# AEI Radio Officers



## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

From the mid 1950s onwards,a plain paper supplement accompanied each issue of Marconi Marine's glossy house magazine, the 'Mariner', listing the names of radio officers employed by the company and the ships to which they had been appointed. Inserted at the beginning of the supplement for Issue 109 of the magazine (September-October, 1965) was a listing of the names of all 223 radio officers that had transferred to MIMCo following the purchase of AEI's marine radio business.

I am in the process of copying a number of the supplements, kindly loaned to me by Tony Selman, and have attached the first two pages of the supplement, showing that list, which may be of interest to some of the not-so-young SN radio officer members.


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Thanks for that Ron. I see my name there. 

I was on the S.A.Langkloof/ZSHI at the time. The Mimco Southampton depot refused me a sub because I hadn't been in a full month !

Did we still have to fill in our own pay books as with AEI ?

David
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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

david.hopcroft said:


> Did we still have to fill in our own pay books as with AEI? David


Dunno about the AEI guys but we MIMCo men did not do anything with our pay books, other than present them to the depot cashier. Don't think they trusted us to handle money. Mine was little used since apart from the £4, £8, or £12 that I was permitted to draw on board ship _each_ _month_, I had my salary paid directly into my bank account every month and didn't draw out cash against my salary using the pay book. 

I was not willing to let the company have the benefit of my money until I got back and signed off, before claiming it from the nearest depot. But many people did not bother and, apart from any cash advances they drew when in port, did not draw their salary until the end of the trip. Imagine how much the R/Os in the Bank Line fleet must have been owed ***ulatively at any one time, let alone the rest of the R/Os on other ships.


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

I seem to remember that the Mimco depot in Southampton was not far from the main dock gate - the fruit berth was across the dock from the Ocean Terminal in those days. It was therefore nearer and would have been a lot quicker than walking up town to find a Martins Bank branch. Contactless payment was a long way off in 1965 !

I found my old bank on google maps. It is now a wine bar on Rice Lane Liverpool.

David
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I hope you can open this pdf. It was the only way I could think of getting it off google maps.


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Ron

I understand that our AEI personnel manager - Mr Weatherhead - transferred to Chelmsford at takeover. Do you know what became of him ? He was remembered as a thorough gentleman by AEI RO's.

David
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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

David,

Les Weatherhead was indeed a lovely man and he moved to run the R/O side of the Personnel Department at Chelmsford. He was much liked by all he worked with there and by the radio officers - AEI and MIMCo alike - who found him to be a great improvement on the usual MIMCo type of personnel people. R'Os suddenly found themselves treated as significant human beings, rather than numbers to be moved around as mere fodder to feed ship vacancies. In what few dealings I had with him I found him to be very approachable and practical. He was there for several years starting in the mid-late 1960s and, I believe, retired from there in the 1970s but I couldn't give you a date. 

I left the sea-staff in 1966 and had relatively little to do with that side of the business until the mid-1990s, when what was left of it was moved into Operations department under me. Les had long gone by then and all the people that worked in personnel department with him at Chelmsford have now crossed the bar.


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

I did have one experience of the 'numbers' approach. As I lived near Liverpool, I went in to the depot there near the end of my leave, to 'see what went on'. I was directed to wait my turn in the waiting room where two others were sat. A ships call sign suddenly came out of a speaker I hadn't seen, but nobody moved. When an irate clerk came stomping up 'Didn't you hear your call sign ?' one said 'Yes, but I paid off this morning, not my ship now' 

David


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## Wismajorvik (Dec 29, 2011)

Ron Stringer said:


> From the mid 1950s onwards,a plain paper supplement accompanied each issue of Marconi Marine's glossy house magazine, the 'Mariner', listing the names of radio officers employed by the company and the ships to which they had been appointed. Inserted at the beginning of the supplement for Issue 109 of the magazine (September-October, 1965) was a listing of the names of all 223 radio officers that had transferred to MIMCo following the purchase of AEI's marine radio business.
> 
> I am in the process of copying a number of the supplements, kindly loaned to me by Tony Selman, and have attached the first two pages of the supplement, showing that list, which may be of interest to some of the not-so-young SN radio officer members.


