# Company ROs



## John Melbourne (Sep 15, 2013)

Hi, 
Does anyone know of a list of companies that employed their own ROs?
Were employment conditions any different from say Marconi"s?
Didn't Cunard get there ROs from IMR?
Were their any wireless companies other than Marconi that employed ROs. 
I haven't heard much about Siemens Bros. What were they like? What lines did they provide ROs for? 
Thanks
John


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## J. Davies (Dec 29, 2010)

It would probably be difficult to find such a list . There were hundreds of shipping companies world-wide. From my own small perspective I only ever worked direct-employ. The best was Swire of Hong Kong who ran an excellent provident fund and offered generous study leave.


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## John Melbourne (Sep 15, 2013)

Thanks. John? I was only expecting replies about UK companies, So you are probably just the man to help with my little project. I see you are based in Singapore. I am particularly interested in the history of marine wireless telegraphy in the Far East. A very far fetched topic to research but perhaps I could start from immediately post WW2.
Presume you worked for CN Co. So who did you work for after you left them?
When did Swire phase out UK based ROs? Why did Swire have Siemens equipment when surely Marconi was the dominant equipment provider. Who serviced the Siemens equipment? In HK and in out-ports. I think there was a world wide outfit named RAMAC? 
Look forward to hearing from you.
73


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## P.Arnold (Apr 11, 2013)

Swires in HK I believe had their own service engineers and spares support.

RAMAC was an association of servicing providers world wide. The publication included what services were available.


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## J. Davies (Dec 29, 2010)

[/QUOTE]


John Melbourne said:


> Thanks. John? I was only expecting replies about UK companies, So you are probably just the man to help with my little project. I see you are based in Singapore. I am particularly interested in the history of marine wireless telegraphy in the Far East. A very far fetched topic to research but perhaps I could start from immediately post WW2.
> Presume you worked for CN Co. So who did you work for after you left them?
> When did Swire phase out UK based ROs? Why did Swire have Siemens equipment when surely Marconi was the dominant equipment provider. Who serviced the Siemens equipment? In HK and in out-ports. I think there was a world wide outfit named RAMAC?
> Look forward to hearing from you.
> 73


John I will PM you on this. Cheers.


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## Dimples82 (Aug 24, 2014)

John Melbourne said:


> Hi,
> Does anyone know of a list of companies that employed their own ROs?
> Were employment conditions any different from say Marconi"s?
> Didn't Cunard get there ROs from IMR?
> ...


P&O Passenger Ships & Sanko Steamship Co were both direct employers


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## John Melbourne (Sep 15, 2013)

Thanks for confirming RAMAC members were service providers.

Interesting. I just presumed they were Japanese ROs on all the Sanko ships. On reflection I guess they would have used others for their non Japanese ships. If I am not mistaken all Japanese ships carried at least 2 ROs. And they were not cheap!.
Where did Sanko source them?


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## bpsparks (Nov 27, 2019)

John Melbourne said:


> Thanks for confirming RAMAC members were service providers.
> 
> Interesting. I just presumed they were Japanese ROs on all the Sanko ships. On reflection I guess they would have used others for their non Japanese ships. If I am not mistaken all Japanese ships carried at least 2 ROs. And they were not cheap!.
> Where did Sanko source them?


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## sparks69 (Dec 18, 2005)

BP Tankers/BP Shipping R/O's were directly employed from the 60s (?). Not sure about before then.


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## Dimples82 (Aug 24, 2014)

Sanko - Japanese Flag - Japanese R/O + Deck & Eng Officers
Sanko Flag of Convenience (Singapore/Liberian etc) - NATO/Commonwealth/ Japanese & R/O+ Deck & Eng Officers


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## John Melbourne (Sep 15, 2013)

Thanks. Where were the ROs recruited from? Singapore? India?


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## Dimples82 (Aug 24, 2014)

John Melbourne said:


> Thanks. Where were the ROs recruited from? Singapore? India?
> [/QUOTe


Not sure, I never met any Sanko R/O's from India & Singapore during my time with them. 
As to recruiting, I wrote a letter to Sanko London offering my services as a British Trained R/O, within a few days, no interview, I received an offer of employment as an R/O and a weeks notice to join OBO M/T World Guard in Italy.


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## John Melbourne (Sep 15, 2013)

Thanks


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

There were only a handful of British companies who directly employed when I went to sea in 1956..
By far the biggest was Blue Funnel and others from a fading memory were Bibby, Brocklebank, P&O, Union Castle and subsidiary, Paddy Henderson, NZSC, Reasdon Smith and in NZ Union SS


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## John Melbourne (Sep 15, 2013)

I didn't think there were that many back them. I regularly visited the Blue Flew boys in Aussie.
Cable and Wireless did. I answered an ad but when I attended the interview I was too qualified! Me? Too qualified? Yes I had a 1st Class ticket but the other excuse was that they didn't think I would stay with them too long. I wonder why. Were the conditions on the cable layers so bad?
So I ended up in the RFA!


