JHQ - Phone House

Hello British Army Community.

I am a "Signaller / Fernmelder" in a volunteer organization in Germany #THW.
In 2014 we had a large youth camp on the JHQ site.



I am looking for contacts who have operated telecommunications in the "Phone House".
Would like to know more. In addition, I would be very happy to get to know remote "Royal Corps of Signals".


Thank you and best regards

Markus

Telephone landline services were operated on behalf of British Forces by Deutsche Telecom
(there is a provision in the NATO Status of Forces Agreement  Article 60 !).  There were originally telephone interfaces
between civil lines and military network at each Garrison and some isolated detachments  throught
the British Army estate.  Much like a big firm each Garrison had a private network operating as extensions off a mainboard.
For the most part DT used either former Wehrmacht cabling (extensive) or built their own copper cable networks in the Barracks.  The DT reprresentative used to come round every so often to disinfect the mouthpieces and ear "muschel", occasionally change the microphone or loud speaker capsules in the handset, check for cracks and damages to the black telephone dialler and check to see if any unauthorised extensions had been  fitted  - DT were paid in the rental agreement for the number of phones on the site.  Clever expert extension installations were added to the bill - a shock for the QM and Pay Office.
On the training areas administered  by the British Forces some telecommunications landlines (and handsets including Tele "L" and Tele "J" magneto calling sets) and  twin cable pick up points, were supplied/fitted/maintained under the auspices of the "Signals Work-Services Troop - SWS Tp" located/based in Paderborn/Sennelager Garrison.  They had offices,  reels of copper wire and unopened boxes of handsets dating back to mid WW2, at the end at Alanbrooke Barracks Paderborn.  Originally they had been based in Horrocks Barracks,(the rear of the Schloss at Neuhaus, overlooking the BIG NAAFI) with extensive storehouses in the Marstall buildings.  These parts of the Schloss had been handed back to Paderborn Stadt in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The SWS Tp was manned by civilian employees under direction of a military person much on the lines  of the other artisan groups - MCAG RE, MCPG RE, MCTG RASC/RCT/RLC, some of their work was in the signals disciplines (16 and greater pair cables) although line laying, trenching, cable routing demanded RE skills.

SWS Tp were never home their real-estate extended from SHAPE, via Brunssum even to Berlin and they (German speakers) had constant contact with  Bundespost/Deutsche Telekom as voice or telegraph lines (and later the line of sight TV connection to UK and local down links) and then came line connected data links* all systems were put in to use for the stationed troops and those arriving or moving to short-term/temporary exercise locations.

The workers were a colourful bunch and were well used to living, working or eating out in the open.  One guy had a reputation for always working alone with his mechanical trencher since every morning he collected a substantial snack from any local butcher in the form a pound of mince, 2 onions, and four bread rolls.


One may have to wonder how much copper wire is built under Sennelager, Haltern, Hohne (once BR administered),or all those SA ranges or other Garrison Training Areas (connecting Firing Points to Butts or guard huts to control points).  Sennelager Training Area was often struck by lightning - frazzling any landlines in the area - so SW were out re-laying  safety comms.

Hello PBorn4.

What a coincidence that you mention Brunssum, just yesterday I was driving past on the motorway. You can listen very well to BFBS R1 on FM radio there. Thank you for the detailed information. I have learned a few new things. From time to time we are allowed to do exercises on the JHQ site. Best regards

I remember the telephone switchboard in Rheinselen still had swastika markings on the equipment. This was in 65/66 I believe that was updated sometime around 66/67.

I rescued a wooden telephone directory stand from a former in barracks tele exchange (in 1994) still had swastika markings, and one-time QMs inventory number on reverse!  
Figured it was off the books.

Bundespost/German Telecom were clearing the old switch room to permit automation - subscriber trunk dialling.

Norway in 71 The Norwegian Army Comm Center was still using Wehrmacht equipment. But no tape as it was a different type from what was now being used. We had to send traffic live. Luckily one of our fellows had just been posted out of a Comm Center so he knew the routing system for getting back to Canada as the Norwegians appeared not to have knowledge of how to do it.

The main switchboard at Rheindahlen was the military network interface to NORTHAG and Bundeswehr telephone systems.  
I seem to remember that phoning in from a civil line (exercise line from a green field / woodland
site and upto 5 kms of Don 10) one had to connect to the Bundeswehr to reach Bergen-Hohne
or Trauen.

Data links before we all had a computer on our desks - DCSA Germany enabled internet (dial-up) access via "726500" and "CASH" (a named computer system) was accessed via "96 83 02 0".

Thank you very much.




From time to time we are allowed to do telecommunications exercises on the premises.

Pborn4 wrote:

The main switchboard at Rheindahlen was the military network interface to NORTHAG and Bundeswehr telephone systems.  
I seem to remember that phoning in from a civil line (exercise line from a green field / woodland
site and upto 5 kms of Don 10) one had to connect to the Bundeswehr to reach Bergen-Hohne
or Trauen.

Data links before we all had a computer on our desks - DCSA Germany enabled internet (dial-up) access via "726500" and "CASH" (a named computer system) was accessed via "96 83 02 0".