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GPO
General Post Office · UK - this page is a stub

The General Post Office (GPO) was the state-owned postal system of the Kingdom of England and – after the Acts of Union of 1707 – of the United Kingdom, from 1660 to 1969. In 1969, the GPO was abolished and the assets transferred to The Post Office (Royal Mail) — changing it from state-owned company to a statutory corporation. In 1980, the telecommunications and postal activities were split. Following the British Telecommunications Act of 1981, the telecommunications side was converted into a seperate publicly owned corporation under the name British Telecom (BT).

GPO logo obtained via '1000merken.com' website [2]
1934 - 1950
  
GPO logo obtained via '1000merken.com' website [2]
1950 - 1965
  
GPO logo obtained via '1000merken.com' website [2]
1965 - 1969
  

GPO items on this website
GPO interference investigation receiver WT No. 11
GPO Receiver (UK)
GPO
GPO series 300 telephones
GPO series 700 telephones
British WWII scrambler phone (also known as Frequency Changer or Secraphone)
Frequency Changer No. 6AC (1944)
6AC
Manufacturing codes
Below is a non-exhaustive list of manufacturer codes found on an inside GPO/BT telephones. The list is not claimed to be complete or correct, but might be of use when restoring old telephones. For a more complete overview and additional information, please refer to this website [1].