I left AEI six months before the sell out. I see the name K.Oliphant who if I recollect was at Hull Tech about the same time as myself and who I bumped into when he joined GKZ, as I was installing kit there in '67.


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## Wismajorvik (Dec 29, 2011)

Ron Stringer said:


> David,
> 
> Les Weatherhead was indeed a lovely man and he moved to run the R/O side of the Personnel Department at Chelmsford. He was much liked by all he worked with there and by the radio officers - AEI and MIMCo alike - who found him to be a great improvement on the usual MIMCo type of personnel people. R'Os suddenly found themselves treated as significant human beings, rather than numbers to be moved around as mere fodder to feed ship vacancies. In what few dealings I had with him I found him to be very approachable and practical. He was there for several years starting in the mid-late 1960s and, I believe, retired from there in the 1970s but I couldn't give you a date.
> 
> I left the sea-staff in 1966 and had relatively little to do with that side of the business until the mid-1990s, when what was left of it was moved into Operations department under me. Les had long gone by then and all the people that worked in personnel department with him at Chelmsford have now crossed the bar.


I met 'Weather' when docked in London's KGV and crossed the river to visit the office. His no.2 I believe was Terry Gamble(?) who I met again at Redifon in '66.


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## Manchester (Feb 24, 2011)

I did have one experience of the 'numbers' approach. As I lived near Liverpool, I went in to the depot there near the end of my leave, to 'see what went on'. I was directed to wait my turn in the waiting room where two others were sat. A ships call sign suddenly came out of a speaker I hadn't seen, but nobody moved. When an irate clerk came stomping up 'Didn't you hear your call sign ?' one said 'Yes, but I paid off this morning, not my ship now' 

Remember it well !!!! 

Bob Porter, can I have my expenses now please. I did recognise my c/s
whilst in the waiting room.


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## Ystradgynlais (Nov 2, 2013)

It was indeed a pleasure to meet and work with Mr Weatherhead - I joined Siemens in early 1945, directly from the L.T.T.C Penywern Road Earls Court (Subject matter also mentioned in a another forum) which used Siemens equipment. (The LTTC was advertised on the back cover of the Radio Operator's Handbook issued by the PMG dept of that era. 

Mr Weatherhead spent sometime with a new R/o employee, wanting to know what his needs were in regards to deep sea, coasting, long voyages etc etc, and 90 % of the time was able to comply with their seafaring needs, - it seemed there was a niche that suited all - Mr Wxhead put that extra effort into pleasing every one! 

On his passing c2003(?) he was described as "The Radio Officer's Radio Officer"

I served with Siemens between 1945 - 1953, a wonderful experience made all the better by Mr Weatherhead (we were more formal in those days!) From a battered memory his boss was R.J.Bird, a 'doff your hat' type of boss . . .


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

I knew 8 of them on the lists. I was with AEI from early 1961 until Marconi took over whilst I was on leave, so moved to B & C, as Marconi were not agreeable to me rejoining a ship that I had been on for about two years. Yes, Mr. Weatherhead was great. In 1963, I asked the Liverpool office if I could be appointed to the _Sagamore_, that I knew to be coming out of layup in the Gareloch. They said no! Anyway, Mr. Weatherhead found out about my request, and I was appointed to _Sagamore_ a few days later. After 3 or 4 months, when I felt like leave, I would send him an AEI SVC message from Bascay, and my relief was always there when we docked! Then I would return to the same ship. I know some of my colleagues felt it was a bit of a cheek to ask for what I wanted, but I continued to do this throughout 31 years, first with AEI, then with B & C, then Silver Line, and finally Curnow Shipping, and most of the time, it worked!B\)
I probably would not have left AEI if Marconi had not taken over.
My AEI ships were _Rhodesia Star, Joya McCance, Frederick T. Everard, __Wandsworth_ and _Sagamore._
Bob


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## Moulder (Aug 19, 2006)

Ystradgynlais said:


> It was indeed a pleasure to meet and work with Mr Weatherhead - I joined Siemens in early 1945, directly from the L.T.T.C Penywern Road Earls Court (Subject matter also mentioned in a another forum) which used Siemens equipment. (The LTTC was advertised on the back cover of the Radio Operator's Handbook issued by the PMG dept of that era.
> 
> Mr Weatherhead spent sometime with a new R/o employee, wanting to know what his needs were in regards to deep sea, coasting, long voyages etc etc, and 90 % of the time was able to comply with their seafaring needs, - it seemed there was a niche that suited all - Mr Wxhead put that extra effort into pleasing every one!
> 
> ...


