Australia - 1918-1988.
Use of codes in telegrams for WW2 Service Personnel.

During World War 2, many telegrams were sent between those on Active Service and their families, friends, etc.

Writing messages took time and cost money. Therefore the Government and both the Beam and the Imperial Cable companies adopted the approach of using codes from other agencies and especially private companies. This code was used in conjunction with specially reduced rates for telegrams.

An early version of the code is shown below. Newspapers publicised its use. Any three message texts from the list below coud be sent for 2/6.

So a person may wish to send a telegram to someone serving abroad to say:

Letter received many thanks.

My thoughts are with you.

Loving greetings from all of us.

That message written on the transmission form would then read: 1 56 38.

On arrival at the designated location, the telegraph receiving office would:

  1. print out the three numbers on ticker tape;
  2. automatically translate the code into the relevant words;
  3. type the message onto a delivery form; and
  4. send the form to the person indicated.

It was a very popular way of sending messages.

The basis of this code was also used by Eastern and later Cable and Wireless for ordinary messages as well as for the Commemorative Galleon forms. Examples of these forms are included elsewhere.

See for example: IAC-DO-3,

Those forms also had codes not included in the list below.

 

In accordance with regulations, transmission forms with the codes were destroyed soon after sending.
Those forms were the usual formats shown as Australia-Transmission - AB-TO-9.