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## cajef (Feb 8, 2012)

British & Commonwealth Shipping Co (Cayzer Irvine) employed their own which included Union Castle, Safmarine, Clan Line and Bowaters.

Better pay than Marconi and considered one of the company rather then someone just hired out to any shipping company.


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

John Melbourne said:


> So I ended up in the RFA!


What was the RFA like? I visited a couple, and the job certainly looked interesting.


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## John Melbourne (Sep 15, 2013)

I really loved it. Very different from commercial work 
Have a look at my article.






John Asome


Bringing the History and Honour of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service to a wider audience, recording the deeds of the Service and the people who have served in it.




www.historicalrfa.org


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## Baulkham Hills (Jul 11, 2008)

John Melbourne said:


> Thanks for confirming RAMAC members were service providers.
> 
> Interesting. I just presumed they were Japanese ROs on all the Sanko ships. On reflection I guess they would have used others for their non Japanese ships. If I am not mistaken all Japanese ships carried at least 2 ROs. And they were not cheap!.
> Where did Sanko source them?


I filled out an application for Sanko sometime during the early eighties, never heard back from them so I went working for another company. Anyway I was in Rotterdam and I met a guy in the Seamans club and he was going down to their manning office so I tagged along, he worked for them before and the money was good. Anyway to cut a long story short he got the job, the office walla said to me they contacted me 3 months previously and I was not at home.(as if I was going to hang around on the off chance they would call me). From what I gathered European R/O's on tankers and Filipinos etc. on bulkers. My friend did 18 months straight on a tanker and he collected the value of the airfare when he stayed on. From memory they went on a big building program just at the wrong time and went broke, which was a pity.


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## Mike Carter (Apr 15, 2018)

cajef said:


> British & Commonwealth Shipping Co (Cayzer Irvine) employed their own which included Union Castle, Safmarine, Clan Line and Bowaters.
> 
> Better pay than Marconi and considered one of the company rather then someone just hired out to any shipping company.


Marconi was the odd ball company employing R/O's as all their gear was DC.
It was only in later years that they realised how far behind the rest they were, by introducing AC gear.
Other companies (Radio companies) were AEI (Siemens Ediswan - AC gear)
Redifon Ltd, AC gear and owned by Redifusion
IMRC fitted with the best AC gear at sea, a mixture of Standard Radio Of Sweden and Mackay of America
and other gear manufactured in the UK.
I was trained on Marconi Stuff and new that there must be something better out there at sea and with more
power than that awful Oceanspan, and AC gear too.
I was quite right in my assumption, as every other company's gear produced was more powerful and AC powered.
I have met many Marconi R/O's on my travels, and many othem had no idea of any other company's equipment,
always being told that their's was the best. I used to visit other ships to see what gear they had etc. I big eye opener
considering that JRC of Japan had transmitters with auto tuning units in 1964!! Unheard of here.
I started off with A.E.I., then Redifon, then ended up with IMRC. Redifon gear was very similar to IMRC, and I shall
never forget the R408 receiver I operated, as it could be worked off 24v DC instead of ship mains, and give the
emergency batteries a little bit of use. After that, it was the Mackay 3020 synthesized receiver, the best I ever had
at sea.
I hope this helps.
Mike Carter aged 76 years young.


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## pippin (May 13, 2008)

Regarding AC or DC equipment.

The radio gear had to be designed to operate from ships' mains - obviously!

Most ships pre-WW2 and up until the 60's had ships mains of DC, balanced about earth (or sea!).
Either 55-0-55 = 110V DC or 110-0-110 = 220V DC.

Therefore Marconi Marine supplied equipment that would operate from DC (and AC) - simple logic.

To get the higher voltages for transmitters on DC ships involved (usually) a mechanical rotary converter.
On an AC ship a conventional transformer would be utilised by Marconi Marine instead of the rotary converter.

Those other manufacturers that you mention as producing equipment designed for AC had to
convert the DC to AC by means of - you guessed it - *a rotary converter*!

"I was quite right in my assumption, as every other company's gear produced was more powerful and AC powered."

Wrong on another account as well.

Marconi Marine *did* produce higher output transmitters that would operate as above on either AC or DC.
Globespan and Worldspan come to mind.

However British (& Irish & Commonwealth) Merchant Vessels could avail themselves of the Area Scheme whereby incoming and outgoing TFC was relayed by Royal Naval circuits throughout the Commonwealth.
There was simply no need for anything more powerful than the Oceanspan as there were coast stns all over the world who would QSP for you.

So-called Foreign-Flag ships had to work *direct* with whatever Coast Radio Stations across the world might have TFC for them and hence needed high-power and more expensive equipment.

I agree, the Redifon R408 was, and is - I still have one - a superb Rx.
(It needed to be as the successor to the appalling R50M.)
Quite handy being able to operate from AC or DC mains and 24V DC emergency batteries.

You seem to forget that the Marconi Marine 1948 Mercury and Electra receivers could operate from the same diverse range of supplies. As could the later Atalanta.