The (now) London Electronics College in Penywern Road was still advertising in the 1975 edition Radio Ops Handbook - then under Dave Evans (Jnr).

(Thumb)


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## Gordon L Smeaton (Dec 28, 2006)

Regarding Tomy Scambler ex AEI R/O looks like he transferred to direct employ when BP started taking on their own R/O's. Have him on the British Sovereign in 1960, Power 61, Adventure 62, Break for doing 1st class, Confidence 65, Commerce 69, Ensign 70, Progress 73, Scientist 74, Ranger 77, Explorer 80, Resoution 81, no record beyond that date.


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

Sounds like he liked BP..


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## Larry Bennett (Aug 28, 2005)

Fascinating stuff. Recognised many names from the list who went on to work at GKA - most of whom are still very much alive and well!

Larry +


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## Commalog (Feb 28, 2017)

*Tony Gray ex Aei radio officer*

Hi Ron, tony Gray here in oz. think I was at Norwood tech with you 1963 1964 ? Then went to Aei then to Marconi thus on your excellent list Aei to Marconi. Then to p and o then to redifon marine as overseas service manager based at. Wandsworth and then oil rigs and oz. great forum of yours. Snowy Lindberg ring a bell he out here now. First ship to sea was white oiler Tudor prince as junior Ro to mike Howells from hull he on your Aei Marconi transfer list as well remember well gamble etc at Aei hope you well tony Anthony gray


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## Robert M Hughes (Oct 16, 2010)

Mr. Weatherhead was calm and a very helpful gentleman - I arrived at his desk at lunchtime once but had to sit and wait until he had finished his sandwiches- ideal Manager. At Siemens/AEI left before transfer - I noted W.E. Holbrook and wonder if he's still around. Took over the 'Sovac' from him in Palermo - he was desolate due to the fact he had applied for a transfer after a heavy night out! The Agent finally had to give him money to get home since he kept missing flights. Known to the 'ladies' of Naples as Sir William - our home base- he had a habit of using a glove on his morse hand! I understood his anguish at leaving a Med runner, great ship until we went to Nagasaki to be scrapped.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Commalog said:


> Hi Ron, tony Gray here in oz. think I was at Norwood tech with you 1963 1964 ?


Not this Ron, Tony.

I did my 2nd Class PMG in 1958/59 at Manchester's Brooks Bar radio school and my 1st Class and BoT Radar Maintenance at South Shields in 1964. So it was another Ron (or another Stringer - MIMCo had 2 or three others with that surname) that you knew at Norwood. 

Glad to hear from someone who was around at the time. I'm doing fine thank you, even if the doctor's don't seem to share my opinion.


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## 7912bob (Jun 4, 2010)

remember the mimco Liverpool office well. I paid off an ed ship there and went in to drop off the accounts (ed direct employ) placed them on a desk in front of the receptionist who promptly gave them back to me "sit over there". I said I am on leave, she said so are they (about six). I returned them to her and walked out.


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

7912bob said:


> remember the mimco Liverpool office well. I paid off an ed ship there and went in to drop off the accounts (ed direct employ) placed them on a desk in front of the receptionist who promptly gave them back to me "sit over there". I said I am on leave, she said so are they (about six). I returned them to her and walked out.


Hahah! Excellent. Typical.


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## Bugkey (Dec 31, 2011)

I would like to add my appreciation for Mr Weatherhead. He was a kind man that appreciated the work we did and when you went out of your way to help the company he always acknowledged it by letter.

I resigned from AEI when Marconi took over the Marine operation and came ashore which as it turned out did me a favour.


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