# What shipping company which radio company?



## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

Having missed out on radio company employ and apart from knowing that MIMCo had the lion's share what radio companies were accredited to which shipping companies throughout the MN and in some cases split between two? 
Direct employ companies in the mid fifties from memory were Blue Funnel, Brocklebank, Reardon Smith, Paddy Henderson, NZS, P&O, Union Castle and possibly others.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Certainly Denholm's had both Mimco and K-H (any others?) when I came ashore in 1981.

K-H got the sack permanently when they didn't want to share the pain when Cast went..... oops mustn't upset John!

Mimco did get some further comfort in that the deposit scheme (enough owners money upfront to cover potential Radio Traffic administration bills) was established for them (don't know if this was the first). Although ex Mimco it was mainly David Underwood's plan although I did fetch the coffee whenever he and Ron Dennis met.

Later on, when servicing Mr. Fairhurst's always interesting repossessions, SAIT often figrured in the creditor line up but never, I think contracted, only inherited and usually hostile.

Many RTAAs (including MIMCO) were very laissez faire with credit control allowing MANAGERS to be months or even many months in arrears (invariably happened when client short of funds as with "safety items only" or "crew welfare only" instructions when manager's funds were threatened!). The deposit obviated the usual embarassment with the RTAA if a client failed. Why not other suppliers you ask. I don't know for sure but may be it was recognised that the RTAA by law had to settle the Radio Administrations bills whther they had the funds to do so or not.


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## Roger Bentley (Nov 15, 2005)

R651400 said:


> Having missed out on radio company employ and apart from knowing that MIMCo had the lion's share what radio companies were accredited to which shipping companies throughout the MN and in some cases split between two?
> Direct employ companies in the mid fifties from memory were Blue Funnel, Brocklebank, Reardon Smith, Paddy Henderson, NZS, P&O, Union Castle and possibly others.


Bibby Line employed their own ROs Cheers, Roger


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

My first ship was Denholms which was AEI.

David
+


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## Quiney (Oct 2, 2008)

I was with IMRC.

They also had some of the Denholms ships (Troll boats)

They also had Geest, Bookers, some Esso, some Ellermans, some Blue Star (laterly ALL Blue Star), some Bank Line, Harrisons(Clyde), Ropners. some of IOMSPCo.

There were others but I can't remember/didn't sail on them.


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## Duncan112 (Dec 28, 2006)

I think Bank Line was initially all Marconi then when the "Fish" class came out they went to IMR (Roumour had it that Marconi thought that they were a shoo in so didn't put a good offer together which IMR did) then the Cora class went to IMR. I assume they eventually went GMDSS and dispensed with the R/O completely but would welcome correction on that.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

R651400 said:


> Direct employ companies in the mid fifties from memory were Blue Funnel, Brocklebank, Reardon Smith, Paddy Henderson, NZS, *P&O*, Union Castle and possibly others.


Initially and well into the 1970s, Orient Line were MIMCo R/O Clients, although P&O were direct-employed. For some reason, Mauretania (1938) was MIMCo as well but I don't know if there were any other MIMCo Cunarders.


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

What was Marconi's mark up on the R/O salary?

How much did they make on R/Os?


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Troppo said:


> What was Marconi's mark up on the R/O salary?
> 
> How much did they make on R/Os?


Who knows? I do know that the rates paid by Marconi to R/Os was in accordance with the agreements with the NMB. So the shipowner knew what he was being charged and the amount being paid to the R/O that he was being supplied with. So the shipowner always knew the gross margin that Marconi was making.

The profit came from being smart at using the optimum number of men to keep the overall fleet supplied with men when they were required. If a shipowner needed say an average of 1.7 men per post (to cover leave, sickness etc.) but Marconi could cover the post with only 1.6 men, then there was money to be made. But I have no idea just how good they were at that.


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## Tony Selman (Mar 8, 2006)

Ron, Orient switched from Mimco to P&O direct employ in the very late 60's, or at the very latest in early 1970. I don't know the precise date but I was on both Oriana and Oronsay in the second half of 1970. I joined Oronsay in December 1970 and the 4R/O on that voyage (posts as Buoy on this board) had previously been 3R/O, whilst with Mimco, on the same ship in 1969.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Tony Selman said:


> Ron, Orient switched from Mimco to P&O direct employ in the very late 60's, or at the very latest in early 1970.


I stand corrected, Tony. I went to Chelmsford in 1967 and later visited various Orient Line ships in Soton and Tilbury. But I remembered the visits as a long time after 1967, hence my statement. I seem to remember the early days being occupied with North Sea gas and oil comms., but time plays tricks with memories and maybe the Orient visits were mixed in between trips offshore, rather than sequential to them.

Oh, why didn't I keep a diary?