The worst equipped ship I ever sailed on? MOBIL ASTRAL/GMOH.
I can't quite remember the sequence but Marconi was taken over by GEC who had earlier taken over AEI and thus Marconi Marine inherited a lot of AEI equipped ships, like the Mobil Astral.
The dreaded R50M Rx and the very difficult to operate pair of MF & HF transmitters.


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## pippin (May 13, 2008)

Forgot to add:

Marconi Marine was by no means perfect but must have had something going for it as the largest marine radio enterprise in the world.


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

John Melbourne said:


> I didn't think there were that many back them. ...


More's the pity the entire British MN wasn't direct-employ back then or better still from day one.
The continuance of the seagoing RO to the present day might just have been a possibility if not reality..


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

No regulations stopped the direct-employ shipowners from retaining R/Os. How many of them continue to do so?


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

As has been pointed out, Marconi Marine offered a range of transmitters to shipowners. However most sales were to UK-flagged ship's (for many years the world's largest fleet) and their owners, almost to a man, always chose the cheapest available option. That tended to be the one with the lowest performance that complied with the regulatory carriage requirements. 
Marconi stayed in business for 100 years by giving it's customers what they asked for. It only failed when its main market moved away from the UK and its new owners had neither the understanding nor any interest in maritime affairs to bother adapting it's operations accordingly.


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

#25
As a t loyal (radio) company servant you've made this argument each and every time the subject arises and I really cannot see where it answers how things may have transpired had Mimco Imr or Siemens not feathered their nests/monopolised almost abut not quite the entire UK marine radio spectrum....
I maintain the UK RO in the world's largest merchant fleet of the time would have had a better say and future had he/she been directly employed...


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Sorry for being slow but I don't understand the point that you are arguing. Please explain how R/Os jobs would have been preserved if they all had been direct employed? Radio companies such as Marconi, IMR and Kelvin Hughes provided R/Os as and when shipowners requested them. When shipowners stopped asking for them, the radio companies stopped supplying them and had no option but to make their employees redundant - their jobs no longer existed. If there are no jobs, it follows that there are no employers, whether they be shipowners or radio companies.
The radio companies did not get rid of the jobs, the shipowners (the actual and potential direct-employers) did that in order to save money. The radio companies lobbied for the retention and regulatory adoption of an electronic/ technical officer to replace the R/O but the owners, assisted by the Radio Officer's unions of the UK & the USA, successfully opposed and blocked the idea. 
By the way, at the time that GMDSS was adopted by IMO, there were more R/Os in direct employment in the UK alone than were employed by the radio companies. So if your claim is valid, why didn't the R/O continue?


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## pippin (May 13, 2008)

Getting back to the point of being employed by a Radio Company versus Direct Employ with a Shipping Company.

No UK R/O was forced into a decision on which route to take. It was a matter of personal choice based on several factors.

I was 21 when I went to sea and I chose to go with Marconi Marine, having considered the options.

Not many DE shipping companies were interested in paying the cost of a trainee R/O for six months for no real benefit.
Except perhaps for passenger lines which needed more than one R/O aboard.

I liked the idea of being posted to a variety of different vessels.

Yes, I was comfortable with having trained on Marconi Marine gear but that was a minor consideration.

I knew there were opportunities to receive extra training as things progressed. 
In fact I benefitted after only four years at sea by spending six months at College to upgrade - 
on full pay, leave allowances, subsistence - and all at the expense of Marconi Marine.

Although I did not take advantage, I knew that most of the shore staff of Marconi Marine were ex-R/Os.

Continuity of employment was certainly a factor.

It was horses for courses, remembering that not all DE companies were paragons of virtue.

As Ron mentions, with GMDSS and the march of technology, the R/O became obsolete - no matter how employed.

Incidentally, how did the Radio Companies persuade Ship Owners to take on the expense of six-month trainees?


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

"Incidentally, how did the Radio Companies persuade Ship Owners to take on the expense of six-month trainees?"

I can't answer that and I don't believe there will be anyone surviving from the former staff of the MIMCo R/O personnel department who will know. By the time that R/O appointments became one of my departments, we were not taking on any trainees.
I suspect, completely without any supporting evidence, that MIMCo paid the salary and the ship provided the subsistence, similar to supercargo.
Some other member may be able to provide confirmation (or contradiction).


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

Shipping companies paid for trainee R/O's in Australia. There weren't many berths, though...


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

I know, for a fact, that the company operating the "pride of the British MN" couldn't wait to get rid of their R/Os off said iconic ship....

Thanks for all your help, now piss off!


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

Or shanghaied to a single RO slot on a Thames/Tyne t collier before the six months was completed.
A dear old pal of mine was one and his story of joining his collier after searching and trudging through a Geordie-land ploughed field in full MN uniform was hilarious..


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

I never saw it written down but I believe that the '6-month supervision' requirement before being in charge of a radio station for newly-qualified R/Is was relaxed to 3 months for vessels under 3,000 get. That covered most of the coasting colliers and I knew several R/Is who did a single deep-sea trip of a few weeks before being transferred to a collier. One, with whom I'm still in touch, told me that he joined his first ship in-charge at a London power station after two trips to Canada on an Empress boat. He had an uneventful trip up to the Tyne, sending only TRs. On arrival at Harton Staithes, while closing down the station he discovered that the transmitter antenna selection switch was still in the 'dummy load' position, where it had been set by the MIMCo technician who had demonstrated the station arrangements to him in London.


