman | 01/30/2002 03:54PM |
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Re: Atlantiksender
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Visje | 01/31/2002 07:22AM |
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Re: Atlantiksender
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Terry Andrews | 01/31/2002 08:43PM |
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Re: Atlantiksender
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Carl | 01/31/2002 11:37PM |
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Re: Atlantiksender
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Ralph Langley | 02/01/2002 12:27AM |
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with pleasure, ralph! n/t
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M.S.Laarman | 02/02/2002 11:04AM |
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Re: Atlantiksender
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Yuri IL'IN | 02/01/2002 01:36AM |
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