The Mark I* at Armstrong Siddeley, Ansty, Coventry

Armstrong Siddeley’s entry to the world of digital computers was more hesitant than Avro’s. Fortunately some of the original players and their documentation survives, which has enabled us to describe the decision-processes, the installation and maintenance efforts, the activity of the mathematicians and programmers and the applications to which the Ferranti Mark I* was put. Then in 1959 Armstrong Siddeley had the chance to purchase another Mark I*, namely the one that had previously been installed at GCHQ Cheltenham. So the two computers worked side-by-side at the Ansty premises until 1964. We end by recalling the company’s computing arrangements that followed amalgamation with Bristol Aero Engines.