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## P.Arnold (Apr 11, 2013)

Arbitrator T&J's first trip as 2nd R/O 76 days not much TFC TR's mainly

Signed on as 1st R/O thereafter (with dispensation I was told)

Ramon Dr Larrinaga 5800GRT coastal 5 days 2 TR's

Regent Royal 10500GRT Home trade articles 92 days 
High traffic and SOS Aer Lingus aircraft went missing
Total 173 days
Florian deep sea, Meddy really

Peter


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## Wismajorvik (Dec 29, 2011)

Ron Stringer said:


> I never saw it written down but I believe that the '6-month supervision' requirement before being in charge of a radio station for newly-qualified R/Is was relaxed to 3 months for vessels under 3,000 get. That covered most of the coasting colliers and I knew several R/Is who did a single deep-sea trip of a few weeks before being transferred to a collier. One, with whom I'm still in touch, told me that he joined his first ship in-charge at a London power station after two trips to Canada on an Empress boat. He had an uneventful trip up to the Tyne, sending only TRs. On arrival at Harton Staithes, while closing down the station he discovered that the transmitter antenna selection switch was still in the 'dummy load' position, where it had been set by the MIMCo technician who had demonstrated the station arrangements to re


Re. 6 month supervision.
I applied to Clan Line, (company r/os), after obtaining PMG and MoT Radar. They replied “no vacancies”. I applied to AEI, was accepted and a few weeks later headed to Glasgow to join a Clan Line ship as junior r/o. (AEI must have had some deal with. Lan Line). The ship was H8. After one trip was sent to a vessel less than 3000 tons for a week as single r/o. ( I recollect the regulations regarding manning, tonnage etc are in the Handbook). Next two trips were on an H24 ship as third r/o. That was enough to make up the six months ‘supervised’.


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## CrazySparks (Apr 21, 2008)

John Melbourne said:


> Hi,
> Does anyone know of a list of companies that employed their own ROs?
> Were employment conditions any different from say Marconi"s?
> Didn't Cunard get there ROs from IMR?
> ...


I started off with Marconi and then moved to UASC formerly KSC who where then based in Liverpool. After that it was foreign flag for me for the rest of my career. As stated above, it is unlikely that such a list as you require exists. I did foreign flag work through a small agency owned by a good friend, David Deane. His company was Ocean Marine Services. A wonderful intelligent and humorous Irishman, he crossed the bar several years ago.


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

It was 3 months in Oz.


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## gordonarfur (May 27, 2018)

Mike Carter said:


> Marconi was the odd ball company employing R/O's as all their gear was DC.
> It was only in later years that they realised how far behind the rest they were, by introducing AC gear.
> Other companies (Radio companies) were AEI (Siemens Ediswan - AC gear)
> Redifon Ltd, AC gear and owned by Redifusion
> ...


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## gordonarfur (May 27, 2018)

Mike Carter said:


> Marconi was the odd ball company employing R/O's as all their gear was DC.
> It was only in later years that they realised how far behind the rest they were, by introducing AC gear.
> Other companies (Radio companies) were AEI (Siemens Ediswan - AC gear)
> Redifon Ltd, AC gear and owned by Redifusion
> ...


Mike there was nothing wrong with the oceanspan in its day, you just had to use your experience and choose the correct frequency for the time of the day and the location from where you were sending from. I called GKG from Port Chalmers at 2.am got through on first call clear as a bell and all over in less than a minute.


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## radiotelegram (Oct 11, 2015)

John Melbourne said:


> Hi,
> Does anyone know of a list of companies that employed their own ROs?
> Were employment conditions any different from say Marconi"s?
> Didn't Cunard get there ROs from IMR?
> ...


Hello John,
These might have been mentioned already but if not, Baltic Line, BR's Sealink ferries, Cable & Wireless were DE. Can't swear to it, but also Townsend Thoresen?
I went with Macaroni in '72 after getting my ticket before going foreign flag in '73 once I realised how poorly I'd been paid.

Btw, ex Manchester (ticket at Brooks' Bar) but live now in Melbourne (Mt Eliza). 73's.


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## zl1bbw (May 27, 2014)

When I finished at Radio College, we had all the Radio Companies come round touting their services, a few of us were taken aside and told hang on for a while.

I got a job direct employ with New Zealand Shipping co, better pay and supposedly conditions.

Stayed with NZSco, then P&O GCD came along, thump thump went the angry parent company and took over, condx changed, luckily I got my CONTRACT stated study leave and upgraded to a General, it all came to a head, and I told the guy at PnO to put the crappy old ship they wanted to send me away on, somewhere very rude.

Went freelance with the REOU for one trip, then joined UME freelance on British flag ships, pay up by 300% no Tax, hugely better conditions, it was the best thing I ever did.

