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Communications were vital for Scotland's Secret Bunker. Not only was
it necessary to be in regular contact with the Prime Minister's office;
information would pour in from many military and civilian sources.
In addition, there would be many request for information from those inside
the bunker - particularly where major decisions were required. Secretaries,
telex machines and their operators particularly telephones- would be
crucial.
The original telephone switchboards are still in the bunker, all in full
working order, equipped with 2,800 outside lines and 500 internal extensions
- and it was all manually operated!
To ensure the system remained working in the event of a nuclear bomb
being dropped, the whole bunker is enclosed in a "Faraday cage".
This provides a total "earth loop" and protects the telephone system
from the electromagnetic pulse of a detonation. Fifty years on, this
equipment is still the best method of avoiding a complete breakdown.
The switchboards were staffed by ten operators 24 hours a day.
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