Careless talk costs lives

A lesson that was rammed home during the Second World War, but sadly forgotten by some in later years.

In the early 1960s, our Government wisely wanted to make provisions to ensure the safe functioning of official communication in the event of the nuclear war that was then very much feared. Line of sight microwave transmission was the technology of choice, and an Officially Secret project was launched to secure links between London and the rest of the country.

Despite information about the project being so carefully guarded, some loose-lipped and arguably treasonous malcontents started to whisper the news to fellow-travellers and anyone else who would listen. Before long, despite the project's location never appearing on official maps, and despite it being an offence under the Official Secrets Act to photograph the site, it's thought that possibly as many as several dozen people in London (and conceivably beyond) had some idea of the project's existence.

It was not until 1993 that the project's existence was finally acknowledged in Parliament. The motives of the MP concerned must remain a matter between her conscience and the ballot box.

But how did such a closely guarded secret first get out?


















We may never know. All we can do is be ever-vigilant against the forces of anarchy and chaos.