# Female Radio Officers



## Doug H

I was just reviewing some posts about the former Australian Pilot vessell WYUNA (thanks Jan Hendricks for guiding us to the right reference point) when I saw Trotterdotpom's posting from last year:
"9th June 2005, 17:32 
trotterdotpom







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I can remember picking up pilots from Wyuna in the early '70s, not sure how long she lasted in that role (or should I say roll?).

After being acquired by the Australian Maritime College, Launceston, in the early '80s, she did a trip each year manned by cadets and there are many hilarious tales of their exploits. Some of the cadets escapades resulted in a drastic curtailment of the voyages. Boys will be boys!

In the mid-'80s, Amalgamated Wireless of Australia (Aussie Marconi equivalent) sponsored the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race for a couple of years and Wyuna acted as a support and communications coordination vessel. She was provided with about half a dozen AWA R/Os (they must have found some "normal" ones), including Heather, the one and only female R/O on Aussie ships. I could have gone too if I'd worn my high heels!

John T.

which, as I spent a while on Australian coastal ships (a long time ago) and hadn't heard of a lady R/O, made me wonder how many there were. We mostly know about female R/Os on Dutch ships but were there any on British ships?? Maybe John T, you can tell us more about the Oz lady. Doug H


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## trotterdotpom

*Sparkus Delectii*

Doug, to the best of my knowledge, Heather was the only female RO on Australian ships. I met her a few times and found her to be very competent and a pleasant lady. She was around for 3 or 4 years (I think) and eventually married a BHP Chief Officer. She did seem to get used by AWA a bit for publicity purposes. I think she disappeared under a pile of nappies, but not sure. 

There were also a few female Navigating Cadets who eventually got tickets, I believe. Don't know how far up the tree they went.

John T.

PS Sadly, AWA, an iconic Australian company, for many years involved in military and civilian electronics manufacture and design as well as marine communications, seems to have disappeared altogether now.


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## exsailor

Mid 70's, NZ Shipping Corp had a female Sparks, who sailed on both the coastal and UK run vessels. I sailed with her brother, a Third Engineer, with Whitco Marine, London.


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## Peter Fielding

I believe NZS had a female sparks, named Liz Banham, and I think her husband, Richard was a Frosty in the company. Maybe some of the NZS guys could confirm this, or correct my knackered old memory.


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## rknibbs

When I did my R/O training in 1968/69 we had one female on our course and I think she went to work for Safmarine, well, that was her intention.


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## tunatownshipwreck

I would say about half of the Norwegian radio operators were female in the 1970s, I don't know what the numbers were in the 1960s, but I met a few. I remember a Russian woman who was R/O on a Soviet ship in the early 1970s, also a Filipina woman on a ship from Taiwan in 1971. Around the mid-late 1970s I read articles about American women breaking in to the trade on US ships. I met a Canadian woman who was working keys on a Japanese-owned ship with a Panamanian flag and Filipino crew around 1974. Then there was a British R/O who might have been a woman working on a Greek ship, the crew wasn't sure either.


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## cynter

I remember speeking (QSO'ing) with various female Scandinavian R/Os in the late 50'/60's. The only Pommie female sparkie to my knowledge was trained in Bridlington, East Yorks, as I was and I think her name was Angela... never met her.
On this subject.... I thoroughly used to enjoy speeking with the European female ops in Holland, Demark, Sweden and Norway on R/T 2182 kc/s band..... memories,eh...?????


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## johnmilne

trotterdotpom said:


> Doug, to the best of my knowledge, Heather was the only female RO on Australian ships. I met her a few times and found her to be very competent and a pleasant lady. She was around for 3 or 4 years (I think) and eventually married a BHP Chief Officer. She did seem to get used by AWA a bit for publicity purposes. I think she disappeared under a pile of nappies, but not sure.
> 
> There were also a few female Navigating Cadets who eventually got tickets, I believe. Don't know how far up the tree they went.
> 
> John T.
> 
> PS Sadly, AWA, an iconic Australian company, for many years involved in military and civilian electronics manufacture and design as well as marine communications, seems to have disappeared altogether now.


I know of two female port pilots in Queensland! (Mackay Haypoint Also one at Cairns) Both doing a good Job)The one in HayPoint 'driving' the big ones
Cheers
John Milne


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## cynter

I remember speeking (QSO'ing) with various female Scandinavian R/Os in the late 50'/60's. The only Pommie female sparkie to my knowledge was trained in Bridlington, East Yorks, as I was and I think her name was Angela... never met her.
On this subject.... I thoroughly used to enjoy speeking with the European female ops in Holland, Demark, Sweden and Norway on R/T 2182 kc/s band..... memories,eh...?????


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## cynter

sorry about the "hiccup"


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## Jan Hendrik

Doug H.
The name is Hendrik (not Hendrick) and both are my real Christian names.
There was a Jan (pronounced Yan or Yun) on site already, hence using my second initial. Not that it matters Douglas.....

Terry,
See, as soon as a female is involved you slip up....guess we all do.... Lol

*.... /._ /..._ /. // ._ //_ _ . /.. //_ . _ . // . //_ . . //. _ //_ . _ _ * 

The "Wyuna" was for sale.
Anybody knows the current status?


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## trotterdotpom

*"Is that a Beam Tetrode in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?"*

It seemed like every small Norwegian port had its own radio station - most of them manned by female operators (is that a paradox or an oxymoron?). There was a well known trawler RO in Grimsby who, after several flirtatious conversations over the radio, on entering port, bought up big on tins of Quality Street chocolates from the bond and trekked up the mountain to the radio station. When he got there, huffing and puffing, the Nordic Siren turned out to be a giggling 70 year old! Wonder if she still liked the "hard centres"? 

Maybe the Norwegians have there own version of yodelling "......and your old lady toooooo".

Jan, sorry, but have to say "QSD" ("Your keying is defective") - can't make much sense of your message.

John T.


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## cynter

"trotts".... mate, you're humour never changes. I can identify with it 100%...
I spent quite some time around Norway/Sweden/Demark and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Just wish I could go back a tad....


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## Chris Field

Come on, you NZ Shipping Corp lads (eg Coatal Trader...)- what was the name of our well-liked and respected female R/O- I think her father was a coastal skipper in NZ.


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## Charlie_Wood

Well age is really catching up now, I've been puzzling all day about a female sparks we had on the Avon Forest in 78 or 79. She must have been Marconi as she would have been relieving Sid White on one of his voyages off. All I can remember is her being turfed out of the saloon for wearing a jumpsuit, as far as Roddy MacDougall, the skipper, was concerned it was a ****ing boiler suit!! She didn't create much of a stir as we were used to women working on board. At the same time we had a Canadian 3rd Mate, Janice Nicholls (sent from ship to ship just to try me I think), Elenor Sim was Chief Cook and we also had three stewardesses. All very civilised really.


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## Ian

*Sconz R/o*

The radio officers name was Phillippa Reynolds. After languishing on the Coastal Trader for long enough to have the sauna room named after her, she was finally allowed to go deepsea. Not sure what happened in her career when sconz folded.


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## trotterdotpom

Charlie_Wood said:


> Well age is really catching up now, I've been puzzling all day about a female sparks we had on the Avon Forest in 78 or 79. She must have been Marconi as she would have been relieving Sid White on one of his voyages off. All I can remember is her being turfed out of the saloon for wearing a jumpsuit, as far as Roddy MacDougall, the skipper, was concerned it was a ****ing boiler suit!! She didn't create much of a stir as we were used to women working on board. At the same time we had a Canadian 3rd Mate, Janice Nicholls (sent from ship to ship just to try me I think), Elenor Sim was Chief Cook and we also had three stewardesses. All very civilised really.


Wasn't Avon Forest a Denholm's managed ship? Was the 'Sparklet' Dallas Bradshaw as mentioned on David Scott's post about Scotstoun in the gallery?

John T.


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## david harrod

Jan Hendrik said:


> Doug H.
> The name is Hendrik (not Hendrick) and both are my real Christian names.
> There was a Jan (pronounced Yan or Yun) on site already, hence using my second initial. Not that it matters Douglas.....
> 
> Terry,
> See, as soon as a female is involved you slip up....guess we all do.... Lol
> 
> *.... /._ /..._ /. // ._ //_ _ . /.. //_ . _ . // . //_ . . //. _ //_ . _ _ *
> 
> The "Wyuna" was for sale.
> Anybody knows the current status?


 Wyuna was sold a couple of years ago; i think it is now some form of charity ship...I was the first mate/lecturer on her when the AMC bought it in 79/80...


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## exsailor

Paul Christiansen said:


> The radio officers name was Phillippa Reynolds. After languishing on the Coastal Trader for long enough to have the sauna room named after her, she was finally allowed to go deepsea. Not sure what happened in her career when sconz folded.


Memory failed me with her christian name - knew the surname was Reynolds, as I had sailed with her brother Terry. She went ashore as a Radio Inspector and now lives (married) near Whangarei.


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## Jan Hendrik

Thanks for the info David. Ch. officer at the AMC site was a certain Angus, you would know him. Forgot the captain's name.

I thought they were still trying to sell the vessel "last year", but as time goes fast, then it might have been couple of years now.....
I have good memories of the dockins in Launceston and my visits to Beauty Point.
Jan

p.s. in case you missed it -- main page -- special purpose vessels -- 2nd page AMC ships.


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## david harrod

Jan Hendrik said:


> Thanks for the info David. Ch. officer at the AMC site was a certain Angus, you would know him. Forgot the captain's name.
> 
> I thought they were still trying to sell the vessel "last year", but as time goes fast, then it might have been couple of years now.....
> I have good memories of the dockins in Launceston and my visits to Beauty Point.
> Jan
> 
> p.s. in case you missed it -- main page -- special purpose vessels -- 2nd page AMC ships.


 Jan, Angus was after my time; Frad Hartnack was the original AMC master, I was Mate and later Master before Mike Wood and Bill, (blonde moment, forgot his last name, sorry)..there were a whole series of mates, Ian Moist was one , I think he is still at AMC...the ship did a great job of training cadets; Bob Frost was the original Chief Engineer, he came with the ship, in fact he had been with the ship since its delivery to the Pilots from Scotland in 1954 or thereabouts. I think his son John was Chief on her for a short whilwe after Bob retired...


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## Frank P

Confirming what "Tunatownshipwreck" stated about females on Norwegian ships, 
I was working on Norwegian ships for about 6 years in the 1970's, and half of the ships that I was on had female radio officers onboard. 
All the Norwegian ships that I worked on, had females working onboard, radio officers, stewardess's etc, to have females working onboard European/Scandinavian ships in the 60/70's was not unusual.

Frank


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## Tony Selman

*First female R/O on a British ship*

I am virtually certain that the first female sparks on a British ship was a lady called Dallas Bradshaw. I am also virtually certain that Dallas was Canadian but trained in the UK at Colwyn Bay. I have read this somewhere and can dig it out if anyone is interested. She definitely worked for Marconi around 1970 and I think she did a couple of trips with Denholms at the same time as they were employing female cadets/apprentices.


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## Chris Field

Thanks Paul and ex-sailor for the info re Philippa Reynolds- another senile gap in the memory filled by this website. (And, Paul- we sailed together on SCONZ at some stage...)


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## Douglas Young

Unicorn Lines of Durban, South Africa had three female radio officers working the two ro-ro vessels "Border" and "Barrier" from 1989 to 1992. They were Shona Graham, (no idea where she is now): Denise Rose (now Koch), married 2nd Engineer Errol Koch, and Jane (now Rennie) but can't remember her name before she married Captain David Rennie. These girls worked 2 months on, one month off, with Shona being permanent on the Border, Jane on the Barrier, and Denise relieving them.
I also sailed with Rose King who regularly writes letters to the Telegraph. Rose also sailed with Unicorn Lines, think she then went to Safmarine, and I sailed with her on Rogers of Mauritius' ship "Belle Etoile" in 1987.