Did trips with Houlders, Swedish owned Bulk carrier (plus bonus if you worked in port), a small UK chemical tanker (got 10% extra for it being chemicals, and did the Electricians job on overtime), various run jobs at 35 pounds a day. Spent 3 yrs working for them and earned enough to buy a house, so came ashore got married and went to GKA.

The Swedish BC was fantastic, as I was busy in port in the states, we self discharged cement and got paid a bonus to drive the rig, they had a technician come down on arrival and I just gave him a list of jobs/things to check and it was all done.

No more of that painful time with an Oceanspan, normally all synth, no crystals so you could go anywhere in the band, anything upto 2kw normally.

They wondered why people left and went freelance.

Did have to go upto the East Ham office for soime spares while freelance, they left me sat there like a turkey, eventually I got the hump and told them to get their act together, the RS saw me and tried to poach me to Marconi, told him if he could beat what I was on, then I might think about, he nearly choked.

Anyway there we are, now live in NZ and am active on the Amateur bands, work the UK regularly at night on 1.8CW. ...-.-


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## Riccarton (Mar 23, 2009)

John Melbourne said:


> Hi,
> Does anyone know of a list of companies that employed their own ROs?
> Were employment conditions any different from say Marconi"s?
> Didn't Cunard get there ROs from IMR?
> ...


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## Riccarton (Mar 23, 2009)

In the mid-1960's a number of Cunard cargo ship had Brocklebank R/Os.


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## spaarks (May 1, 2009)

John Melbourne said:


> Cable and Wireless did. I answered an ad but when I attended the interview I was too qualified! Me? Too qualified? Yes I had a 1st Class ticket but the other excuse was that they didn't think I would stay with them too long. I wonder why. Were the conditions on the cable layers so bad?


I joined C&W in 1971 with 1st Class and Radar. I was the first RO they'd taken on in 9 years! The basic pay was less than BP but much more taking into account numerous perks, which included a house or flat for your family at your base port, where you were based 2 to 3 years. (I believe our conditions were based on the diplomat service). We had only one layer, the other five being repair ships - quite old but spent much of the time in port, so it was mostly a 5-day 9 to 5 job. The perks largely ended when C&W sold the fleet to Global Marine in the late '80s, but the pay was by then better than most and I stayed as Subsea Engineer till 2002 when I took early retirement. They were good feeders too!


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## ppgflyer (Feb 22, 2013)

John Melbourne said:


> Hi,
> Does anyone know of a list of companies that employed their own ROs?
> Were employment conditions any different from say Marconi"s?
> Didn't Cunard get there ROs from IMR?
> ...


John, Cunard Line radio officers were direct employ through RES (Radio & Electronic Services) which were the radio division of Cunard Line, at least they were in 1977 when I was employed by them directly out of Riversdale College, Liverpool. When I left Cunard and moved to Los Angeles in 1985 my first job was with Radio Holland based in Long Beach, they provided repair and installation services but I believe the company supplied radio officers also.


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## GNUA (Sep 9, 2018)

Fred Olsen had a UK flag offshoot with the Blenheim and a few bulk carriers. They employed R/O's directly and were a great company to work for.


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## John Melbourne (Sep 15, 2013)

spaarks said:


> I joined C&W in 1971 with 1st Class and Radar. I was the first RO they'd taken on in 9 years! The basic pay was less than BP but much more taking into account numerous perks, which included a house or flat for your family at your base port, where you were based 2 to 3 years. (I believe our conditions were based on the diplomat service). We had only one layer, the other five being repair ships - quite old but spent much of the time in port, so it was mostly a 5-day 9 to 5 job. The perks largely ended when C&W sold the fleet to Global Marine in the late '80s, but the pay was by then better than most and I stayed as Subsea Engineer till 2002 when I took early retirement. They were good feeders too!


Thanks Dennis,
If C&W hadn't taken on ROs for 9 years in 1971 why on earth did they advertise in 1963? And knock back applicants. Memory a bit vague now but suspected then that there weren't too many applicants. I think I was the only the in the waiting room., But of course others could have come at other times.
I think I came across a sort of explanation that certain companies only wanted greenhorns to that they could train them to their standards! That could explain why C&W did'nt want 1st Class tickets. also they would have been right about me not staying long. I would have been bored stiff doing 9 to 5, five days a week in some remote port! It could have been nice and busy on the Mercury though. Was it H24?


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## David Olivant (Jun 22, 2020)

John Melbourne said:


> Hi,
> Does anyone know of a list of companies that employed their own ROs?
> Were employment conditions any different from say Marconi"s?
> Didn't Cunard get there ROs from IMR?
> ...


Definitely P&O, Buries Markes and also Jebsons, where colleagues from Hull all joined as we left college in 76


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## John Melbourne (Sep 15, 2013)

Jebsons? Who were they? Where were they based?


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## John Melbourne (Sep 15, 2013)

David Olivant said:


> Definitely P&O, Buries Markes and also Jebsons, where colleagues from Hull all joined as we left college in 76


Sorry. I presume you mean JG Jebson of Bergen.


