STOP PRESS!!
RTE Radio 1, from Ireland has recently produced an hour long programme about seagoing Radio Officers. Articles from former sea staff include those from WWII until the demise of the ships R/O. The radio programme can be obtained from the follwoing site http://www.rte.ie/radio1/seascapes/, click on 'Listen to the latest show'. Alternatively you can download the podcast MP3 file located further down the Seascapes page.
Wireless operators, later to be called Radio Officers, first went to sea in merchant ships in 1900 and for almost a century they provided a vital link between ship and shore. The Radio Officer became recognised as an indispensable part of ensuring the safety of life at sea following the Titanic disaster of 1912. Subsequent events in two world wars saw Radio Officers performing extraordinary acts of heroism to ensure that their ships' calls for help were received. In fact, of the 300,000 merchant navy personnel killed during World War II, 10% were Captains or Radio Officers.
The Radio Officer continued to provide safety and commercial radio communications and radio, radar and electronic maintenance duties onboard merchant ships until late 1990's but the advent of GMDSS (the automated Global Marine Distress and Safety System) ensured that the demise of the specialist officer for communication was inevitable. There are, however, some electro-technical officers performing maintenance duties on specialist vessels.
In slightly less than 100 years the marine Radio Officer came and went but during that time many thousands of men and women enjoyed a challenging, enjoyable and truly unique profession. The Radio Officers' Association was formed in 1995 to ensure that these experiences are not forgotten.
The Radio Officers Association Radio Society (ROARS) was formed one year after the Radio Officers Association (ROA) came into existence. The need for a separate section occurred when it was found that over half the membership held amateur radio licences and the same situation exists today.
ROARS is therefore a subsidiary of the ROA albeit it has its own committee and runs its own affairs. The Radio Officers Association being an organisation exclusively for Merchant Navy, Civil Aircraft, Coast Station and Covert Services Radio Officers the amateur section is affiliated to the Royal Naval Amateur Radio Society - the main UK amateur radio organisation for those who have served in any Naval service in any capacity.
Archives
Marconi Archive at The Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library has accepted the Marconi Archive and the collection has been transferred to the library in Oxford, specifically the Douglas Byrne Marconi Archive. A project to catalogue the Archive has been ongoing for some years. When complete, the results will be available as an online finding aid for the material and the Archive should be much more accessible for research. The ROA has been informed that members are welcome to contact the library if undertaking genuine research. However the usual Library regulations apply for access: users will need to apply for a reader’s card, details of which are on the Library’s website at http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/guides/admisfrm.pdf and will also need to book a space in advance in the Modern Papers reading room(modern.papers@bodley.ox.ac.uk, phone
Douglas Byrne Marconi Archive
Bodleian Library
Broad Street,
Oxford
OX1 3BG
Archivist
The ROA is active in promoting the presentation of equipment and documentation related to marine radio. Its Hon Archivist liaises with museums and private collectors and may be happy to provide advice to historians, the media and others with an interest in the subject.
Many ROA members were concerned that there was no central record of radio equipment and Radio Officer memorabilia in the country. There was also a very real danger that without such a record, objects and information related to our industry would be lost forever.
The objective was to create a repository for sources of information, documents, memorabilia or equipment relevant to the marine radio industry. The response of members for information has proved worthwhile. Over the last two years, a list of archiving material has been constantly amended and updated as new information has been received. The central register is available to the members as an information source and general research tool.
Items contained in the archive include a list of ships and museums known to have items of radio equipment or related documents. Several individuals around the country have collected radio equipment and have their own "radio room" in the garage or shed. Many members have kept textbooks and instruction manuals of various radio equipments, thus a comprehensive file on such items has been complied.
Information of Radio Officer Examination Results from 1910 to 1974 is currently held at Merseyside Maritime Museum consisting of 118 volumes. These records offer a fascinating insight into the PMG examinations especially the handwritten comments of the examiners. Other Radio Officer Examination Results from 1950 are held at the Association of Marine Radio Colleges (AMERC) national administration centre at Wray Castle College, Ambleside, Cumbria, details are held on cards and ledgers.
