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This page will provide you with a portal to a wide variety of information about marine and aeronautical radio communications - past and present. Its main purpose, however, is to provide an introduction to the Association which exists to ensure that the work, life and times of the Marine, Aeronautical, Coast Stations and Clandestine Radio Officer are not forgotten.

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 30,000 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.