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## holland25 (Nov 21, 2007)

Ron Stringer said:


> Initially and well into the 1970s, Orient Line were MIMCo R/O Clients, although P&O were direct-employed. For some reason, Mauretania (1938) was MIMCo as well but I don't know if there were any other MIMCo Cunarders.


My first ship with MIMCO, in 1956, was the Cunarder Parthia .I believe her sister ship Media was IMR.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Ron Stringer said:


> Who knows? I do know that the rates paid by Marconi to R/Os was in accordance with the agreements with the NMB. So the shipowner knew what he was being charged and the amount being paid to the R/O that he was being supplied with. So the shipowner always knew the gross margin that Marconi was making.
> 
> The profit came from being smart at using the optimum number of men to keep the overall fleet supplied with men when they were required. If a shipowner needed say an average of 1.7 men per post (to cover leave, sickness etc.) but Marconi could cover the post with only 1.6 men, then there was money to be made. But I have no idea just how good they were at that.


Ron, the only marker I have is that the cost of the AMERC to Mimco took three years to break even. Allowing for both (modestly) higher hire-out and wages. David V


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## Peter Eccleson (Jan 16, 2006)

Radio & Electronic Services was the Brocklebank (Cunard) owned company which supplied R/O's to Brocks, Moss Tankers, ACT, ACL, Cunard, Port Line and NNO Co and occasionally to others when our illustrious Bill Curry did a 'deal' ( I spent 4 months on a Blue Star ship America Star when Mimco were short of available staff in the 70's


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

Roger Bentley said:


> Bibby Line employed their own ROs Cheers, Roger


New one on me Roger always thought Bibby's was Mimco. 
Interesting the split between companies and some of the reasons.
BTC which eventually became BP I remember mainly as Siemens but think also had some ships MIMCo.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

R651400 said:


> New one on me Roger always thought Bibby's was Mimco.


Their radio super (? Bainbridge?) was an occasional visitor to MIMCo at Chelmsford so we must have been doing some business with them.


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

Not forgetting one of the biggest direct employers of all Union Steam NZ...


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## Alistair Macnab (May 13, 2008)

Duncan112 said:


> I think Bank Line was initially all Marconi then when the "Fish" class came out they went to IMR (Roumour had it that Marconi thought that they were a shoo in so didn't put a good offer together which IMR did) then the Cora class went to IMR. I assume they eventually went GMDSS and dispensed with the R/O completely but would welcome correction on that.


The Bank Line were originally all MIMCO but then moved away as noted. In the early days Lord Inverforth (Andrew Weir I) was a director of the Marconi Companies and was on hand when Marconi made a bid for BBC TV against the Baird Group in the 1930s. Baird won.


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## Roger Bentley (Nov 15, 2005)

*Bibby Direct employ*



R651400 said:


> New one on me Roger always thought Bibby's was Mimco.
> Interesting the split between companies and some of the reasons.
> BTC which eventually became BP I remember mainly as Siemens but think also had some ships MIMCo.


Their first radio superintendent Sammy Lemon had secured direct employ long before WW2. It was George Nutter during my time. I started with them as 4th RO on the trooper Lancashire in September 1950. Cheers, Roger


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## slick (Mar 31, 2006)

All,
I seem to remember that in Palm Line MIMCO had the radio equipent and of course the Radio Officer (who did a bit of Tallying on the Coast, but the Radar was a Decca 45, thank God as it was so reliable.
In the rare event of a Radar breakdown it was the 2nd. Mate's baby!!

Yours aye,


slick


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## cajef (Feb 8, 2012)

slick said:


> but the Radar was a Decca 45, thank God as it was so reliable.


That is going back a few years, I joined Decca as an engineer in 1968 and the Type 45 was more or less obsolete by then, as far as I can recollect in the thirty years I worked for Decca I only ever worked on one.


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Not quite all Palm Line. Lokoja Palm had AEI gear and R/O. 

Was the Decca 45 the one with an HT fuse in the unit that went round with the scanner ? (and only blew when it was very wet and very windy !!)

David
+


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## cajef (Feb 8, 2012)

david.hopcroft said:


> Was the Decca 45 the one with an HT fuse in the unit that went round with the scanner ? (and only blew when it was very wet and very windy !!)


That was the one, when I joined Decca I was initially based at their London service depot.

We had one of the older engineers called Steve that had worked on the early radars, the 159, Type 45 and Type 12, whenever we got a call for service on one of these he always volunteered to go as he was used to them and actually liked working on them, probably a case of familiarity, we younger engineers were more than happy as they were usually in a pretty rough state and not the easiest gear to work on.

http://www.woottonbridgeiow.org.uk/decca-legacy/chapter4.php


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## john larder (Jul 2, 2012)

Hello Roger I can tell you that from my experience at sea from 1942 to long after the war Marconi were to my knowledge the leading company for R/Os I knew of only a few with IMI. Hope this is of some interest to you John Larder


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

Where did Redifon feature in this? 
Blue Funnel was a big customer in the way of equipment and I did hear later just as I left the sea Redifon employed R/O's.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

I think Redifon took over IMR.