The ROA archive has a limited number of photographs of radio rooms of different periods donated by members. Contact is maintained with other organisations interested in marine radio. The Liverpool Marine Radio and Electronics Society for example, have an extensive collection of radio equipment and documents that are included in the ROA archive.
The association is particularly proud to have been given the original Register of Radio Officers Lost At Sea 1939-1945. This was complied by ex Radio Officers Peter J Barber and his colleague George V Monk and lists the 1,406 Radio Officers known to have been lost during the war. A copy of the first page of this register is shown below.
This year we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 5 year Battle of the Atlantic - the most important event in UK participation of WWII.
Throughout WWII, 1,408 Radio Officers were killed, and with Masters formed 10% of circa 24,000 Merchant Navy seamen casualties reported from a total of 2,952 British ships sunk. (1,882 allied ships and 577 neutral ships were also lost).
180,000 men of all races and creeds were employed under the Red Duster. Of these approximately 140,000 were at sea at one time. Total casualties of seamen employed under the British Register was approximatelt 35,000, of which approximatelt 24,000 appear on the Tower Hill Memorial. The remainder of the 11,000 appear on memorials at Calcutta, Bombay, Halifax and in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong. A small number appear in the grave registers of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
The Prime Minister, on 11th April 1945, in the course of a reply to a question in the House of Commons on the number of caualties to all ranks of British Commonwealth and Empire forces, gave the following figures for the Merchant Navy.
Casualties to merchant seamen due to enemy action reported from 3rd September 1939 to 28 February 1945:
Deaths: 30,179
Internees: 3,982
Total: 34,161
W G Williamson
ROA Archivist
| Members Register British Radio Officers Lost At Sea - 1939 to 1945 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ABBOTI, 2nd R.O. NORMAN OWEN (35) 16th May 1942 |
MV SAN VICTORIO | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West of Granada the tanker San Victorio, 8,136 tons (Eagle Oil and Shipping Co., Aruba to the UK was sunk by U-155. There was one survivor. Forty-four of her crew lost their lives. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | ABDALE, 1st R.O LEONARD FOSTER (42) 20th March 1941 |
SS BENWYVIS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North of Cape Verde Islands the cargo liner Benwyvis, 5,920 tons (Ben Line), Far East to the UK was sunk by U-105. Twelve members of the crew died. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | ACKROYD, 2nd R.O MICHAEL SEYMOUR (24) 30th September 1940 |
SS SAMALA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West of Ireland U-37 sank the refrigerated cargo ship Samala, 5,390 tons (Elders and Fyffes), outward-bound with the loss of sixty-five of her crew. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | AKBARI, 2nd R.O SYED HASSAN (22) 8th March 1943 |
SS VOJVODA PUTNIK | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Vojvoda Putnik straggled from Convoy 121S with steering trouble. She radioed on the 8th March 1943 that she was sinking 600 miles ESE of Cape Farewell. Her crew, 44 officers and men, abandoned her at 1621 CET and were never seen again. At 2119 CET, U-591 sank the hulk by gunfire and torpedo. She was from NY for the UK. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | ALBROW, 1st R.O HERBERT VICTOR (47) 28th November 1940 |
SS IRENE MARIA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In the North Atlantic the cargo ship Irene Maria, 1,860 tons (C.Anderson) was sunk by U-95 with the loss of twenty-five of her crew. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | ALCOCK, 2nd R.O HARRY (21) 7th March 1943 |
MV EMPIRE LIGHT | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Northeast of Halifax the tanker Empire Light, 6,537 tons (MOWT) the UK to New York was sunk by U-638. Thirty-nine members of the crew lost their lives.
Collective Call Signs These were Company Collective Call Signs, which were sent out by Portishead Radio to notify all ships within that company, that there was collective traffic for them. Many Radio Officers will remember them ...
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||