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Lydbrook Cables Works in the Forest of Dean produced enough cable to circumference the world almost three times. During World War One; approximately 70,000 miles of field telephone cables were made due to the ingenuity of Harold Smith, a local man and great engineer of the time.

Many miles of cables were needed due to the complexity of communication. Communication on the battlefield was almost on a one-to-one basis with messages given via telephone. For the Battle of the Somme; 50,000 miles of cables were laid for this battle alone. The cables would often break under the weight of tanks, horses and boots and would need to be mended.

Cable technology using copper was already quite advanced by World War One. However, Harold Smith often modified his machinery to produce very thin strands of copper. An account of the works in November 1919 states: 鈥淚t (copper wire) comes to Lydbrook Junction in coils with rough exterior, and is there drawn down to the required thinness, even to the fineness scarcely thicker than the hairs of a woman鈥檚 head.鈥� The report goes on to describe how Harold Smith would adapt his equipment to save labour and increase output.

The factory transformed Lydbrook bringing in labour from outlying areas leading to an overcrowded village. Still, Harold Smith was desperate for workers advertising in the Dean Forest Mercury in April 1915, promising: 鈥淕ood wages to competent hands and fares paid where necessary鈥�.

After the war a slump came in business and in 1920 the official receiver was brought in ending Harold Smith鈥檚 connection with the factory.

Today, Harold Smith鈥檚 former home is the headquarters of Chronos Technology, experts in telecommunications.

Location: Lydbrook, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire GL17 9PD
Image: Lydbrook (1911) and Harold Smith, courtesy of Ian Pope
Presented by Kate Clark. Guests: Sue Gorden-Smith, member of the FoD Local History Society; Lyn Walker archivist for Lydbrook Historical Society; Adam Forty, Deputy Director of the Royal Signals Museum.

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