9 4 0 , ▁Italian ▁c ables ▁to ▁South ▁America ▁and ▁Spain ▁were ▁cut ▁in ▁ret ali ation ▁for ▁Italian ▁action ▁against ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁five ▁British ▁c ables ▁linking ▁Gib ral tar ▁and ▁Mal ta . ▁Elect ra ▁House , ▁the ▁company ' s ▁head ▁office ▁and ▁central ▁cable ▁station , ▁was ▁dam aged ▁by ▁German ▁bomb ing ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁However , ▁the ▁company ▁made ▁a ▁considerable ▁contribution ▁to ▁the ▁Al lied ▁war ▁effort , ▁supp lying , ▁for ▁instance , ▁the ▁wireless ▁equipment ▁with ▁which ▁the ▁North ▁African ▁campaign ▁was ▁conducted ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁and ▁sending ▁staff , ▁in ▁army ▁uniform s ▁marked ▁with ▁Tel con ▁flash es , ▁into ▁several ▁campaign s , ▁starting ▁in ▁Italy ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party ' s ▁victory ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁general ▁election , ▁the ▁government ▁announced ▁its ▁intention ▁to ▁national ise ▁C able ▁and ▁W ire less , ▁which ▁was ▁carried ▁out ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁While ▁the ▁company ▁would ▁remain ▁in ▁being ▁as ▁a ▁government - owned ▁company , ▁continu ing ▁to ▁own ▁assets ▁and ▁operating ▁tele communic ation ▁services ▁outside ▁the ▁UK , ▁all ▁assets ▁in ▁the ▁UK ▁were ▁integrated ▁with ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁Post ▁Office , ▁which ▁operated ▁the ▁UK ' s ▁domestic ▁tele communic ations ▁mon opol y . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁Party ▁government ▁led ▁by ▁Margaret ▁Th