Post Office Research Station
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The Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill, London, was first established in 1921 and opened by Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald in 1933.
In 1943 the world's first programmable electronic computer, Colossus Mark 1 was built by Tommy Flowers and his team, followed in 1944 and 1945 by nine Colossus Mark 2s. These were used at Bletchley Park to break the Axis Lorenz cipher.
In 1957 ERNIE (Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment) was built for the government's Premium Bond lottery, by Sidney Broadhurst's team.
In 1971 Samuel Fedida conceived Viewdata and the Prestel service was launched in 1979.
In 1968 it was announced that the station would be relocated to a new centre to be built at Martlesham Heath. It was formally opened on 21 November 1975 by Queen Elizabeth and is today known as Adastral Park. The old site was released for housing, with the main building converted into a block of flats and an access road named Flowers Close, in honour of Tommy Flowers.
Paddock, a two storey World War II concrete citadel was built underneath the Dollis Hill site.
[edit] Notable staff
- John Bray
- William W. Chandler
- Allen Coombs
- Dick Dyott
- James H. Ellis
- Samuel Fedida
- Harry Fensom
- Tommy Flowers
- Arnold Lynch
- Frank Morrell
- Gordon Radley
- Stephanie Shirley
- Haakon Sørbye
- Eric Speight
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Coordinates: 51°33′42″N 0°14′18″W / 51.561629°N 0.238401°W
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