E. K. Cole Malmesbury
part of E. K. Cole
1940 June – Cole activated its evacuation plan - radar work was moved to Malmesbury, Wiltshire. First successful night fighter attack and shooting-down in July.
WWII: Ekco was engaged in the production of portable radios, airborne radar sets, plastic practice bombs, and the T1154/R1155 radio sets for bombers.
1942 Full production of air interceptor radar - AI Mark 8 – which stayed in production through the rest of the war.
1945 Production was scaled down across all sites and some were closed, but Malmesbury continued.
1946 Telecommunications Research Establishment gave EKCO a research contract to develop warning radar. Core research departments re-formed at Malmesbury and Southend.
1947 Began testing a Weather radar prototype in a Sunderland aircraft.
1948 The Sunderland flew extensively on 'Empire routes' testing bad weather performance (in association with TRE).
1949 First commercial delivery of weather radar. Development work started on radar ranging system intended for Hawker Hunter.
1953 ARI 5820 radar for the Hawker Hunter went into production – over 2,000 were made eventually.
Later work on telephones, PABX systems.
by 1972 Pye TMC Ltd., (Telephone Equipment Division), of Swindon Road, Malmesbury.