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## John Melbourne (Sep 15, 2013)

Hi all,
After a week of fantastic exchanges I have compiled the following list.
Anyone know of Glen Line and Ben Line? British India (P&O?) Shaw Savill? EDs? Palm Line.

Great work. Many hanks.

Radio companies1​Marconi2​Siemens (AEI)3​IMR4​Redifon?5​Kelvin HughesShipping companies1​Baltic (UBC?)2​Bibby3​Blue Funnel4​Bowaters5​BP Tankers6​Brocklebank7​Buries Markes8​Cable and Wireless9​Clan Line10​Ellermans11​Fred Olsen12​Houlder Line13​Kuwait (United Arab) Shipping14​Larrinaga15​New Zealand Steamship16​P&O17​Paddy Henderson18​Reardon Smith19​Regent Tankers20​Safmarine21​Sanko22​Sealink23​Swedish Bulk24​Swire25​T&J Harrison26​Townsend Thorensen27​Union Castle28​Union Steamship NZ


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## P.Arnold (Apr 11, 2013)

John
I sailed with the following as a Marconi R/O
T & J Harrisons
Larrinaga
Regent tankers
Ellerman Pappyani
Booth Line
Shaw Savill
Blue Star
Anchor line
Mobil Tankers
Shell Tankers
Globtik Tankers
Palm Line
Seatrain

Peter


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## pippin (May 13, 2008)

I sailed as Marconi R/O 65-71 with
Ellerman City Line
C. T. Bowring 
Houlders
Stevenson Clark
Mobil UK
Shell UK
Shell treated me badly. Company Officers were rotated every six months - I had to do eight before relief.


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## cajef (Feb 8, 2012)

I sailed on the tanker Regent Falcon/GDRU for eight months in 1964/65 based in Trinidad when I was an R/O employed by Marconi, sailing mainly around the Caribbean and Central America.


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## pippin (May 13, 2008)

Cajef - was it managed by CT Bowring?
I sailed on the PROSPERO/GMYW, ex REGENT SPRINGBOK/GMYW.


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## cajef (Feb 8, 2012)

I honestly cannot remember, being a lowly Marconi sparks really the management of the company did not concern me, she was a good posting with excellent accommodation with a swimming pool on the aft deck, we also carried twelve company employees as passengers on the way out from UK one in the pilots cabin next to the radio room.


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## holland25 (Nov 21, 2007)

John Melbourne said:


> Hi all,
> After a week of fantastic exchanges I have compiled the following list.
> Anyone know of Glen Line and Ben Line? British India (P&O?) Shaw Savill? EDs? Palm Line.
> 
> ...


Glen Line was affiliated with Blue Funnel and when I was with them in 1957 to 1960 R/Os were sent to either. I sailed on the Glengyle coasting in November 1959. My old boss went from Blue Funnel Alcinous to Glen line Radnorshire,they had welsh names as well.


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## R719220 (Oct 5, 2011)

I only did less than 5 years at sea. Only ever worked for IMR, who suited me down to the ground. They had the sort of ships and places to go that I wanted. I know likes and dislikes are very personal, but for me I never wanted tankers and never wanted to go up the Gulf, so IMR workd out very well.

In my time, i was an IMR R/O on the following companies.

Houlder Bros (Ore Carriers Ltd) x1
Anchor Line x2
Cunard x2
Blue Star x2
South American Saint Line x1
Nerdrum x1
Furness Withy x1 (think on charter from Johnson Warren)
Trader Navigation Co x1

Wonderful time, wonderful runs. Had I stayed, I would probably have gone freelance, but fate in the form of my wife intervened. Fortunately. Having been happily married for over 55 years, I often wonder how long I would have survived if I'd stayed at sea!!


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## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

#


John Melbourne said:


> Hi all,
> After a week of fantastic exchanges I have compiled the following list.
> Anyone know of Glen Line and Ben Line? British India (P&O?) Shaw Savill? EDs? Palm Line.
> 
> ...


CP Ships were direct employ


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## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

P.Arnold said:


> John
> I sailed with the following as a Marconi R/O
> T & J Harrisons
> Larrinaga
> ...


Forgot Jebsens UK had self employ as well as Kelvin Hughes. They may have used other companies too.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Many of the shipping companies that employed radio officers directly also were occasional users of the services of the radio companies, requiring men at short notice to fill a vacancy but unable to fill them from their own more limited pool.


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## cajef (Feb 8, 2012)

Bill.B said:


> #
> 
> CP Ships were direct employ


I was on the Empress of Canada in 1963 and all the R/O's were Marconi employed, maybe they changed to direct at some time later but they were Marconi when I was there.


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## John.Whitton (Jan 8, 2021)

John Melbourne said:


> Hi all,
> After a week of fantastic exchanges I have compiled the following list.
> Anyone know of Glen Line and Ben Line? British India (P&O?) Shaw Savill? EDs? Palm Line.
> 
> ...


