Cold-War siren

[Mister_Penetrator]

I assume that this is a Carter siren.

http://flickr.com/photos/russell_w_b/244424930/

[Daniel]

You assume correctly. Two things that tell you it's from Carter & Co. are the large diameter motor and the slightly tapered stators. Castle Castings and Klaxon sirens have straight stators and smaller diameter motors.

[Gents']

This siren is a Gents' of Leicester. Most sirens labelled Carter are not. This is because Carter did not manufacture sirens before or even during WWII. They are a cold war siren that look more modern and smaller.

The term Carter siren has just become accepted as a generic term for old UK sirens. Most people accept it now, I am not suggesting we refer to them with their proper titles... just letting you all know that most of what we know about Carters are not Carters at all.

[Jim_Ferer]

War materiel was often made by anyone who could produce it. General Motors produced airplanes during WWII, for example. I'm not surprised.

[Gents']

I have found a video on 'youtube' of a Carter siren to illustrate my point. Apparently the build up of the siren network, as a prelude to WWII, was granted to Gents'. I don't think there is any evidence that Carter even existed until the 1950's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH-sONPVPsY

[Gents']

War materiel was often made by anyone who could produce it. General Motors produced airplanes during WWII, for example. I'm not surprised.

Considering the fact that Gents' of Leicester made clocks before, and after, the war... this is very true, Jim. They only made sirens when Britain was re-arming itself in the mid to late 1930's.