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## Mac

Chris

Female radio officer Reynolds father was Captain Eric Reynolds who had been with Anchor line of Nelson and served later with the then Northland Harbour Board in Whangarei and the Bay of Islands on tugs, pilot vessels and as marine officer in the Bay.


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## Barmyclaresdad

*Female R/O's*

In reply to the post by Cynter, the lady in question was Angela Firman who I knew quite well. Her father was a Ch. Off. and mother a stewardess on Scandinavian ships.
On one of my trips to Hamburg in 1963 I missed her by a day. The last time I saw her would be at Bridlington in 1959.
I believe she married a Norwegian guy and sailed on Norske ships for a while.
NESWT also have a web site and association.


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## cynter

Thankyou Barmyclaresdad..... that clears up my question. I never knew the lady in question cos I was well at sea by then. While I was at sea, I QSO'd a few Scandinavian female R/Os and was very tempted to seek employment with "Scouwegian" companies...but it never happened.
Thanks again mate...
Cheers cynter.


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## cynter

Hi ... Barmyclaresdad.
I forgot to ask, but I assume that you must have been a Brid bloke to know about Angela.... will keep listening.


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## Knut

*The first female R/O in a Norwegian ship.*

In the 50,60 and 70-ties perhaps half of the R/Os in Norwegian ships were girls. Some as young as 18 or 19. 
However the first was a Canadian, Fern Blodgett from Toronto. She was trained in Canada, but this was in the middle of WW2 and she couldn`t get a job in a Canadian or Brit ship. Then along came the MOSDALE (Mosvold Shipping, Farsund) and they badly needed a R/O and took her on. She served on that ship for several years on the North Atlantic, perhaps due to the fact that she married the Captain. The Mosdale was a 17 knots Fruit Carrier and due to the speed she was unharmed during all those years. Brave girl and she sort of set the standard.
Rgds, Knut


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## Barmyclaresdad

Certainly am/was. I am a member of the NESWT Association.
Send me a PM if you would like details


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## bert thompson

When I joined Panocean in 1977 there were four Lady R/Os. The one I sailed with was Carol Heaps from the I.O.M. Nice person


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## lagerstedt

*Female Radio Operators*

A good web site to visit is www.warsailors.com. The site is by a woman called Siri Holm and is about her Mother and Father who were both R/O's. Her Father was at sea from 1937 until the 1970's, mainly as a R/O but he did a spell as a 2/O. Her Mother went to sea as a Galley Maid and finished as a R/O.

A well written site with photos of the ships they sailed on. 

Regards

Blair Lagerstedt
NZ


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## lagerstedt

*Female R/O's*

AWA in Australia is still going and works in the IT area only. It is now in private ownership.

Regards
Blair Lagerstedt
NZ


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## Derek Roger

*Brocklebanks Female ROs*

When I was Chief on Mahsud we had a 2 RO named Ruth . Charming young lady who I think became engaged to the 2nd Mate sometime through the trip . Wonder if any of you Brock lads sailed with her ???
Derek


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## graham palmer

*Liz Banham - Female R\O*

Liz Banham(nee Rait) was the first female R\O in P&O, I know because she was my junior for 2 trips (1973\74) on the Taupo between UK and NZ.
She took over from myself at Panama on the way back to NZ and she married Rick Banham (Frosty). Looking at some old crew lists from GCD they looked to have been posted to the same ship together for some time.
Still got the press cuttings from the UK papers who made a big thing about it
at the time.

Graham Palmer


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## KIWI

Female crew certainly was not unusual on Scandinavian ships.On Kronviken we took on two Canadian girls in Vancouver,one as Captain's Tiger the other looked after Mates & Eng'rs.This was way back in 1949 & apparently not at all unusual. Kiwi


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## Tom Haywood

For those members in Aust we have our own Patsy Adam-Smith who was the first female to be articled as a radio officer when she worked on the Australian merchant ship "Naracoopa" from 1954 to 1960.
Although the "Naracoopa" was a small coaster trading around Tasmania it was still a first in this part of the world especially in 1954.
Patsy Adam-Smith's book, "There was a Ship" is still quite a good read.


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## andysk

rknibbs said:


> When I did my R/O training in 1968/69 we had one female on our course and I think she went to work for Safmarine, well, that was her intention.


She was on the same course timetable as me at Norwood Tech, 1968-1970, and was married (or engaged) to a Swedish Captain, but I can't for the life of me remember which company. I forget her name, I believe she was getting a ticket to be able to sail with her husband.

Cheers

Andy


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## Tony Breach

During my tenure as the ops man for Cool Carriers in California I often worked with 2 ladies from Leonhardt & Blumberg of Hamburg. They were Capt. Barbaro Massing & Capt. Barbara Jung of the HANSA class reefers. They were both highly effective ship's masters who ran efficient ships.

On the lighter side, Leonhardts also had a senior male master of the name Jung & when we told him that the newly promoted Barbara would be henceforth known as Young Capt Jung & he would be known as Old Capt Jung he was a bit unhappy. We fixed him by addressing the two as Ugly Capt Jung & Pretty Capt Jung - he settled for being Old! 

Keep her steady Babs!


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## andysk

andysk said:


> She was on the same course timetable as me at Norwood Tech, 1968-1970, and was married (or engaged) to a Swedish Captain, but I can't for the life of me remember which company. I forget her name, I believe she was getting a ticket to be able to sail with her husband.


It's come down from the shelf, she went away with her husband/partner on Gorthon's.

Cheers

Andy


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## K urgess

*Females at Sea*

I was just about to start a new thread when a search brought up this one.
Being as how this site appears to be one of, if not THE, last bastion of male chauvenist piggery (*)) I was wondering about opinions.
I know this is strictly unPC but most of the old codgers of my, and earlier, generations I've conversed with here have been prePC and pre females at sea. Or thought we were in the latter case.
I know when Dallas first went to sea I had to take an awful lot of ribald remarks and looks of disappointment and rejection when I signed on. I knew who everyone would rather have been there.
I used to make any excuse to visit Norwegian ships when I came across them, purely to make aquaintances, of course. (*)) The fact that I could speak the language helped enormously! Unfortunately most of them were married to one of the officers or, if the "Gniste" happened to be male, that lovely dolly stewardess you fancied invariably turned out to be his wife.

Dallas Bradshaw was the first British RO for Marconi joining in August 1970, first ship Duncraig and she was Canadian. Referring to another thread about "The Merchant Navy Programme" - that was how Captain Macdonald found out that his next sparkie (sparklette?) would be a girl!
There is an interesting write up in the first book attached to this post along with details of - 
Alice Mollison
Joan Wareing
Jocelyn Parker
Marylin Stockwell
and others

If the author or publisher is watching. Permission to post more details from this excellent book would be appreciated. The copy I have was a present from 'er indoors direct from the publisher and they are still available.

The 2nd book attached I've just finished reading and I couldn't put it down. 
It's very evocative of the period and her descriptions of BA and Brasil brought the memories flooding back. Two chapters per throne room visit rather than one. (*)) 
Miss Carroll (also Canadian) spent 4 years at sea from 1947 and all on the same ship, the Siranger. Built 1944 in Beaumont, Texas, as the Cape River.
She says in her preface that the first female wireless operator to serve at sea was American. In 1910!. And that by the end of the '30s at least 13 young ladies had operated on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts as well as the Great Lakes.
Unfortunately I can't tell you where to get a copy. 

Brave ladies one and all but a bit upsetting for us old salts if I remember correctly.
Any comments?


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## terval

*Female R/O's*

Greetings one and all. I sailed with Dallas or Big D as I called her in 1979 on the Scotspark for 4 months. The best way to get any peace was to ask her if she was still 165lbs?? That gave us 48 hours peace. Seriously she was a good R/O and did her job well. I understand she was in the Guiness Book of records as the first female R/O in the British Merchant Navy. The first female at sea that I can remember hearing about was a Second Engineer during the first world war. Dallas was good at the dots but the dashes foxed her!!! Last I heard she was living in North Wales and has a gammy left leg. No more climbing up Pilot ladders.
Merry Xmas all and have a good new year.
Terry 556919.(Cloud)


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## Geoff_E

I sailed with a lady sparks called Sylvia Slattery on the Border Falcon about 1980. She was one one of several in BP. I believe she married a 2/E and eventually went to live in Aussie. There were also various Cadets, and 3/0's by the time I left. I seem to recall BP appointed their first female Supt. sometime recently?


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## Chillytoes

In 1983/84 I sailed on ANL's "Darwin Trader" with the R/O Heather (surname?), the subject of the first post on this thread. I recall her as a pleasant blonde who was competent at her job, a good shipmate and who was well aware of pitfalls and traps in the chauvinistic world around her. She used to join us in the duty mess and when bananas were on the table there was heightened interest in the prospect of watching her eat one. But she was too smart for that, she used to peel it then break it into pieces to eat, much to the disappointment of some watchers!


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## Graham Kellaway

I was R/O on WYUNA in 60 or 61....nor much fun: all the crew did week on and week off but all the poor old sparky got was to go ashore with the first crew and go the the Quuenscliff pub, get tanked, and back on board with the last boat for another week of duty (dry ship too).

We had a female trainee at Plymouth & Devonport Tech 59-60 where I did my 1st Class PMG. Can't remember her name or if she went to sea.

Cheers Graham


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## Tad

Paid a visit to Singapore Radio/9VG 1989 or 90 or thereabouts. Had heard prior to that, mostly female voices on R/T. It turned out that the majority of operators were female, both on R/T and W/T.


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## Moulder

I studied for my ticket at the British School of Telegraphy (later renamed London Electronics College) at Earls Court during 1969 - 1971. There was a female student on the course before me - Barbara Keating - from Australia - she passed her ticket and went to sea under the Red Duster at the end of 1970. 

Steve.


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## R.Philip Griffin

trotterdotpom said:


> Doug, to the best of my knowledge, Heather was the only female RO on Australian ships. I met her a few times and found her to be very competent and a pleasant lady. She was around for 3 or 4 years (I think) and eventually married a BHP Chief Officer. She did seem to get used by AWA a bit for publicity purposes. I think she disappeared under a pile of nappies, but not sure.
> 
> There were also a few female Navigating Cadets who eventually got tickets, I believe. Don't know how far up the tree they went.
> 
> John T.
> 
> There were two female R/O's on the Australian Coast; one Dianne Mehonoshen was on our Oil Rig "Energy Searcher" where she spent a year, before heading to the Antartic with the AAO.
> An interesting story with these two ladies. They undertook the R/O course at the AMC Launceston and passed out first and second of their course.
> The R/O's Union wouldn't give them jobs until they were at the Courthouse steps.
> I never met Heather, but did hear a lot about her from her friend Di, a very lovely lady and a great technician.


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## trotterdotpom

Thanks Grifmar, I never heard of Dianne, but I'm sure she was eminently competent, as were all the ex Launceston radio students I met.

I don't recall Heather telling me of any union problems about getting a job - apart from CSR and the Union Company, as far as I know, everyone was employed by AWA (radio company). There was no union roster employment as run by the Seamen's Union of Austalia.

When I arrived in the Lucky Country (1980), I applied for a job with AWA. I already had 13 years experience and was fully qualified, but still had to sit written technical knowledge tests about radio and radar equipment. I was offered a job and flown back to Brisbane First Class - I remember thinking: "I heard these bastards were spoiled to death."

A few days later, while waiting for appointment to a ship, I got a heavy duty phone call from Mal Pickstone of the PREIA (Professional Radio and Electronics Institute of Australia) telling me I couldn't work for AWA as there were already people in Australia qualified and waiting for a job. If this was true, I don't know why they didn't already have jobs, but, in any case, I'd already payed money and joined the PREIA so eat **** Mal, you fat bastard!

Eventually, when the writing was on the wall, the PREIA amalgamated with the mates' union, the Merchant Service Guild, sold the ROs down the river and the rest is history.

John T.


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## stein

Member Knut mentions Fern Blodgett of the Mosdale. On the warsailors.com site, on the end of their article on the Mosdale, there's a list of twenty other female Canadian sparks serving in the Norwegian war fleet. 
Sometime ago I read a bit of the memoirs of one of them, and I believe myself to remember reading that this was arranged from above, the war ministry here or there finding this a good idea. Anyway, many married Norwegians, and many kept serving in Norwegian ships after the war. Stein.


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## R.Philip Griffin

trotterdotpom said:


> Thanks Grifmar, I never heard of Dianne, but I'm sure she was eminently competent, as were all the ex Launceston radio students I met.
> 
> I don't recall Heather telling me of any union problems about getting a job - apart from CSR and the Union Company, as far as I know, everyone was employed by AWA (radio company). There was no union roster employment as run by the Seamen's Union of Austalia.
> 
> When I arrived in the Lucky Country (1980), I applied for a job with AWA. I already had 13 years experience and was fully qualified, but still had to sit written technical knowledge tests about radio and radar equipment. I was offered a job and flown back to Brisbane First Class - I remember thinking: "I heard these bastards were spoiled to death."
> 
> A few days later, while waiting for appointment to a ship, I got a heavy duty phone call from Mal Pickstone of the PREIA (Professional Radio and Electronics Institute of Australia) telling me I couldn't work for AWA as there were already people in Australia qualified and waiting for a job. If this was true, I don't know why they didn't already have jobs, but, in any case, I'd already payed money and joined the PREIA so eat **** Mal, you fat bastard!
> 
> Eventually, when the writing was on the wall, the PREIA amalgamated with the mates' union, the Merchant Service Guild, sold the ROs down the river and the rest is history.
> 
> John T.


Ahoy John
Yes that Mal sounds like the "coloured chap in the woodpile". Di only ever worked on "Energy Searcher", and then worked with the Australian Antartic Division. I think she was on "ES" about 18 months. She is now an IT whizz and lives in the Brisbane area. I well remember the amalgamation of the PREIA and the MSG. Like you say the rest is history and GMDSS.


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## Buoy

I did my ticket at Newport & Monmouthshire College of Technology starting in 1966 and we had a Russian lady with us for the first year, but I recall she dropped out for (I think) financial reasons. P&O Bulk Shipping Division had at least two female R/O's in the mid/late 1970's. One was called Debbie something and did at least one voyage in *Ardmay*. Another married a 2nd engineer and did a trip in *Ardvar *- I took over from her in Ras Al Kaimah in May 1976, but I'm damned if I can remember her name now!


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## Clive Kaine

Debbie Rex and Kit Kosarew. I also had a female junior under me (ahem!) on the Talamba in 1975/6 - Gail Courtney, though she didn't stick around for one reason or another.


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## Riptide

There was a female R/O sailed with Christian Salvesens,her name escapes me now & so did she.Kenny.(Jester) (POP)


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## G4UMW

I studied for the MRGC at Lowestoft College. On the same course was Rose King who is still at sea, and writes excellent articles in the ROA magazine.


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## Ray Bannerman

Hi Geoff........ I also recall a lady sparks called Barbara Padfield. I was fortunate enough to attend a survival course in Lowestoft with both Barbara and Sylvia. The pool huddle was indeed exilerating as I remember.

Regards,

Ray


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## trotterdotpom

Ray, "Padfield" is a famous name in RO circles. Stan Padfield was the Staff Clerk at Marconi's West Ham depot - could Barbara have been a relative?

John T.


----------



## docgk

Barbara Padfield was one of my students on the RO course at Southampton College of Higher Education ( now Southampton Solent University). This would be around 1974-1976 I think. After leaving the sea ( RO with Brocks - Radio and Electronic Services), I got a teaching job at Leith Nautical College ( now gone) and then transferred to Southampton. I remember Barbara as a truly pleasant person who was a conscientious student who did well. I also have a memory that she was originally a WREN at Pompey. Another female RO training at Southampton a year or two later was Carol Greenwood.


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## Ron Stringer

trotterdotpom said:


> Ray, "Padfield" is a famous name in RO circles. Stan Padfield was the Staff Clerk at Marconi's West Ham depot - could Barbara have been a relative?
> 
> John T.


John,

It was East Ham depot (Wakefield Street, East Ham) and you may be surprised to know that Stan Padfield is still alive and well (but no longer sending R/Os on 2-year jaunts).


----------



## trotterdotpom

Thanks Ron, I get "port" and "starboard" mixed up too - Good to hear that Stan is keeping OK.

John T.


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## Brian Derksen

I talked with Dallas Bradshaw on vhf back in Nov '72 or Jun '73, I believe, when our ships were anchored off either Baie Comeau or Trois Rivieres in the St Lawrence. She was with a British company and I with Sanko Line.

I relieved Penny Hayworth, a fellow Canadian sparks on the Sanko car/bulker Ogden Jordan/A8IP on Jan 31 '81. She is presently employed as an MCTS officer with the Canadian Coast Guard, (Marine Comm & Traffic Services - combined radio and marine traffic regulator) a job I just retired from, after doing 3 years in a remote site (Bull Harbour CG Radio/VAG) and 19 summers in the arctic at Inuvik CG Radio/VFA.

Brian


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## Marilyn Egerton

Hello. I am a new member, Marilyn Egerton. I am also seeking information on Angela Firman. I have a photo in my possession of her which was published in the Leeds Newspaper sometime in the 1960's I think. If you can help with more information I would be grateful.

Marilyn Egerton


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## NoMoss

We had a female RO in Sealink called Barbara Ralph - she was of Australian origin and I think she had been in P&O where she married a captain. 

Rose King is a member of SN.


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## Moulder

NoMoss said:


> We had a female RO in Sealink called Barbara Ralph - she was of Australian origin and I think she had been in P&O where she married a captain.
> 
> Rose King is a member of SN.



I knew Barbara (nee Keating) at the British School of Telegraphy in Earls Court in 1969/1970. 

She is still married and residing in the Bournemouth area.

Steve.
(Thumb)


----------



## R58484956

Greetings Marilyn and welcome to SN. Enjoy the site and bon voyage.


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## Marilyn Egerton

*Angela Firman*

[Great to read your info on Angela Firman. My late grandfather I think was Angela's great uncle. I believe her father was chief Engineer James G. Firman who was killed on 23 February 1941 on the S.S. Marslew (London)
Great to find this website - it has taken me many years to finally find out about the person I have a photo of. 

Marilyn Egerton

QUOTE=Barmyclaresdad;53815]In reply to the post by Cynter, the lady in question was Angela Firman who I knew quite well. Her father was a Ch. Off. and mother a stewardess on Scandinavian ships.
On one of my trips to Hamburg in 1963 I missed her by a day. The last time I saw her would be at Bridlington in 1959.
I believe she married a Norwegian guy and sailed on Norske ships for a while.
NESWT also have a web site and association.[/QUOTE]


----------



## non descript

Marilyn Egerton said:


> Great to read your info on Angela Firman. My late grandfather I think was Angela's great uncle. I believe her father was chief Engineer James G. Firman who was killed on 23 February 1941 on the S.S. Marslew (London)
> Great to find this website - it has taken me many years to finally find out about the person I have a photo of.
> 
> Marilyn Egerton


Marilyn,
It is good to see that you have found such a useful response to your query. A warm welcome to you. Thank you for joining the community; enjoy the site and all it has to offer, and we very much look forward to your postings in due course. 
(Thumb) 
Mark


----------



## IanSpiden

There is also Rowena Smith who was at GND for a long time when I was there, she then left for GCHQ in the late 80's early 90"s


----------



## K urgess

Jocelyn Parker with Texaco in 1975.
I joined the Texaco Norway in November 1975 and she'd gone from the Denmark when I QSO'd in January 1976.


----------



## mikeg

Good to read that, thanks Kris. Its heartening to know Jocelyn was so happy at sea.

I was just wondering from a equality point of view, if Jocelyn got married would there be an arguing point of allowing her to bring her husband along on a trip??

Also where are all these ex female r/o's, it would be good to hear about their sea-going expeiences on SN.

Mike


----------



## hawkey01

I have not previously been involved in this thread. It was seeing a name from the past, another of my ex colleagues - Ian Spiden, mentioning Rowena that did it. We had quite a number of female RO's in the service. I think that all were at GKA with the exception of Rowena who was at GND. A couple married other RO's. To my knowledge some are still active in GCHQ. One is in the CG stationed at Bridlington/Humber CG. A couple took to being housewives and that is not a derogative comment. There were 4 who were at GKA for a longtime. Others moved on to other things.

Hawkey01


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## Mimcoman

Hiya, Hawkeye:

At GKR, there was also the delectable Kathy plus one other whose name I am ashamed to say I've forgotten. I was also told of another at GNI whose name I don't remember but whose nickname was Pizza (cos her name sounded like...). I believe that she was easily startled, and the story goes that one night after the evening shift, the guys at GNI put a handheld under the seat of her mini (the car!) and watched the car set off down the road. After a few seconds, they called her on VHF and watched the headlights swerve!


----------



## IanSpiden

There is also Marie Johnson , who was out on the rigs in the North Sea originally from around Fraserborough then went to HAL as a Comms Officer , she left a few years ago and I heard sadly that she died in rather tragic cir***stances in South Africa


----------



## hawkey01

Bill,Ian

This activates the grey cells. The one at GNI X GKA was Piarina Delpizzo think thats the spelling. She is now in Bedford according to the GKA members list. I had forgotten about the delightful one at GKR. Will have to have a count and see how many we actual had! In service that is - no that will be taken the wrong way as well. Working with us, thats better.

Neville - Hawkey01


----------



## hawkey01

Update - name spelling Pierina Del Pizzo. We had 7 female RO's in total at GKA. 1 was believe it or not murdered. 2 moved on to other places and 4 remained for a longtime.

Hawkey01


----------



## Mimcoman

Then there was the R/O (last heard of with GCHQ) who came to GND from GKA and told of his embarrassment after describing to his on-watch colleagues his thoughts on a certain part of a female colleague's anatomy and what he'd like to do, when the sudden silence told him that something was not right. On looking around, guess who had come on watch and was sitting behind him....


----------



## GW4ZDU

Quote: I am virtually certain that the first female sparks on a British ship was a lady called Dallas Bradshaw.

I was at Colwyn bay Wireless college in 1968 when Dallas Bradshaw was training. There's a photo of her on the Colwyn Bay wireless college website Yes, she is Canadian but never heard a word about her since as I 
joined MIMCO before she qualified and remained with MIMCO until 1989.
When the radar ticket became compulsory Mimco offered (in 1978) a self study sea going radar maintenance theory course run, I think by Plymouth Tech college.
After completing the course during a four month trip I was then sent to Eastham depot for 3 months to do the practical aspects of the training, and on the same course was a scottish lass - I think her name was Marion something - she was a lovely lass and had enjojed a few trips as R/O prior to this course.

Never heard anything further about her either. Anybody know anything about what happened to her?

Steve


----------



## Corky

hawkey01 said:


> Update - name spelling Pierina Del Pizzo. We had 7 female RO's in total at GKA. 1 was believe it or not murdered. 2 moved on to other places and 4 remained for a longtime.
> 
> Hawkey01


Pierina was a Houlders Radio Cadet, I think only doing a couple of trips after qualifying, before going shoreside. Seem to remember her nick-name was "Fluff!"


----------



## Piecesofeight

*Merchant Navy College Greenhithe*

We had a few ladies pass through the college 1980-83 but only one got to sea to my knowledge, that was Fazilette (Bobby) Khan who remained an R/O until GMDSS prompted her to become an environmental officer for Princess Cruises where I believe she still is. She was a feisty person but probably had to be to survive being the only girl in our group of 12.


----------



## non descript

*Fazilette (Bobby) Khan*



Piecesofeight said:


> We had a few ladies pass through the college 1980-83 but only one got to sea to my knowledge, that was Fazilette (Bobby) Khan who remained an R/O until GMDSS prompted her to become an environmental officer for Princess Cruises where I believe she still is. She was a feisty person but probably had to be to survive being the only girl in our group of 12.


Piecesofeight,
On your first posting, a warm welcome to the Site - Fazilette (Bobby) Khan used to write a very good article in Tradewinds each week; I have not seen it appearing recently, maybe she has moved on. (Thumb)


----------



## john fraser

*Scottish Female R/O*



GW4ZDU said:


> Quote: I am virtually certain that the first female sparks on a British ship was a lady called Dallas Bradshaw.
> 
> I was at Colwyn bay Wireless college in 1968 when Dallas Bradshaw was training. There's a photo of her on the Colwyn Bay wireless college website Yes, she is Canadian but never heard a word about her since as I
> joined MIMCO before she qualified and remained with MIMCO until 1989.
> When the radar ticket became compulsory Mimco offered (in 1978) a self study sea going radar maintenance theory course run, I think by Plymouth Tech college.
> After completing the course during a four month trip I was then sent to Eastham depot for 3 months to do the practical aspects of the training, and on the same course was a scottish lass - I think her name was Marion something - she was a lovely lass and had enjojed a few trips as R/O prior to this course.
> 
> Never heard anything further about her either. Anybody know anything about what happened to her?
> 
> Steve


Steve.
Would that be Marion Curran from Greenock.I sailed with her on Bengloe in Ben Line.After that she left and went to North Foreland Radio.That is the last I heard of her. Often wonder about her


----------



## Piecesofeight

*Tradewinds - Bobby Khan*



Tonga said:


> Piecesofeight,
> On your first posting, a warm welcome to the Site - Fazilette (Bobby) Khan used to write a very good article in Tradewinds each week; I have not seen it appearing recently, maybe she has moved on. (Thumb)


Indeed, she finished the Tradewinds articles in 2002 here's the relevant link:-
http://www.greenhithe.org.uk/pdf/BobbyKhan.pdf

Paul
www.greenhithe.org.uk


----------



## non descript

Piecesofeight said:


> Indeed, she finished the Tradewinds articles in 2002 here's the relevant link:-
> http://www.greenhithe.org.uk/pdf/BobbyKhan.pdf
> 
> Paul
> www.greenhithe.org.uk


Thanks Paul (Thumb)


----------



## FrankGil

I sailed with Dallas on the Nordic louisiana with Denholms in the 70's nice lady
frankGil


----------



## ronmac6

FrankGil said:


> I sailed with Dallas on the Nordic louisiana with Denholms in the 70's nice lady
> frankGil


hi all
I never sailed with Dallas but I remember when she joined her first ship she featured on the Denholms News with her picture at the top of the gangway (Middlesboro?)
Before I collapse for the night I want to thank everyone who contributes to this site for the entertainment they provide.

regardsd ron


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## IAN M

Quote from The Red Duster:
"The Norwegian Merchant Navy was the only Allied merchant fleet that permitted women to serve on board as radio operators, although Russia might have done so. In spite of women holding identical licences to their male counterparts they faced a closed door during and after the war."

IAN M


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## NicoRos

It was on the former Essi Gina (believed once the biggest launch at Teeside) -renamed Itel Hercules which I boarded in the mid seventies in Antwerp. Noticing the state she was in, I assumed we were heading for some Pakistani beach; nevertheless the new owner choose to risk our lives for his own profit.
After several months of breakdowns, fires and mutiny, the SSI corporation sent a superintendent onboard to find out if things were really that bad. He did not arrive alone, but brought a Japanese beauty with him, who had a RO license but never sailed as such. And that's how I met Emiko, who spent night after night in my radio room midships, far away from jealous eyes. She stayed onboard from Kitakyushu till Vancouver where we had an emotional farewell on top of Grouse mountain.
Back onboard and during the months that followed, I noticed that she had hidden numerous of tiny notes all over the place in which she expressed her love. Each note was signed with 'your little ass.' And a beautiful ass she had!


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## greektoon

Hudson Steamship of Brighton had a couple of female R/O's in the 80's. Can't remember their names though.


----------



## Naytikos

The concept of women actually working at sea was, in the 60s/early 70s, regarded as a bit of a joke by non-northern-european crews. When the news of a lady-R/O on a british ship broke, the next edition of our company magazine had a cartoon of a young girl in a mini-skirt reporting to a ship's master "The office sent me as wiper!" Within five years, however attitudes changed a bit and my wife was working as cook. There were still no lady-R/Os, though!
I met one at the Flying Angel in Singapore around 1980, while we were in drydock. I was somewhat skeptical as to her willingness to crawl through the engine-room bilges to fix a log or echo-sounder transducer or climb a mast to fix a radar scanner; she didn't think those things were part of the job.............!


----------



## Mayday

Geoff_E said:


> I sailed with a lady sparks called Sylvia Slattery on the Border Falcon about 1980. She was one one of several in BP. I believe she married a 2/E and eventually went to live in Aussie. There were also various Cadets, and 3/0's by the time I left. I seem to recall BP appointed their first female Supt. sometime recently?


I remember Sylvia, we were at NCRS together. I always thought she went onto tankers, BP or Sell, not sure. She lived in Blackburn for a while, very nice lass.
I know we dis the Radar Cert together.


----------



## Mayday

Mayday said:


> I remember Sylvia, we were at NCRS together. I always thought she went onto tankers, BP or Sell, not sure. She lived in Blackburn for a while, very nice lass.
> I know we dis the Radar Cert together.


I also remember a Norwegian lass being at NCRS early 70's, it may have been Jocelyn Parker.


----------



## ernhelenbarrett

Re joining AWA, I too had that PREIA experience. After flying out on the old Comet aircraft from London to Sydney, AWA took me straight to the OREIA office which was in Martin Place in 1960 and told me if the PREIA didnt accept me then AWA couldnt employ me but in those days they accepted my cash instantly and I was on the "Newcastle Flyer" train at 9am, joined the Lake Boga at noon and sailed at 1pm, still shattered from the 48 hour aircraft journey. Also re Female R/O's when I was on Trienza on the phosphate run to Christmas Island we drifted in company with the Norwegian ship Hoi Houw
(think that was how it was spelt) for 47 days and I chatted with her a lot, mind you I didnt know she was female as the chatting was in morse but was introduced to this gorgeous lady by Don Reid the Islands R/O when we did get ashore and found out she was from the Norwegian ship. Believe she was married to the 2nd Mate and they were on the Singapore/Christmas Island run for a couple of years.
Ern Barrett


----------



## randcmackenzie

Ha! I remember the Hoi Houw from the mid sixties and the Glenpark. we did Christmas Island 3 or 4 times and Nauru once. Lovely litlle ship she was, and the Glenpark was pretty good too.


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## Dutchy62

graham palmer said:


> Liz Banham(nee Rait) was the first female R\O in P&O, I know because she was my junior for 2 trips (1973\74) on the Taupo between UK and NZ.
> She took over from myself at Panama on the way back to NZ and she married Rick Banham (Frosty). Looking at some old crew lists from GCD they looked to have been posted to the same ship together for some time.
> Still got the press cuttings from the UK papers who made a big thing about it
> at the time.
> 
> Graham Palmer


Going through some old bumf recently, I came across an old press cutting of Rick and Liz getting married. I guess it was kept because I sailed with Rick back in the 60s when he was 2nd or 3rd frosty. It was NZ Shipping then, though, not P&O.


----------



## dave4e

Hi All Follow the link below for Irish Women working at Sea, note also the Chief Engineer on MV Ulysses is Female, 

http://www.irishships.com/woman_at_sea.html

Dave


----------



## Graham P Powell

I went for a visit on the Norwegian tanker Polycastle and the R/O was an English girl married to the mate. We had several young women R/O's at GKA.
Lyn Burden, Odette Townsend, Kay Elliston, Cheryl Cottier plus several others.
Lyn,Kay and Cheryl married other R/O's. They had passed their tickets but at the time there were no seagoing jobs so came to GKA. One poor girl was killed by her husband when he flung her down the stairs. They were fine to work with but you had to watch the language etc. One made a comment about "finishing him off by hand " when her automatic key failed. The whole operating wing fell about laughing We also had a lot of trouble reading the terrible morse from one ship and after complaints got the R/O changed. It turned out to be young woman. To be fair we had some terrible morse from blokes as well...


----------



## IAN M

Tony Selman said:


> I am virtually certain that the first female sparks on a British ship was a lady called Dallas Bradshaw. I am also virtually certain that Dallas was Canadian but trained in the UK at Colwyn Bay. I have read this somewhere and can dig it out if anyone is interested. She definitely worked for Marconi around 1970 and I think she did a couple of trips with Denholms at the same time as they were employing female cadets/apprentices.


Joanna Greenlaw went to sea with the Marconi co. in 1942.


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## Roger Bentley

IAN M said:


> Joanna Greenlaw went to sea with the Marconi co. in 1942.


Yes, But not as Joanna Greenlaw - gender change came later. Regards Roger


----------



## Troppo

Small world, indeed....

I knew Heather well. She relieved me on the Lake Barrine/VLLB. Very competant.

I also knew Sylvia and her husband Roger (great bloke). 

Ahhhh, the PREIA......run by Bob Santamaria's accolytes.


----------



## tunatownshipwreck

Roger Bentley said:


> Yes, But not as Joanna Greenlaw - gender change came later. Regards Roger


They say the sea changes a man.


----------



## Troppo

Oh dear....


----------



## sparks69

*Sylvia Slattery R/O*



Geoff_E said:


> I sailed with a lady sparks called Sylvia Slattery on the Border Falcon about 1980. She was one one of several in BP. I believe she married a 2/E and eventually went to live in Aussie. There were also various Cadets, and 3/0's by the time I left. I seem to recall BP appointed their first female Supt. sometime recently?


Sylvia, bless her, was my junior on the British Esk, came from Hull, wore contact lenses - thereby hangs a tail ! Sprained her ankle but refused to pay off.


----------



## BarnacleGrim

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Lt. Uhura yet (Thumb)


----------



## Troppo

Mayday said:


> I remember Sylvia, we were at NCRS together. I always thought she went onto tankers, BP or Sell, not sure. She lived in Blackburn for a while, very nice lass.
> I know we dis the Radar Cert together.


Sylvia worked for BP. She indeed married a 2/E, Roger - a thorough gentleman.

Roger ended up working for AMSA (Aust maritime safety authority), and Sylvia worked for the Aust gov't comms authority - both in Canberra.


----------



## Ron Stringer

BarnacleGrim said:


> I'm surprised no one has mentioned Lt. Uhura yet (Thumb)


Don't believe it boys, thighs does matter.


----------



## Billieboy

Ron Stringer said:


> Don't believe it boys, thighs does matter.


I'm a, "Legs", man too Ron, quite agree!


----------



## Troppo

Further to Heather.

She was very good technically.

She became a radio surveyor with AMSA for a while.


----------



## John David Mair

david harrod said:


> Jan, Angus was after my time; Frad Hartnack was the original AMC master, I was Mate and later Master before Mike Wood and Bill, (blonde moment, forgot his last name, sorry)..there were a whole series of mates, Ian Moist was one , I think he is still at AMC...the ship did a great job of training cadets; Bob Frost was the original Chief Engineer, he came with the ship, in fact he had been with the ship since its delivery to the Pilots from Scotland in 1954 or thereabouts. I think his son John was Chief on her for a short whilwe after Bob retired...


Wyuna is alongside the wharf in Launceston and still for sale.
Angus was back here at the AMC last week, Bill Woods was one of the skippers. Ian Moist was here at AMC now relieving pilot Christmas Island.


----------



## John David Mair

Wyuna:
As I mentioned before she is still for sale after serving the Australian Maritime College as a training vessel, for a while.
As for lady radio officers, Heather was the first on the Australian coast, and is an ex AMC student. She and I swapped ships once so she could stay with her husband Peter, who was indeed a Mate with BHP.
Plenty of lady deck officers have passed through AMC, already Masters and at least one Harbour Master, Helen.


----------



## Graham P Powell

The only female R/O I met while at sea was a British girl who was R/O on the Norwegian tanker Polycastle. She was married to the 2nd mate. We had quite a few at GKA over the years including two married couples. One of my former colleagues was on a ship where the female R/O was told off by the old man for knitting on watch!.
rgds
Graham Powell


----------



## Troppo

Graham P Powell said:


> One of my former colleagues was on a ship where the female R/O was told off by the old man for knitting on watch!.
> rgds
> Graham Powell


Ha ha!

What a goose (the old man, that is...).


----------



## Graham P Powell

One of the girls at GKA had , how shall I put it, a bit of a reputation. Sometimes on nights the supervisor would allow a draw to take place and somebody would get sent home. On this particular night, a chap won the draw at around 2am and thought like you would do, "I'll go and see Miss X". He went round there, rang the door bell and it was opened by one of the other male R/O's. 
rgds Graham Powell


----------



## trotterdotpom

Graham P Powell said:


> One of the girls at GKA had , how shall I put it, a bit of a reputation. Sometimes on nights the supervisor would allow a draw to take place and somebody would get sent home. On this particular night, a chap won the draw at around 2am and thought like you would do, "I'll go and see Miss X". He went round there, rang the door bell and it was opened by one of the other male R/O's.
> rgds Graham Powell


Wonder if her dada new she did it?

John T.


----------



## JoK

all the good woman officers and the worst examples are always drug out for a vicarious thrill


----------



## 5TT

> One of the girls at GKA had , how shall I put it, a bit of a reputation.


Perhaps she had great dits?


----------



## Dick S

Hi All,
When I was 3/mate with Denholms I sailed with Dallas Bradshaw, mid 70s on the Eden BridgeI think, she was agood shipmate as I have posted else where. I know there is a picture of her somewhere on SN site as I searched for her name in the galley. Wonder where she is now?
Richard


----------



## J. Davies

Sailed as chief R/O on the Hong Kong Registered "Coral Princess", a legendary cruise liner of the far east belonging to the Swire group. This was 1987/88. Junior R/O was a lovely Chinese girl, Petty Leung, a meticulous worker. She ended up marrying the Cruise Director, one Richard Haver, and later she left the sea and worked for Radio Holland in Hong Kong as sales manager. Great girl! 

John


----------



## Rose King

Angela Firman (trained in Bridlington) was my cousin: she is dead now. I am still an R/O - they call me ETO but you can't change your spots.

Rose King


----------



## hawkey01

Rose,

welcome. Interesting I did not know that companies were still carrying ETO's. Are you UK flag or foreign? Look forward to your input.
Also good to see Bridlington - my old radio college - mentioned. I did not know your cousin - what year was she there?

Hawkey01


----------



## teachertalk1234

I was in P&O GCD and Ferries from 72 to 84 and remember a female sparks by the name of Linda Crumby. She marries a second mate.


----------



## 5036

Graham P Powell said:


> One of the girls at GKA had , how shall I put it, a bit of a reputation. Sometimes on nights the supervisor would allow a draw to take place and somebody would get sent home. On this particular night, a chap won the draw at around 2am and thought like you would do, "I'll go and see Miss X". He went round there, rang the door bell and it was opened by one of the other male R/O's.
> rgds Graham Powell


Is that when the R/O becomes the 124th Mate.


----------



## Bill Greig

teachertalk1234 said:


> I was in P&O GCD and Ferries from 72 to 84 and remember a female sparks by the name of Linda Crumby. She marries a second mate.


Linda was my Junior on the ***berland, joined about May 76. I was transferred to the Makaria in Piraeus about the end of June that year. Any idea what happened to Linda?
Regards
Bill


----------



## ninabaker

Save the Date alert:

Jo Stanley's book on "Women at sea" is to be published in the summer and the book launch will be at the Tallship Glenlee, Glasgow on 13th June.

Let me know if interested in getting an invite.

nina


----------



## Searcher2004

Buoy said:


> I did my ticket at Newport & Monmouthshire College of Technology starting in 1966 and we had a Russian lady with us for the first year, but I recall she dropped out for (I think) financial reasons. P&O Bulk Shipping Division had at least two female R/O's in the mid/late 1970's. One was called Debbie something and did at least one voyage in *Ardmay*. Another married a 2nd engineer and did a trip in *Ardvar *- I took over from her in Ras Al Kaimah in May 1976, but I'm damned if I can remember her name now!


I started my course at NMCT at the same time and I remember the lady, for some reason I recall her name as something like De Petris, or similar, and as you say she dropped out before year 2, as I did. The lecturers always referred to her as "Mrs" rather than just her surname as they did when addressing the male students.

Searcher


----------



## Cunarder

I may have overlooked this in an earlier post, but we had one female R/O in Cunard-Brocklebanks by the name of Margaret Rabbets. She was my junior for one trip but I can't recall whether it was a Brock's or ACT ship.


----------



## freddythefrog

Hello Cunarder (Alan)
Reference female Radio Officers I believe there were two of them both joining company at same time.
One of them was Ms Rabbetts and other name I cannot remember but know one of them Joined Port Chalmers and other one joined
Port Caroline for their 1st Trips as J/R/O with Brocks.
regards and 73's de freddythefrog


----------



## Mayday

We had two at NCRS, one was, if I remember correctly, from Norway and again, if I remember correctly, her name was Jocelyn Parker. The other was, again memory serves me ill, Sylvia Slatterey (spelling?) who went to work with BP.
We also had a student, memory again, Barbara or Margaret Sudsworth, I do not recall if she finised the course.
All this around 1971/2.

Regards, Jmac.


----------



## Rvator

terval said:


> Greetings one and all. I sailed with Dallas or Big D as I called her in 1979 on the Scotspark for 4 months. The best way to get any peace was to ask her if she was still 165lbs?? That gave us 48 hours peace. Seriously she was a good R/O and did her job well. I understand she was in the Guiness Book of records as the first female R/O in the British Merchant Navy. The first female at sea that I can remember hearing about was a Second Engineer during the first world war. Dallas was good at the dots but the dashes foxed her!!! Last I heard she was living in North Wales and has a gammy left leg. No more climbing up Pilot ladders.
> Merry Xmas all and have a good new year.
> Terry 556919.(Cloud)


I was browsing stuff and came across this thread from years ago.

My discharge book shows I joined the Scotspark at Cape Town 27th October 1974 leaving it in Rotterdam 15th November 1974.

As I lived Essex at that time and recently back home on leave I was contacted by Stan Padfield to urgently fly out to Cape Town. I was told the R/O had been taken off and the ship could not leave until I got there. I did get there via Joberg and Cape Town and a rapid taxi drive out to the docks from the airport. I was bundled on a launch which headed out to sea. Apparently the old man was told I was in the airport and upped the anchor and went steaming off. Eventually the launch caught up and if people can imagine the swell that's down that part of the world then you will be able to visualise what happened. As the ship rolled and the launch went up the side on the swell my kit was thrown on the deck. On the next roll and the launch riding up the side I was bodily thrown on board! It all happened so quickly I did not have time to be scared.

Anyway to get to why all the rush. The absent R/O was female unfortunately I don't remember the name of the lady. The ship was on passage from Aussie to Europe and I was told somewhere before Cape Town she became unwell. I recall reading the radio log book, everything was okay after leaving the loading port, all the watches and communications were recorded as they should be and then imperceptedly at first the hand writing changed. It grew erratic and hard to read and then just a scrawl over the page.

I was told she had to be taken off at Cape Town.

It was forty two years ago now and as I said I don't recall her name but from the posts in this thread I guess it could potentially have been Dallas Bradshaw as presumably there were not many female R/O's employed around that time by Marconi.

If Dallas should read this and was the lady in question or even if it was a different person then I don't mean any disrespect as I was not on the ship when whatever occurred happened. I do know though it was a hairy moment for me.

Rvator


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## beedeesea

I take it that this is the same Dallas Bradshaw?

http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-25...ada-now-working-at-the-imperial-20407872.html

Brian


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## Irvingman

beedeesea said:


> I take it that this is the same Dallas Bradshaw?
> 
> Brian


Yes, that's Dallas. Sailed with her on the Eden Bridge (Denholms) first half of 1976.


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## LucyKnight

Re Rvator's post 2001

It happened the other way too. I had had 10days leave when I was phoned beginning, 79 and told they needed a RE/O to fly out to Capetown fast to relieve a RE/O they needed to get off supertanker fast . Told me they had tried everybody else so I agreed. I joined by chopper though. I was direct employed by company. Just after joining I was told a certain engineer from previous company I had been direct employed with and had sailed with had told them all I was the biggest snob going when they found out who was joining. News to me. I think the real reason was that on a previous ship with him in 76 with previous company I joined ship which had had no R/O on board for 3 months while being repaired from big fatal fire and all aft accommodation had been gutted. The radio room midships had been taken over as the engineers changing room and when I arrived Scaramanga I was told by chief engineer I shouldn't be in it. I thought otherwise and sat there working my way through mounds of the ALRES corrections regardless of them and cleaned up the unholy dirty mess it was left in. Little mighty mouse was standing her ground. 

There was a female R/O finishing her junior time on P and O ship I was told at anchor Piraeus when I joined. I guessed she was probably having a more civilised time than I was. Radio offs cabin didn't have its own toilet for example. So woman weren't necessarily given preferential treatment. Quite the opposite sometimes.


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## mary75

I don't know if the name Olive J. Carroll has been mentioned yet anywhere. She wrote a book about her experiences as a wireless operator: "Deep Sea 'Sparks': A Canadian Girl in the Norwegian Merchant Navy,'" Cordillera Publish Company, Vancouver, 1993. She was on the M.V. Siranger in the early 50's. Lots of details and photos in the book.


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## tunatownshipwreck

beedeesea said:


> I take it that this is the same Dallas Bradshaw?
> 
> http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-25...ada-now-working-at-the-imperial-20407872.html
> 
> Brian


I met her on the Scotstoun during the big west coast longshoremen's strike of 1971, I had made some friends and was on board a few times, she wasn't unattractive, but I never saw her like this photo.


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## Bill Greig

LucyKnight said:


> Re Rvator's post 2001
> 
> It happened the other way too. I had had 10days leave when I was phoned beginning, 79 and told they needed a RE/O to fly out to Capetown fast to relieve a RE/O they needed to get off supertanker fast . Told me they had tried everybody else so I agreed. I joined by chopper though. I was direct employed by company. Just after joining I was told a certain engineer from previous company I had been direct employed with and had sailed with had told them all I was the biggest snob going when they found out who was joining. News to me. I think the real reason was that on a previous ship with him in 76 with previous company I joined ship which had had no R/O on board for 3 months while being repaired from big fatal fire and all aft accommodation had been gutted. The radio room midships had been taken over as the engineers changing room and when I arrived Scaramanga I was told by chief engineer I shouldn't be in it. I thought otherwise and sat there working my way through mounds of the ALRES corrections regardless of them and cleaned up the unholy dirty mess it was left in. Little mighty mouse was standing her ground.
> 
> There was a female R/O finishing her junior time on P and O ship I was told at anchor Piraeus when I joined. I guessed she was probably having a more civilised time than I was. Radio offs cabin didn't have its own toilet for example. So woman weren't necessarily given preferential treatment. Quite the opposite sometimes.


Hi Lucy, yes that was my Junior R/O, Linda Crumbly, the ship was the "***berland" and we were at anchor off Piraeus for about 6 weeks with a cargo of frozen lamb from NZ. Linda was a good lass, hailed from Blackpool as I recall, I got transferred to the Makaria in Piraeus as their sparky had been taken off sick, don't know what happened to Linda after that.
Bill


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## alan ward

exsailor said:


> Mid 70's, NZ Shipping Corp had a female Sparks, who sailed on both the coastal and UK run vessels. I sailed with her brother, a Third Engineer, with Whitco Marine, London.


What`s your real name ex-sailor and when were you with Whitco?


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## Troppo

Mayday said:


> We had two at NCRS, one was, if I remember correctly, from Norway and again, if I remember correctly, her name was Jocelyn Parker. The other was, again memory serves me ill, Sylvia Slatterey (spelling?) who went to work with BP.
> 
> 
> Regards, Jmac.



Slyvia married an engineer from BP called Roger Timms (top bloke - we worked together). An old shipmate of mine also sailed with Slyvia.

Small world.

I was relieved on the Lake Barrine/VLLB by a female R/O, Heather Yarnton (whom I knew well from college). From memory, she was the only female R/O on the Aussie coast. She married a mate from BHP.


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## sparks69

Sylvia was my junior on the Br Esk in 1975.


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## RHJPH

When I was at Southampton College of Technology getting my ticket in 1973 there was a fellow RO trainee by the name of Miss Fortune. I do not know how things turned out for her.


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## Laurie Ridyard

cynter said:


> I remember speeking (QSO'ing) with various female Scandinavian R/Os in the late 50'/60's. The only Pommie female sparkie to my knowledge was trained in Bridlington, East Yorks, as I was and I think her name was Angela... never met her.
> On this subject.... I thoroughly used to enjoy speeking with the European female ops in Holland, Demark, Sweden and Norway on R/T 2182 kc/s band..... memories,eh...?????


I sailed with a female r/o on MV. " Newport " in 1976.

She was a right piss artiste. Hooked up with the Choff. 

Can't remember their names.

Laurie.


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## Tony Magon

*Female R/O in NZ*



Paul Christiansen said:


> The radio officers name was Phillippa Reynolds. After languishing on the Coastal Trader for long enough to have the sauna room named after her, she was finally allowed to go deepsea. Not sure what happened in her career when sconz folded.


Phillippa worked for the Union Steamship Co - know she was on the Union Auckland/GUNY at one time.

Dont know where she is now.

I was in the RNZN - did a lot of time at ZLO between 68 and 75 - then worked at ZLB/ZLC from 75 to 89 - Then VIS from 89 to 91/92 - then worked for Telstra and a phone and data tech.

Now retired


Tony Magon VK2IC

Sydney


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## jostanley

*Pioneer RO Angela Firman*



cynter said:


> I remember speeking (QSO'ing) with various female Scandinavian R/Os in the late 50'/60's. The only Pommie female sparkie to my knowledge was trained in Bridlington, East Yorks, as I was and I think her name was Angela... never met her.
> On this subject.... I thoroughly used to enjoy speeking with the European female ops in Holland, Demark, Sweden and Norway on R/T 2182 kc/s band..... memories,eh...?????


It was Angela Firman; she passed exams but couldn't get onto British ships, hence the Scandinavian choice. It was the same for Canadian women in WW2: not allowed on UK ships.
Angela's relative Rose King in the 1970s became an RO - and did sail.


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## Frank P

In the 1960's -70's I sailed on a few Norwegian ships with female Radio operators but they were all Norwegian....

Cheers Frank


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## john24601

She was only a radio operator, but she didit cos her dada didit


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## tunatownshipwreck

john24601 said:


> She was only a radio operator, but she didit cos her dada didit


Is daht so?


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## BOB87

Hi,.. I have the dubious pleasure of being Relieved by the first female Marconi R/O,...Dallas was her name...( maybe Relieved is the wrong word,..lets say,.. Replaced...):,, the Ore carrier I was on,.. Sir Andrew Duncan I think,..one of Denholms,.. and she, Dallas, was joining the ship, while I went home on Leave...The Marconi House magazine, (Mariner?) covered her training and appointment.. There may have been Others, in other companies, but Dallas was the first in Marconi as far as I know....Dunno where she went; .. when I returned to re-join the ship,...it had been delayed up in Murmansk, and so Marconi offered me Naess Champion, currently in Japan,... or another Ore Carrier,.. the re-named Dunblane...Never saw / heard of Dallas again,...


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## Stephen J. Card

Dallas Bradshaw. 
Merchant Navy's first woman radio officer. Jr. R/O. Joined DUNCRAIG 19 August, 1970. Canadian from Victoria BC. She was a former Photographer and journalist.


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## BOB87

Yep,.. That's thats girl. (Where did I get Dunblane from?.. must be an Age thing,.) . the Duncraig was docking in Birkenhead,.. I was due an arranged Leave,..thinking another Sparks would be there I would hand over to... Then the word came that my Relief was to be Dallas,....so,..I "extra" tidied the R/room, and my Cabin,...as you do...as I said,.. never saw or heard of her again... ships that pass in the night I spose... Thanks for that info Stephen.


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## Stephen J. Card

DUNBLANE. One of the big DUN boats. I think she was in the fleet in the 70's but not long. Will have to look up the fleet list.


Stephen


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## Stephen J. Card

DUNBLANE Built 1955 as REDCAR

To J&J& Denholm 1971, sold 1973.


Thanks to Bill J. Harvey (DENHOLM - A Group Fleet History.)

Stephen


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## tunatownshipwreck

Stephen J. Card said:


> Dallas Bradshaw.
> Merchant Navy's first woman radio officer. Jr. R/O. Joined DUNCRAIG 19 August, 1970. Canadian from Victoria BC. She was a former Photographer and journalist.


Was she on the Scotstoun summer/fall 1971?


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## Laurie Ridyard

I sailed with a female R/O in 1975. She and her BF the C/O were a pair of Scottish peese artistes

She would get drunk, pick an argument with her BF , then start crying, Apparently she wanted to get hitched but he didn't.

ATB 

Laurie


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## Winmar

I and probably others Laurie, find it very distasteful that you find it necessary to blight a young ladies character by referring to her as a Peese Artiste or piss artist on a web site. The Merchant Navy of old being what it was, I doubt very much wether there are any of us whose activities would stand very much scrutiny over the years, myself included. I think that you should revert to the old adage, what happens in ***** stays in *****I! It would be kinder and a bit more diplomatic! Just an opinion mind you!


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## BOB87

Hi Laurie, I never actually sailed with the female R/O I mentioned,..Dallas,..she was the First in the MN I believe, and she was from the far side of the pond,.. (Canada in fact as Stephen says ). I believe she was the first in Marconi too,.. maybe that opened the floodgates for more to follow. And why not?...But I never met, either in the flesh or on the airwaves, another female R/O;... Coast Stations yes,..Isafordhur radio, TFZ,..lovely people. They gave me an Icelandic phrasebook so my routine R/T msg's to them , in the wee small hours, could be passed in "Icelandic",..lol..We were on a 5 month patrol, supporting the UK fishing fleet, (and others), and working with Icelandic Coastguard......Happy memories.


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## Stephen J. Card

Sailed with the second. Alice Millison in AVON BRIDGE, 1972. Next to join was Joan Wareing and she was in EDEN BRIDGE. I guess the flood gates opened then. Shelia Edmundson joined J&J as the first Nav Cadet in 1970 and she was first in the Merch. Ch Eng? Well that goes back to the 1930s with Victoria Drummond in Blue Funnel. Why not any female catering officers? Must be by now.


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## Varley

Perhaps the original dual certification Stephen. Dallas was drawing pints at the Imperial in Colwyn Bay when I was at the Wireless College.


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## Stephen J. Card

Varley said:


> Perhaps the original dual certification Stephen. Dallas was drawing pints at the Imperial in Colwyn Bay when I was at the Wireless College.




Notes in Denholm News Autumn 1970.

Dallas left home five years before to spend two and half years at Colwyn Bay Radio College and then waited 22 months to find a job.

I still have this Denholm News issue. I had joined Naess Pioneer six weeks before Dallas joined. Those good old 'News' were good for the crew list.

Stephen


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## Derek Roger

Brocklebanks only had one to my knowledge ; Ruth Weir ; she later married the second mate that was on the Mahsud 1974 . Never heard of her since .


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## Stephen J. Card

tunatownshipwreck said:


> Was she on the Scotstoun summer/fall 1971?


The old DENHOLM NEWS listed personnel for Masters, Mates, Ch Engineers, Engineers, Electricians, Cadets Deck & Engine also Catering Officers. No Radio Officers. Possibly because they were on contract from Marconi etc. 

Within a couple years later the personnel list was dropped from the 'News'. Fleet was too big!

Stephen


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## Bill.B

Denholms also had Kelvin Hughes sparkies. I did two trips on Nordic Patriot and one trip on Chemical Explorer and Chemical Venturer.


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## bluemoon

Stephen J. Card said:


> Sailed with the second. Alice Millison in AVON BRIDGE, 1972. Next to join was Joan Wareing and she was in EDEN BRIDGE. I guess the flood gates opened then. Shelia Edmundson joined J&J as the first Nav Cadet in 1970 and she was first in the Merch. Ch Eng? Well that goes back to the 1930s with Victoria Drummond in Blue Funnel. Why not any female catering officers? Must be by now.


You are probably right Stephen, but I always thought we had the first nav cadet - Linda Forbes who was with SSM.


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## Stephen J. Card

Sheila Edmundson was in the NAESS CHAMPION early 1970. I believe Sheila was the first to get her Master's.


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## Laurie Ridyard

Winmar said:


> I and probably others Laurie, find it very distasteful that you find it necessary to blight a young ladies character by referring to her as a Peese Artiste or piss artist on a web site. The Merchant Navy of old being what it was, I doubt very much wether there are any of us whose activities would stand very much scrutiny over the years, myself included. I think that you should revert to the old adage, what happens in ***** stays in *****I! It would be kinder and a bit more diplomatic! Just an opinion mind you!


That was over 40 years ago.

They were such a pair of Peeese Artistes, they probably long ago suc***bed to the effects cirrhosis of the liver.

For my part, my parents taught me the evils of alcohol in excess 

Before I went to sea, my father sent me to see a Ch. Stwd. who warned me of dangers of alcohol at sea. I can honestly state I have never been drunk in my life.


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## Ron Stringer

Laurie Ridyard said:


> I can honestly state I have never been drunk in my life.


And I can honestly state that I have never been a Chief Steward in my life.


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## Laurie Ridyard

Ron Stringer said:


> And I can honestly state that I have never been a Chief Steward in my life.


Aye ?


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## Varley

But you'll still have had to type a crew list or two Ron, I'll be bound.


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## Ron Stringer

Varley said:


> But you'll still have had to type a crew list or two Ron, I'll be bound.


No, we MIMCo men were above such things in my day. Reserved for the likes of Blue Flue sparkies and othe Direct Employ guys (and gals, I suppose).


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## stevekelly10

When I was doing my phase 3 at Springburn college Glasgow in 1970. myself and another 3 cadets had a flat there ! on the ground floor flat one of the girls there, was going out with one of my flatmates. Anyway she eventually decided she wanted to go to sea ! She was the first female accepted to go to Glasgow Nautical college to train as an RO ! I often wonder what happened to her ?


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## Troppo2

Laurie Ridyard said:


> That was over 40 years ago.
> 
> They were such a pair of Peeese Artistes, they probably long ago suc***bed to the effects cirrhosis of the liver.
> 
> For my part, my parents taught me the evils of alcohol in excess
> 
> Before I went to sea, my father sent me to see a Ch. Stwd. who warned me of dangers of alcohol at sea. I can honestly state I have never been drunk in my life.



Bet you were a barrel of laughs in the smokeroom!


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## Laurie Ridyard

Troppo2 said:


> Bet you were a barrel of laughs in the smokeroom!


The Peese Artistes I have come across always drank in their cabins or ashore, with the exception of the one with the female R/O. 

That had a bar, and everybody but the Lecky and me were nutcase Peese Artistes. They were not a barrel of laughs.


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## djringjr

I can add a few more female R/O's.

Andrianna POLITOU 

I’m ex. marine radio officer with 10 years seaservice in worldwide bulk carriers. On the picture I was on board M/V GOLDEN PRINCE/3ELT5. This station was from JRC. I was there in 1990, in Caribbean sea, 12 months in this ship. Now I am active with amateur radio callsign SV8GFW. M/V GOLDEN PRINCE.


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## djringjr

Denice Stoops (USA)
I was born in Saginaw, Michigan U.S.A. in 1956. Joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 1974 and went to work as a telegrapher for RCA as the first female operator (T-3) at KPH in 1979. KPH closed in 1997. I joined the radio department on the O’Brien in 2007 and upgraded my license to a T-1 to operate the transmitters. In 2009 I was offered a position on the SS Lane Victory/KECW and I sailed on her as 2nd R/O in Sept. I currently operate at KSM. 73/88


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## djringjr

Claudia Oehm Wendisch 

Born in Bonn 1949.

* 1969 Second Class Ship Radiotelegraph Operator’s Certificate.

* 1969/70 R.O. M/V Linzertor/DDQM, bulk carrier,

* 1970/71 R.O. M/V Johannes Bos/DIBJ, general cargo,

* 1971/72 R.O. M/T St. Petri/DAKP, tanker

* 1972 R.O. M/V Belgrano/DGDB, bulk/car carrier

* 1972/73 R.O. M/V Santa Fé/DNFX, general cargo

* 1973 First Class Ship Radiotelegraph Operator’s Certificate.

* 1973/74 R.O. M/V Polar Brasil/DGBZ, reefer

* 1974/76 R.O. M/T St. Jacobi/DAJA, tanker

* 1976 R.O. M/T St. Clemens/DAHC, tanker

* 1977 Became mother of a daughter and stayed at home,

later short substitutions:

* 1986 R.O. Substitution M/T Kurt Illies/DNKB, tanker

* 1988 R.O. Substitution M/T Immanuel Kant/DIKF, tanker

* 1989 R.O. Substitution M/T Hermann Schulte/YJXN6, tanker, flag Vanuatu

* 1990 R.O. Substitution M/V Atalanta/P3YD2, container ship, flag Cypres

* 1991 R.O. Substitution M/V Billie Fay/ELDN9, bulk carrier, flag Liberia

* 1992 R.O. Substitution M/V Columbus Olinda/ELHH9, container ship, Liberia, last ship!

* 1995 General Operator’s Certificate (GMDSS), Flensburg

* Since 1989 Teacher for Radio Licences in my own school:

* Since 2002 Publication of different books for Ship’s Radio Communications

* Since 1986 Radio Amateur Licence with call sign DL5LBC


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## djringjr

Eva Marie Jensen

Born in Tønsberg, Norway 1952. First time to sea with “Shikoku Geir” in 1975. Then busdriver before sea again. Was radioofficer from 1978, I sailed with Texaco Norway A/S company until 1985, my favorite was the beautiful midship tanker “Texaco Skandinavia”. Even the callsign was melodious: LEID. Then in Bergesen company from 1986 to 1991, mainly as deck officer on gas tankers. Last ship was “Rosa Tucano” in 1993. From then on I worked in “Kystverket”, the Norwegian Coastal Administration. (At that time I had taken over my father’s farm, I run it until 2004.) In 1998 Kystverket established a VTS, monitoring the ship traffic in the Oslofjord, and I have been here at Horten VTS ever since. At the moment (2009) I’m working with yet another Texaco reunion. My regards to all! Eva M Jensen.


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## djringjr

Olive Caroll

Some photos attached but it's best to see this URL:

http://radioalumni.ca/x_CarrollOlive.htm

Point Grey ' Y ' and monitoring station 
Olive Carroll recalls of her time as an intercept operator

From her book , and from private correspondence, adapted for the web by Laval , Dec. 2009
Olive Carroll

While still a high school student in Vancouver during the war years, and learning how to Morse by lamp, I found I quite enjoyed code.

I studied wireless at the Sprott Shaw School of Radio in Vancouver, started with evening classes but I was disappointed to learn that it would take two years of work to obtain my 2nd Class certificate. Making good progress, the principal recommended me for a government subsidy plan , I accepted and finally got my certificate 8th June 1944. Under contract to the government I was immediately posted to the Pt. Grey Wireless Station call sign VAI as an intercept operator with a good friend Elizabeth King, better known as ‘ Red ‘.

VAI was situated on Westbrook Crescent and the station was a smallish two storey house set on a huge piece of land with an imposing antenna array. The OIC, Andy Gray, lived in a separate house nearby. On the first floor of the station was Mr. Gray’s office, a small frequency monitoring room (if memory serves me correctly) and the larger marine room, with I believe, two operating positions. Upstairs, at the top of the landing, was the intercept shift supervisor’s desk. To one side of the landing, facing north, was the recording room with at least four or five monitoring positions. Across the landing, in a smaller room, were three transcribing positions.

We few new recruits polished our Kana in the Marine Room. In fact classes weren't held at all on Kana out West - certainly not to my knowledge. We were given the code and told to learn it...on our own. Which we had to do pretty quickly. If memory serves me correctly (?) we were given a small bonus if we could get our copying speed up to 20 characters per min.

When judged efficient we were posted to shifts upstairs.

I don’t recall the surname of my initial shift supervisor, but I think his first name was Vern. Then there was a change and Sammy Gold became supervisor. I also do not recall the names of all the fellows monitoring and recording (there were never more than four or five at any time on my shift). Some I do remember were Ron Thomas ( he later went to VAE and eventually became a Radio Inspector ), George Scroxton, Tommy Mayne (formerly with the Merchant Navy) and a fellow who had flown with Ferry Command.. Regrettably I have forgotten the few others.

Only high speed stations were monitored - Japanese and a couple of Vichy French. I am not sure of the numbers but I believe they were FFZ2 and FFZ3 - I do recall that we always referred to them as Fuzzy 2 and Fuzzy 3 ! Once a station stopped idling and began transmitting the OM ops would record the transmissions on wax cylinders and as each cylinder was filled up a slip of paper with time, date and station call sign was tucked in the tube and placed on the supervisor’s desk.

As for any photos taken at Point Grey - I don't recall anyone taking pictures while I was there. Whether it was forbidden I'm not sure. At one time I did have an exterior shot of the station building but it seems to have been lost over the years.

Thank you for the photos of VAI...so much better than the one I had...(and yes I did know of Mr. Bowerman).

Pt Grey from Jack Bowernan/Ian Hayes

( from Jack Bowerman/Ian Hayes collection )

Thanks again for this picture where we can see the (UBC) University stadium and some of the buildings.... separated from the station by that wide strip of forest land.

Believe me, that brought back memories - of one particular graveyard shift night when absolutely no signals at all were coming in. Those who weren't snoozing were looking for some mischief to get into. Along with another op (Ron Thomas) we climbed the fence that surrounded the station property, made our way along a path through the woods...and into the stadium where we jogged around the track in the dark. Then back and over the fence again...only this time I caught my skirt and ripped a seam open! Thank goodness for safety pins.

But I digress..

All transcribing of the wax cylinders was done by YL operators. (The other two on my shift were Janet Bird and Florence Quilty) Typed transcripts were placed on the supervisor’s desk where they were collated, ready to be picked up by the Army motorcycle dispatch rider who came every afternoon. I believe these dispatches were then taken to the RCAF station at Sea Island and flown to Washington, D.C. We never knew of course, the contents of the intercepts and had no knowledge of what we were copying - only that our work was important. So it was very satisfying once when Mr. Gray notified us all that a commendation had been received from Washington congratulating the station on the quantity and quality of the intercepts!

One Japanese station was copied direct by the girls on every afternoon shift- this was from the Domei News Agency in Tokyo. This was in English of course and taken down on our typewriters at a good speed. At any one time actually only one girl was responsible to copy but because conditions were not always favourable the three on my shift all copied to help with any fills. The broadcasts contained names of prisoners of war and any other news of battles, Allied planes and ships lost (propaganda?) that the Japanese felt it necessary to pass on.

As for copying Kana, it wasn’t until decades later that I learned there were special typewriters for this task but I’m just as well pleased we only had a typical mill. It was enough to master the Japanese code without having to find ones way around a different keyboard as well.

After the messages had been transcribed the wax cylinders were shaved in a special little machine to be used, and used, again.

After VE Day the women operators at the station were notified that they were no longer under contract to the DOT and they could leave if they wished (!). No one did to my knowledge. But once VJ Day was a fact all female operators were released and the men reassigned to various positions throughout the province…or elsewhere.

Fortunately for a few of the girls (myself included ) we were hired by DND to replace personnel being discharged at their special wireless station (SWS #3 ) outside of Victoria on Vancouver island. The station remained at this QTH until about the late ‘40s when it was moved to the former RCAF station at Boundary Bay near Ladner, B.C. It is more than 60 years since I worked for the Signal Corps, and no doubt the work done there has long since been declassified, but I do not know that officially so I will not elaborate on what we did. No doubt you know of it anyway.

I left the DND when I had an opportunity to go to sea and in early ‘47 I flew to San Francisco to sign aboard the Norwegian M/V Siranger as Radio Officer, ship’s Purser and Captain’s secretary. I served at sea four years.

Lulu Island Operations room (Olive's photo)


Three other of the intercept YL operators who also followed a similar career path were Elizabeth (King) Anderson, Norma (Gomez) York and Lylie (Smith) Palmer. The first two were at Pt. Grey and Lylie at Lulu Island. She was the only one who didn’t serve with the DND. Lylie received her radio training in Winnipeg and was first employed for a year at Moose Factory by the Hudson’s Bay Fur Trade before going to Lulu Island.

In perusing Ernie Brown’s website I came across a name I recognized - Jim Taylor, who worked at the Lulu Island station in ‘44 and ‘45. There couldn’t have been two Jim Taylors there so it had to be one and the same person.. Jim, and some of his shift mates, were the only operators at the island station that I knew. They worked the same shift schedule as my shift at VAI, and I don’t really know how it started, but a couple of times in the winter of ‘44/’45, after coming off Graveyard, four from my shift got together with Jim and his mates (Vic Zariski, Malcolm Knox, Scotty Hyde and Bill B.?). We all traveled over to the North Shore and hiked for three hours up the mountain where we stayed at a primitive old lodge on Hollyburn (no highways up or gondola lifts in those days). We had to pack our own food as well (rationing remember) and we girls bunked in a dorm under the eaves (warmed by an old wood burning stove). The fellows were down on the main floor, no heat so they said, and they told us they were sleeping on pine boughs covered with blankets! At least the girls had mattresses of sorts. (I won’t mention the WC facilities! ). We all rented skis and had the mountain side to ourselves for two great days. Then came another hike down to ‘civilization’ in time for the afternoon shift. It was wonderful to be young wasn’t it!

But I digress… Jim Taylor was posted to Williams Lake up in central B.C. after war’s end and I believe he then returned to the east.

Regarding the list of names on the roll-call, four I definitely know and a couple seem vaguely familiar...but the remainder nothing.

Andy Gray of course...he was OIC at the station.

Agnes (Strachan) Lake is now a SK. She was at Radio School the same time as myself and we wrote our exams at the same time.

Ina Waller was the first YL ( young lady ) to earn her radio license in western Canada and she worked in the Marine Room at VAI. She was one of the girls who went with DND at Victoria. In late '46 Ina married Vic Zariski who had worked at Lulu Island. I believe at war's end Vic was posted to a station up the B.C. coast somewhere.

Elizabeth (King) Anderson - she followed the same path as myself. VAI, then DND then to sea in early '47.

I'm afraid my Point Grey memories are in no way exciting. Both Elizabeth Anderson and I are ( even collectively ) having trouble recalling names etc. at VAI. It was a little better when we went to #3 SWS - at least we have a few exterior photo shots of the station and personnel. And it was at that time I first began writing lengthy and detailed letters home...which my parents saved. It was the massive file of such letters, a daily diary and rough radio logs which enabled me to write the book about my time at sea so many years later.　

You had asked for me to include in my chronicle the 'before' and 'after' ... but when you read my book you will learn a little of the 'before' and a lot of the 'after' .

I think I must have strayed far from the information you asked for but thinking about those far away years awakened a lot of memories.

I applaud your plan to put together something about the monitoring service in Canada, but I also appreciate how difficult a task it might be. Our ranks have thinned considerably.

I'm pleased to have been able to make this small contribution... Olive


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## djringjr

Miss Graynella Parker, the first woman to serve as a commercial wireless operator.
She is seen operating the radio set on the Clyde liner "Mohawk".


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## djringjr

*Photo of Dallas Bradshaw*

I had several photographs of R/O Dallas Bradshaw, I think from some of the SOWP members who sent me some on my radio-officers mailing list which I started when only email was around and gopher:// via gopher proxy  I lost them all, I believe Radio Officer Lucy Knight might have sent them to me, but I've not heard from her since, 2015. Many of my friends have passed on, good friends, wonderful R/O's.
Here's one photo from "The History of the Radio Officer in the British Merchant Navy and on Deep-Sea Trawlers." of R/O Dallas Bradshaw. There were several women who subscribed to my R/O list and when I wrote the last post, I sent email to them, the posts didn't bounce, but neither did I receive a reply to them. So they might be elsewhere now as I noted concerning dear Lucy Knight above. The second picture is one from a newspaper of her tending bar while waiting for a ship.
73
DR


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## tunatownshipwreck

djringjr said:


> I had several photographs of R/O Dallas Bradshaw, I think from some of the SOWP members who sent me some on my radio-officers mailing list which I started when only email was around and gopher:// via gopher proxy  I lost them all, I believe Radio Officer Lucy Knight might have sent them to me, but I've not heard from her since, 2015. Many of my friends have passed on, good friends, wonderful R/O's.
> 
> Here's one photo from "The History of the Radio Officer in the British Merchant Navy and on Deep-Sea Trawlers." of R/O Dallas Bradshaw. There were several women who subscribed to my R/O list and when I wrote the last post, I sent email to them, the posts didn't bounce, but neither did I receive a reply to them. So they might be elsewhere now as I noted concerning dear Lucy Knight above. The second picture is one from a newspaper of her tending bar while waiting for a ship.
> 
> 73
> DR



Do you know when each photo was published?


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## djringjr

tunatownshipwreck said:


> Do you know when each photo was published?


Not the photos, I no longer have. The bartending photo in last post was when Dallas was 20. The lost photos were on the Internet but are long gone now.

I just found one of the photos from Scotstoun when she was R/O. I edited #177 above and posted it.

73

DR


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## Piecesofeight

You may have met Simon Langlois (now Jersey) and/or Tim Williams (died 24/9/88 Ocean Odyssey rig fire) I know one or both of them sailed on CP.


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## djringjr

I just found another photo of Dallas Bradshaw on Scotstoun when in port in Long Beach, California. Those are all the photos I have of her. Wonderful she sailed on her certificate, so many women tried but no one hired them. Bravo Dallas!

73
DR


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## Troppo

We had certificates, not licences.


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## djringjr

Troppo said:


> We had certificates, not licences.


in USA we were issued certificates by Federal Communications Commission and we presented that to U.S. Coast Guard along with other requirements and we were granted a "License as United States Merchant Marine Officer." So in USA we had two pieces of paper in addition to our merchant marine doc-ument (or continuous discharge book.)


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## sheyfortune

RHJPH said:


> When I was at Southampton College of Technology getting my ticket in 1973 there was a fellow RO trainee by the name of Miss Fortune. I do not know how things turned out for her.


That would be me Shelagh (Shey) Fortune - a brief history: I carried on at sea until late 1982. In 1980 I married Chief Engineer Richard Harrop and we sailed together until October 1982 when I was 4 months pregnant. I moved to South Africa in 1981 and we still live here. We have 2 daughters and 2 grandchildren from our eldest daughter who was born in March 1983. I ended up with a computer business from 1988 until a few years ago and my husband worked as a marine surveyor and then on FPSO coversions with SBM.


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## djringjr

sheyfortune said:


> That would be me Shelagh (Shey) Fortune - a brief history: I carried on at sea until late 1982. In 1980 I married Chief Engineer Richard Harrop.


I have always wanted to see Miss Fortune change into a rollicking Harrop of a time. Congratulations on a life well lived R/O Shelagh Harrop.


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## sheyfortune

djringjr said:


> I have always wanted to see Miss Fortune change into a rollicking Harrop of a time. Congratulations on a life well lived R/O Shelagh Harrop.


Who are you?


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## djringjr

sheyfortune said:


> Who are you?


I am R/O David J. Ring, Jr., a person who just loved the pun of "Miss Fortune" / misfortune. It was just my way of sending a well wishes. I'm ex- R/O in USA Merchant Marine, also ex coast station operator at West Creek NJ Radio / WSC. You can see some of my interests at my website.

73
DR


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## sheyfortune

djringjr said:


> I am a person who just loved the pun of "Miss Fortune" / misfortune. It was just my way of sending a well wishes. I'm ex- R/O in USA Merchant Marine, also ex coast station operator at West Creek NJ Radio / WSC. You can see some of my interests at my website.
> 
> 73
> DR


so if you were at college with me i should know you????


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## djringjr

sheyfortune said:


> so if you were at college with me i should know you????


No, I just liked your name, and I wanted to wish you well, I like puns, and wishing someone named "Miss Fortune" well, well, it was too much for me to resist. That's it. I am from USA, and was reading this forum as I've been a past contributor. I run the [email protected] mail list and the Facebook radio-officers group. You're all invited to join should you desire.

73
David


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## John Cassels

sheyfortune said:


> so if you were at college with me i should know you????





sheyfortune said:


> That would be me Shelagh (Shey) Fortune - a brief history: I carried on at sea until late 1982. In 1980 I married Chief Engineer Richard Harrop and we sailed together until October 1982 when I was 4 months pregnant. I moved to South Africa in 1981 and we still live here. We have 2 daughters and 2 grandchildren from our eldest daughter who was born in March 1983. I ended up with a computer business from 1988 until a few years ago and my husband worked as a marine surveyor and then on FPSO coversions with SBM.


D\were you ever on the Erskine Bridge , 1973 ?.


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## sheyfortune

John Cassels said:


> D\were you ever on the Erskine Bridge , 1973 ?.


Yes that was my first ship I sailed as a junior radio officer for 10 weeks then got a dispensation to sail as RO!!


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## John Cassels

sheyfortune said:


> Yes that was my first ship I sailed as a junior radio officer for 10 weeks then got a dispensation to sail as RO!!


I remember you though . I was 2nd.mate .


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## Troppo

sheyfortune said:


> Yes that was my first ship I sailed as a junior radio officer for 10 weeks then got a dispensation to sail as RO!!


Good for you. 10 weeks...sink or swim...


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## sheyfortune

Troppo said:


> Good for you. 10 weeks...sink or swim...


it was pretty much swim from day 1 as my R/O spent all the time in his cabin having a holiday...only thing he did was accounts and didn't teach me so I had to learn from another sparks on another ship!!


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## LucyKnight

BOB87 said:


> Hi Laurie, I never actually sailed with the female R/O I mentioned,..Dallas,..she was the First in the MN I believe, and she was from the far side of the pond,.. (Canada in fact as Stephen says ). I believe she was the first in Marconi too,.. maybe that opened the floodgates for more to follow. And why not?...But I never met, either in the flesh or on the airwaves, another female R/O;... Coast Stations yes,..Isafordhur radio, TFZ,..lovely people. They gave me an Icelandic phrasebook so my routine R/T msg's to them , in the wee small hours, could be passed in "Icelandic",..lol..We were on a 5 month patrol, supporting the UK fishing fleet, (and others), and working with Icelandic Coastguard......Happy memories.





Stephen J. Card said:


> Sailed with the second. Alice Millison in AVON BRIDGE, 1972. Next to join was Joan Wareing and she was in EDEN BRIDGE. I guess the flood gates opened then. Shelia Edmundson joined J&J as the first Nav Cadet in 1970 and she was first in the Merch. Ch Eng? Well that goes back to the 1930s with Victoria Drummond in Blue Funnel. Why not any female catering officers? Must be by now.


You mentioned no female catering officers.

When I joined C.P. Ships direct employed as a Radio/Electronics officer (with MEC) end of Summer 1978 after working as radio officer, trainee radio officer and 3rd year radio cadet (taking 2 year MRRC course) direct employed Shell Tankers, there were two female deck cadets and a female catering officer/purser called Jane. 

C. P Ships fleet then had over 30 ships comprising of tankers, bulk carriers and 3 container ships.


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## Troppo

sheyfortune said:


> it was pretty much swim from day 1 as my R/O spent all the time in his cabin having a holiday...only thing he did was accounts and didn't teach me so I had to learn from another sparks on another ship!!


Reminds me of my first chief...hopeless....


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## Troppo

LucyKnight said:


> You mentioned no female catering officers.
> 
> When I joined C.P. Ships direct employed as a Radio/Electronics officer (with MEC) end of Summer 1978 after working as radio officer, trainee radio officer and 3rd year radio cadet (taking 2 year MRRC course) direct employed Shell Tankers, there were two female deck cadets and a female catering officer/purser called Jane.
> 
> C. P Ships fleet then had over 30 ships comprising of tankers, bulk carriers and 3 container ships.


Fascinating. Did you do any sea time as a radio cadet?


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## LucyKnight

LucyKnight said:


> You mentioned no female catering officers.
> 
> When I joined C.P. Ships direct employed as a Radio/Electronics officer (with MEC) end of Summer 1978 after working as radio officer, trainee radio officer and 3rd year radio cadet (taking 3 year MRRC course) direct employed Shell Tankers, there were two female deck cadets and a female catering officer/purser called Jane.
> 
> C. P Ships fleet then had over 30 ships comprising of tankers, bulk carriers and 3 container ships.





Troppo said:


> Fascinating. Did you do any sea time as a radio cadet?


No I didn't do any seatime as a 3rd year radio cadet.

However I was taken on right at the beginning of the new system of Shell employing radio cadets. Some were taken on asc3rd tear cadets, some 2nd year cadets and some from first year. Shell and BP started radio cadetships at the sane time. There was WIlber (real name Tony) and myself with Shell as 3rd year Shell cadetship In our 3rd year MRRT course. A couple of Shell men were on the shorter MPT course running in parallel. BP had a lot if cadets in the same class as myself at Brunnel college..

As it was all new the 2 companies left us in our existing accommodation bedsit in my case. Some were in digs and some living at home. Theypaid us expenses according to our accommodation, This was in addition to a taxable salary, and course fees which.had been paid by local LEAs the years before. At end of the course Wilber and I were sent io to Garston Liverpool for a 4 day firefighting course before going to sea. I believe BP later had cadets at sea during their training .









.


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## Troppo

LucyKnight said:


> No I didn't do any seatime as a 3rd year radio cadet.
> 
> However I was taken on right at the beginning of the new system of Shell employing radio cadets. Some were taken on asc3rd tear cadets, some 2nd year cadets and some from first year. Shell and BP started radio cadetships at the sane time. There was WIlber (real name Tony) and myself with Shell as 3rd year Shell cadetship In our 3rd year MRRT course. A couple of Shell men were on the shorter MPT course running in parallel. BP had a lot if cadets in the same class as myself at Brunnel college..
> 
> As it was all new the 2 companies left us in our existing accommodation bedsit in my case. Some were in digs and some living at home. Theypaid us expenses according to our accommodation, This was in addition to a taxable salary, and course fees which.had been paid by local LEAs the years before. At end of the course Wilber and I were sent io to Garston Liverpool for a 4 day firefighting course before going to sea. I believe BP later had cadets at sea during their training .
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .


