Racal Ltd.
41, Kingsway, London, WC2. (1952)
Factory: 274, Worton Road, Isleworth, Middlesex (1952)

Racal Engineering / Racal Instruments Ltd.
26 Broad Street, Wokingham, Berks. (1974)

Racal Electronics Ltd. 
Bracknell, Berkshire (1962)

Racal Communications Ltd.
Western Road, Bracknell, Berkshire (1965)

Racal-Thermionic Ltd.
Shore Road, Hythe, Southampton.  (1969)

Racal Electronics PLC
​Western Road, Bracknell, Berkshire RG 11. (1984)

Racal Electronics PLC is a multinational manufacturer and service provider in telecommunications, security, data communications, defense radar and avionics, marine and energy electronics, radio communications, and specialized electronics. A conglomerate of some 150 medium-sized, autonomous companies.

Racal operated through a network of subsidiaries in England, the United States, Europe, and Asia. Twenty of these subsidiaries were in North America.

Raymond Brown (1920 -1991) and George Calder Cunningham (     1958) founded Racal as a two-man consulting firm as radio and aeronautical consultants of Kingsway, London in 1950.

The name was derived from the partners RAymond Brown and George CALder Cunningham.

In April 1952 they set up offices at 41, Kingsway, London, WC2, issued a duplicated news sheet, "Racal Review." and subsidiaries, Racal Engineering, Ltd., Canadian Aviation Electronics (Overseas), Ltd., and Racal (Canada), Ltd.
Also a factory at 274, Worton Road, Isleworth, Middx, with chief engineer D. A. Webb, who was employed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. [1]

In September 1954 Racal planned and installed the radio equipment at the  Ferryfield airport near Dungeness, which included 2 Racal HF receivers. This was the first airfield in the world planned especially to deal with the transport of vehicles, as distinct from passengers or freight. [2]

Cunningham died the following year, in 1958, but the company's momentum continued.
Racal went public in 1961. Brown guided Racal into the next decade, laying the groundwork for the company's future as a manufacturer of specialized radio equipment. At the time, most military radios were made according to Western specifications. Racal realized that countries with warm climates didn't need radios that could operate in freezing temperatures. Company researchers visited equatorial countries, crawled around in trenches, and came up with a lighter, cheaper radio that gave Racal a competitive edge in the international market years before its first major British acquisition. The Squadcal, a "tactical military man-pack radio," entered production in 1966.

Racal operates through a network of subsidiaries in England, the United States, Europe, and Asia. Twenty of these subsidiaries are in North America.

In 1980, Racal bought Decca Ltd. and formed Racal-Decca. Then in 1983, along with British Telecom, Racal was successful at gaining an original licence to operate a cellular network in the UK and formed the Racal Telecom subsidiary, now known as Vodafone.

In 1990-1991, Racal Telecom was demerged from Racal Electronics. Vodafone became the largest mobile network in the world.

In January 2000, Thomson-CSF announced a bid for the company: Racal became Thomson-CSF Racal plc, and later part of Thales plc with the renaming of the larger Thomson-CSF to Thales Group.

In December 2008, Racal Acoustics Ltd. was acquired by Esterline Technologies and has become part of their Communications Systems business.

[1] Wireless World Apr 1952, Page 150.
[2] Wireless World Sep 1954, Page 462, 463.