John,
Ben Line were Marconi. Also a shipping line used by Marconi for new recruits to complete their 6 months as junior R/O. In 1965 my first voyages and happy memories were on Benlomond then R/O on Benhope. Back then a typical joining port was the busy London Victoria Docks. East Ham the local Marconi dept.


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## J Murphy (Mar 27, 2021)

John Melbourne said:


> Hi,
> Does anyone know of a list of companies that employed their own ROs?
> Were employment conditions any different from say Marconi"s?
> Didn't Cunard get there ROs from IMR?
> ...


Hi John

P&O and Cunard had their own R/O's. In Australia AWA supplied the seagoing R/O's.
rgds
Jim


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## gordonarfur (May 27, 2018)

J Murphy said:


> Hi John
> 
> P&O and Cunard had their own R/O's. In Australia AWA supplied the seagoing R/O's.
> rgds
> Jim


NZS / Federal SN and Union SS were direct employ


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

When I put Blue Funnel on my original 1956 list I should've said Blue Funnel and Glen Line..
Butterfield Swire Hong Kong also directly employed at this time and there could be others eg Manners who pooled their RO's locally..


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## bpsparks (Nov 27, 2019)

Ron Stringer said:


> Many of the shipping companies that employed radio officers directly also were occasional users of the services of the radio companies, requiring men at short notice to fill a vacancy but unable to fill them from their own more limited pool.


I was with BP from 1967 to 1970 and can remember they were using some Kelvin Hughes RO's, I decided to step ashore in 1970 and the firm asked me to consider staying on probably because of shortage of RO's. within 2 years a large number of the firms ships were sold for scrap sadly which no doubt cured the shortage of staff , they were a very good company to work for ,sad that it had to change


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## spaarks (May 1, 2009)

_


John Melbourne said:



Thanks Dennis,
If C&W hadn't taken on ROs for 9 years in 1971 why on earth did they advertise in 1963? And knock back applicants. Memory a bit vague now but suspected then that there weren't too many applicants. I think I was the only the in the waiting room., But of course others could have come at other times.
I think I came across a sort of explanation that certain companies only wanted greenhorns to that they could train them to their standards! That could explain why C&W did'nt want 1st Class tickets. also they would have been right about me not staying long. I would have been bored stiff doing 9 to 5, five days a week in some remote port! It could have been nice and busy on the Mercury though. Was it H24?

Click to expand...

_John, maybe it was only 7 years! Prior to the 60's I think the R/O situation was different in C&W. On some ships the R/O job was done part time by the Cable Engineering Department - perhaps because many Cable Engineers were PMG qualified. I suspect the arrangement was not quite legal! 
When I joined the base-ports were Bermuda, Vigo, St.Lucia, Rio, Singapore, Suva and Honolulu. Plenty of social and sport activities for the families. I guess it was boring for a single man, who wasn't entitled to housing ashore (most got married pretty quick!). 
The Mercury - when it was on a lay had 3 R/Os, not because it was H24 but because during laying there had to be a continuous R/T communication link, though not much talk. We had an NT201, essentially an Admiralty TX I think.

MERCURY R/T POSITION









MERCURY W/T POSITION


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## RickyRacoon (May 28, 2021)

John Melbourne said:


> Hi,
> Does anyone know of a list of companies that employed their own ROs?
> Were employment conditions any different from say Marconi"s?
> Didn't Cunard get there ROs from IMR?
> ...


I initially worked for Marconi, based out of East Ham for about 3 yrs. Then when C.P Ships had their "Press Gang " recruitment drive joined Canadian Pacific Ships with offices in Finsbury Square London. Massive increase in salary and terms and conditions over Marconi Marine, even provided with non contributory Private Health care. Equipment was Redifon and this was gradually replaced with ITT Marine transmitters and receivers. They also added rack mounted self contained Sailor Aux Transmitters and receivers (MF/HF). Couple of the container ships, Dart line, had JRC kit which was very good, a few vessels were all ITT Marine kit. Don't recall any having Marconi equipment probably because the Electronics Supt for C.P was ex Redifon

Seem to recall that SAIT in Belgium also had their own R/O's not sure about Radio Holland though.
Other direct employ in the 70-80's were:
BP Shipping
Shell Tankers
Cayzar Irvine
SafMarine
P&O
Townsend Torresen Ferries.
RFA
Cunard
These for sure as had mates join them.
Marconi supplied R/O's and ERO's to;
Texaco Tankers
Ben Line
Shaw Saville
Sugar Line (Tate & Lyle)
Palm Line
Bank Line ( Andrew Weir)
Conoco

Hope this helps


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

spaarks said:


> John, maybe it was only 7 years! Prior to the 60's I think the R/O situation was different in C&W. On some ships the R/O job was done part time by the Cable Engineering Department - perhaps because many Cable Engineers were PMG qualified. I suspect the arrangement was not quite legal!
> When I joined the base-ports were Bermuda, Vigo, St.Lucia, Rio, Singapore, Suva and Honolulu. Plenty of social and sport activities for the families. I guess it was boring for a single man, who wasn't entitled to housing ashore (most got married pretty quick!).
> The Mercury - when it was on a lay had 3 R/Os, not because it was H24 but because during laying there had to be a continuous R/T communication link, though not much talk. We had an NT201, essentially an Admiralty TX I think.
> 
> ...