Suffix
CB   Central Battery
No dial fitted
F   Figures
Figures (numbers) only on the dial or dial surround
L   Letters
Letters and figures on the dial (or dial surround)
LB   Local battery
Dial fitted
R   Recall
Recall button fitted
Manufacturer IDs
A   Edison Swan Electric Ltd.
AA   Pinching & Walton
AAG   Mullards Ltd
London
AAR   Associated Automation
AEG   GEC Telecommunication
Glenross (Scotland, UK) [not to be confused with the German AEG]
AEI   Associated Electrical Industries
Later: Henley Cables. Henley later took over Siemens Bros and Thorn EMI and was then taken over itself by GEC Telephones.
AEK   GEC-AEI Telecommunications
Kirkaldy (Scotland, UK)
AK   Peel Conner
This was the telephone manufacturing branch of GEC UK from 1910 to 1921.
Later markings include GEC and AKE.
ATL   Austin Taylor Ltd
Bangor (Whales, UK)
C   GEC
Coventry (UK). Currently known as GPT.
CWL   Pye Telecommunications
Cambridge (UK)
DAE   A.P. Besson Ltd
Hove (Sussex, UK)
DFM   Denis Ferranti Meters Ltd
Bangor (Gwynedd, UK)
E   British Ericsson
Later: Plessey, later: GPT
ET   British Ericsson
Later: Plessey, later: GPT
EET   Plessey
Beeston (Nothinghamshire, UK), formerly Ericsson
EEX   Plessey
Sunderland (UK), formerly Ericsson
EMI   EMI (Valve Division)
Ruislip (Middlesex, UK).
EMT   EMI Telephone Division — unconfirmed
Manufacturer of Privacy Set No. 8.
FB   Post Office factory
Birmingham (UK)
FBR   Post Office factory
Birmingham (UK) Refurbished items
FED   LM Ericsson
Sweden
FH   GPO Factory
Holloway, London (UK)
FHA   GPO Factory
Halloway, London (Assembly)
FHB   GPO Factory
Holloway, London (Construction)
FHR   GPO Factory
Holloway, London (UK) Refurbished items
FNR   GPO Factory
Edinburg (Scotland, UK) Refurbished items
FRA   Ferranti Ltd.
FW   GPO Factory
Cwmcam (Wales, UK)
FWG   STC Consumer Electronics
Cwmcam (Wales, UK)
FWR   GPO Factory
Cwmcam (Wales, UK) Refurbished items
G   General Electric Company
GEC   GEC Telephones, Coventry (UK)
Currently known as GPT
GEN   GEC-AEI Telecommunications
Newton Aycliffe, Co. Durham
GNA   PYE
Aidre (UK). Later renamed TMC.
GCL   EMI
Manufacturer of Privacy Set No. 8.
GTE   Dennis Ferranti
Ferranti imported or licensed GTE phones, as part of a joint venture with GTE USA and GTE Belgium.
H   Automatic Tlephone and Electric (ATE)
Later marked as PL (Plessey)
HAA   Plessey Strowger Works
Liverpool (UK)
I   Ibex Telephones
Harrow (UK)
IBX   Ibex Telephones
Harrow (UK)
KRM   Krone
Cheltenham (UK)
PEH   Pye
Hastings (UK)
PER   Plessey
Romford, Essex (UK)
PL   Plessey
Later became GEC-Plessey Telephones (GPT). Many of the war-time 300-series telephones were manufactuered by Plessey and will therefore have the PL marking.
PLA   Plessey
PLS   Plessey
Swindon (UK)
PLX   Plessey
NewPort, Gwent (UK)
PX   Phoenix
Hendon, London (UK). Later PXA.
PXA   Phoenix
Hendon, London (UK)
RAA   Landys & Gyr
Formerly eronautical & General
S   Siemens Brothers
Later AEI, later: GEC, now: GPT.
SB   S.G. Brown Ltd.
SEA   Siemens-Edison Swan
London N17 (UK). Later part of AEI.
SEG   AEI Ltd
Woolwich, London SE18 (UK). Formerly Siemens Brothers (S).
SER   AEI Ltd
West Hartlepool, Co. Durham (UK). Formerly Siemens Brothers (S).
SEW   Siemens Edison Swan
Woolwich, London SE15 (see also SEA).
SLW   Plessey
Wigan (UK)
SPK   Plessey
Speeke, Liverpool (UK)
STC   Standard Telephone Company
New Southgate, London (UK)
STM   Standard Telephone Company
Belfast (Northern Ireland)
TCH   Standard Telephone Company
Larne (Northern Ireland)
TE   Telephone Manufacturing Company (TMC)
Formed 1914. Later manufacturing code 'TEA'.  More
TEA   Telephone Manufacturing Company (TMC)
West Dulwich (London SE21, UK). Formed 1914.  More
TES   Telephone Manufacturing Company (TMC)
St. Mary Cray (Kent, UK). Opened 1939.  More
TEW   Telephone Manufacturing Company (TMC)
Winford (Cheshire, UK).  More
TGR   Thorn-Ericsson
Rochester (UK)
TGW   Thorn-Ericsson
Scunthorpe (UK)
TMA   Telephone Manufacturing Company (TMC)
Airdrie (Lanarkshire, UK).  More
TMK   Telephone Manufacturing Company (TMC)
King's Lynn (Norfolk, UK).  More
TMM   Telephone Manufacturing Company (TMC)
Malmesbury (Wiltshire, UK).  More
TPC   Telephone Manufacturing Company (TMC)
Transmission Division. St. Mary Cray (Kent, UK).  More
TSD   Telephone Supplies Ltd.
Aycliff, Co. Durham (UK)
TTH   Telephone Manufacturing Company (TMC)
Canterbury (Kent, UK).  More
TTL   Telephone Manufacturing Company (TMC)
Livingston, Scotland (UK).  More
W   Western Electric
Later: STC.
Documentation
  1. Final Protocol to the Telegraph Regulations - Madrid 1932
    International Telecommunication Convention (ITC, now: ITU). Madrid, 1932.
    43-152-2. Translated and issued by the GPO, London, 1933.
References
  1. Wikipedia, General Post Office
    Retrieved May 2021.

  2. 1000 Merken.com, Post Office Logo
    Retrieved May 2021.
Further information
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© Crypto Museum. Created: Thursday 27 May 2021. Last changed: Wednesday, 23 April 2025 - 06:47 CET.
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