# Ship's Call Sign



## Alan Couchman (Jun 1, 2007)

Could anybody tell me which ship had the call sign GNDA (in the mid 1960's)? All the best.

Alan C


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

the b.i. uganda instantly springs to mind.......

but it doesnt usually work so neatly....................


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## Alan Couchman (Jun 1, 2007)

Hi sparkie2182,

Many thanks for such a quick reply. I'll try b.i. uganda on Google and see what comes up. 

I have a fascination with ship call signs (how much more of an "anorak" can you get). When I was a young lad in the '60's I used to like listening in to the CW marine bands (8MHz, 12MHz) on my parents' old Bush radio fed by a few feet of wire. As morse practice I used to copy down traffic lists from various stations - for some reason GNDA stuck in my mind, and I often wondered which ship that was.

Sad that there is nothing now to hear on the CW bands.

All the best,

Alan C


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

hello alan........

as a former radio officer i must endorse your comment about "anoraks" when referring to fascination with ships callsigns........ makes train spotting seem positively ultra chic.................

the allocation of a ships call sign i found to be generally of a random nature.

ie........oriana gvsn g denoting uk

orsova maba m also denoting uk

qe2 gbtt 

calypso firq (jaques cousteau ship) (f denoting france)

the two cunarders who did have a special allocation were the great trans atlantic queens........

queen elizabeth gbqe

queen mary gbqm


if you regularly noted the call sign......it may well have been from a high traffic ship (maybe passenger vessel).......as such a large amount of radio telegrams were sent to/from such a ship.

a copy of the admiralty list of call signs of the period........would give you the name of the ship. i dunno where you would find one of these.

alternatively, a post on the british india section of the forum......would discount or confirm the guess of uganda.

i took a look through google on your behalf.....but found nothing.

best of luck in your endeavour...........


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## Ian (Mar 27, 2004)

sparkie2182 said:


> the two cunarders who did have a special allocation were the great trans atlantic queens........
> 
> queen elizabeth gbqe
> 
> queen mary gbqm


I would be interested to learn when the call-signs of these two great ships changed? During my few years at sea and for a considerable time afterwards, their call-signs were:-

Queen Elizabeth/GBSS

Queen Mary/GBTT

After the Queen Mary was taken out of service, her call-sign GBTT was transferred to the then new QE2.

Hope this helps and, hell, I must be getting old.

Apologies to the OP as I can't help him and I certainly don't mean to hijack his thread, but as this is the Ship Research forum it doesn't seem too unreasonable to question a statement that, at this time, doesn't tally with what I have long understood to be the case.

Regards


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## Peter Eccleson (Jan 16, 2006)

Concur with the view on GBTT as the old QM's callsign tranferred to QE2. sailed on QE2 as R/O in 1980 and was told the history of the callsign then.


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## Ian (Mar 27, 2004)

Peter Eccleson said:


> Concur with the view on GBTT as the old QM's callsign tranferred to QE2. sailed on QE2 as R/O in 1980 and was told the history of the callsign then.


I know (knew) 'em all Peter. Sailed just three trips as 3rd R/O on Ivernia/GTKX in 1960 and one trip as 3rd R/O on Saxonia/GSJS shortly afterwards. Worked into most of the big ships in those days. I may forget what happened earlier today, but I remember those far off days so well! (Thumb)

Regards


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

strange how the wires cross in the mind.............

i was on the qe2 in 70s and vaguely remember the gbtt WAS a remnant of the old queen mary ....quite right.

i also remember an old portishead operator who worked both vessels on a daily basis, and im sure he gave me the info i posted above, as , he said, it was the easiest set of call signs to distinguish.

it think .......with the passing of time........i have rewired his words .......and he was referring to two other sister ships.......union castle.........royal mail.......p&o or whatever. this sounds like the most likely event.

interesting to note the qm2 is gbqm.

all this bears out my point to alan,who began this thread, that it doesnt usually work so neatly.

regards to all..............


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## Alan Couchman (Jun 1, 2007)

Hi Sparkie2182,

Many thanks for your reply to my question about the ship with call sign GNDA. You suggested the b.i. Uganda.

I did a search and found: On website:

http://www.biship.com/logentries4.htm, the entry:

"Roger Haddock, UK - Tuesday, May 6, 2003 at 22:01:09
Hi, I am looking for the Radio callsigns for : SS Nevasa , SS Uganda & SS Dunera. Former passenger cruise 126 (1965) on Nevassa ,now a marine and aeronautical radio operator. Hope someone can help [Nevasa: GPQV, Uganda: GFRQ - Editor]". 

So it looks like GNDA might be another ship.

All the very best,

Alan C


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

looks very much like it .......as i said......... nothing ties in as neatly as one would think..............

strangely.....i once knew a roger haddock......he was on a course i was teaching some years ago......he was a technician in the film industry at the time........... had a great interest in communications.

the wonders of the internet..........

best regards............


sparkie2182


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## Tony Breach (Jun 15, 2005)

DUNERA GBBR

Tony


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## Bob73 (Nov 29, 2008)

Having just found this site I find it interesting not only do I remember QM GBTT and QE GBSS and enjoyed several pints on board these ships when tied up on the opposite side of the pier in New York, but I really must be getting old! I also remember the Mauritania GTTM when she was on her last voyage we were both in Cork at the same time. I was RO on the Sylvania GVTF.

Bob


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Welcome to the crew, Bob.
I see you've found the radio room. 
You'll find plenty of us knocking around the ship.
Keep on exploring and enjoy the trip.


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