An interesting mix of old and new gear...


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## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

RickyRacoon said:


> I initially worked for Marconi, based out of East Ham for about 3 yrs. Then when C.P Ships had their "Press Gang " recruitment drive joined Canadian Pacific Ships with offices in Finsbury Square London. Massive increase in salary and terms and conditions over Marconi Marine, even provided with non contributory Private Health care. Equipment was Redifon and this was gradually replaced with ITT Marine transmitters and receivers. They also added rack mounted self contained Sailor Aux Transmitters and receivers (MF/HF). Couple of the container ships, Dart line, had JRC kit which was very good, a few vessels were all ITT Marine kit. Don't recall any having Marconi equipment probably because the Electronics Supt for C.P was ex Redifon
> 
> Seem to recall that SAIT in Belgium also had their own R/O's not sure about Radio Holland though.
> Other direct employ in the 70-80's were:
> ...





RickyRacoon said:


> I initially worked for Marconi, based out of East Ham for about 3 yrs. Then when C.P Ships had their "Press Gang " recruitment drive joined Canadian Pacific Ships with offices in Finsbury Square London. Massive increase in salary and terms and conditions over Marconi Marine, even provided with non contributory Private Health care. Equipment was Redifon and this was gradually replaced with ITT Marine transmitters and receivers. They also added rack mounted self contained Sailor Aux Transmitters and receivers (MF/HF). Couple of the container ships, Dart line, had JRC kit which was very good, a few vessels were all ITT Marine kit. Don't recall any having Marconi equipment probably because the Electronics Supt for C.P was ex Redifon
> 
> Seem to recall that SAIT in Belgium also had their own R/O's not sure about Radio Holland though.
> Other direct employ in the 70-80's were:
> ...


Radio Holland did have their own R/O’s. I worked with many of them in my 28 years with RH. CP was a good company to work for, being an R/O, thanks to Alec Ward the super. I have enjoyed your C&W cable ship pictures as I spent a great deal of time keeping the AT&T cable ships going. Long Lines, my favourite, Charlie Brown, 2nd favourite, Global Link, Global Sentinel and Global Mariner. Not much once the Tyco ships came out though.


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## RickyRacoon (May 28, 2021)

Bill.B said:


> Radio Holland did have their own R/O’s. I worked with many of them in my 28 years with RH. CP was a good company to work for, being an R/O, thanks to Alec Ward the super. I have enjoyed your C&W cable ship pictures as I spent a great deal of time keeping the AT&T cable ships going. Long Lines, my favourite, Charlie Brown, 2nd favourite, Global Link, Global Sentinel and Global Mariner. Not much once the Tyco ships came out though.


I remember Alec Ward


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## spaarks (May 1, 2009)

Bill.B said:


> Radio Holland did have their own R/O’s. I worked with many of them in my 28 years with RH. CP was a good company to work for, being an R/O, thanks to Alec Ward the super. I have enjoyed your C&W cable ship pictures as I spent a great deal of time keeping the AT&T cable ships going. Long Lines, my favourite, Charlie Brown, 2nd favourite, Global Link, Global Sentinel and Global Mariner. Not much once the Tyco ships came out though.


Here's pix of the Long Lines coming into Vigo in 1988, when I was SSE in the Scarab Depot.
I went onboard though I don't remember seeing the Radio Office. I seem to recall the cabin furniture and doors were all metal, and it was a dry ship.


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## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

spaarks said:


> Here's pix of the Long Lines coming into Vigo in 1988, when I was SSE in the Scarab Depot.
> I went onboard though I don't remember seeing the Radio Office. I seem to recall the cabin furniture and doors were all metal, and it was a dry ship.
> View attachment 687582
> View attachment 687583
> ...





spaarks said:


> Here's pix of the Long Lines coming into Vigo in 1988, when I was SSE in the Scarab Depot.
> I went onboard though I don't remember seeing the Radio Office. I seem to recall the cabin furniture and doors were all metal, and it was a dry ship.
> View attachment 687582
> View attachment 687583
> ...


Nice pictures of LL. Her radio room was quite large. A triple. Ah for the receivers and regulatory equipment and then a row of large HF transmitters. Never got to work on any so can’t remember who made it. RCA & Collins? I put on a JUE45 satcom in 89 and another in Hawaii a few years later. I also looked after her SG Brown gyros. When GMDSS came out Raytheon put their 2000 station on and I think the crew gutted the radio room. I refitted and reengineered it all in Hawaii along with ripping out the PA system and putting a new Bogen based system in. I always enjoyed working on the cable ships and the people were exceptional. Long lines was a very well built and strong ship. They used to say you could really drive her, not so much the Globals and definitely not the Tyco ones. Met several brit Scarab and Plough boys. Even though she was German built accommodation was the usual penitentiary, my words, accommodation. Same as on CP‘s Dart Atlantica and Americana.


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