John T


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

trotterdotpom said:


> I think Redifon took over IMR.
> 
> John T


http://www.radiomuseum.org/dsp_hersteller_detail.cfm?company_id=8258

http://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/ltd/international-marine-radio-company


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

Thanks for above. 
Who among us cannot remember Rediffusion! 
I also believe Redifon supplied personnel to trawlers, the offshore industry and maybe freelance.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Ron Stringer said:


> http://www.radiomuseum.org/dsp_hersteller_detail.cfm?company_id=8258
> 
> http://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/ltd/international-marine-radio-company


Not sure what that means, but probably that I was wrong. OK.

Think I may have taken a Freelance job from Redifon once, but cvould be wrong on that too.

Yes, I remember Rediffusion. My cousin was a "Wayleave Officer" with them. She used to get permission from people to have Rediffusion wires attached to their houses for about 6d (that's sixpence for the uninitiated) per century. Council houses didn't get the option, the local authority had already been paid off.

John T.


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## Peter Eccleson (Jan 16, 2006)

The two Cunarders built in 1976 "Cunard Countess" and "Cunard Princess" were fitted with Redifon equipment. Their 1500w transmitters were nothing but trouble! Rest of the gear was pretty reasonable. I think Radio & Electronic Services got a cheap deal to nest all it.


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## richardwakeley (Jan 4, 2010)

Blue Funnel bought Redifon gear when they upgraded to SSB in the mid 70s. I was on "Priam" when we had the 1500W Tx and synthesized Rx fitted at Singapore. We still retained the original Marconi Globespan Tx. I modified it to use the R/T channel slots for use as additional W/T channels, as the new calling channels had just come into use and the Globespan was easier to operate on W/T. Blue Funnel sent quite a few us to the Redifon factory at Crawley for training - a good week on which I learned a lot.


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## keithpearson (Apr 12, 2008)

Reardon Smith employed their own radio officers. The Radio Superintendent was Frank Sully. Throughout my time with Smiths we had a mixture of radio equipment including Marconi, IMR, Redifon and Eddystone (receivers). They were a great company to work for. I was there from 1956 to 1962 after 2 years with MIMCO.


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Roger Bentley said:


> Their first radio superintendent Sammy Lemon had secured direct employ long before WW2. It was George Nutter during my time. I started with them as 4th RO on the trooper Lancashire in September 1950. Cheers, Roger


Hello Roger,
Interesting that you worked with George Nutter. He survived the sinking of CITY OF CAIRO in 1942 and was awarded the MBE(Civ) for his service during 13 days in an open boat. If you have any further information about him I would love to hear it.

Regards
Hugh


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## John Callon (Dec 20, 2008)

I also remember George Nutter Radio Super with Bibbys. He was in charge of that department when I joined Bibbys in the early 60's. When he retired he was superceded by Roy Bateman. I knew that George had been shipwrecked in 1942 and spent days in an open boat. All I can tell you about him Hugh, is that he was a thorough gentleman and had time for anyone whether they were from the Radio Department or other Departments. One of the best.
Regards
John


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## Roger Bentley (Nov 15, 2005)

*Re George*



Hugh MacLean said:


> Hello Roger,
> Interesting that you worked with George Nutter. He survived the sinking of CITY OF CAIRO in 1942 and was awarded the MBE(Civ) for his service during 13 days in an open boat. If you have any further information about him I would love to hear it.
> 
> Regards
> Hugh


Hugh, Many years later when editor of the ROA journal QSO an article mentioning George was published. This drew the response from a lady who as a child had been in the lifeboat with George. She was full of praise for him and said that he had in fact taken charge of the boat as no bridge offiicer was in that boat. I was able to tell her he had a long retirement and played a lot of golf, as my brother met him at a golf tournament and by that time he must have been over 80. Cheers, Roger


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

John and Roger,
Many thanks for your replies - much appreciated.
I wrote a website about the ship but despite much correspondence with others never came across any relatives of George and by chance a Google search took me to this thread.
George took charge of lifeboat No.6 and initially went unrecognised until a passenger in the lifeboat, Ruby Cooke wrote a letter in high praise of him. Another passenger, Dulcie Kup was also very sure of their debt to him. He was subsequently and well deservedly awarded the MBE.

http://www.sscityofcairo.co.uk/dulciekendall.php

Thank you both once again.

Regards
Hugh


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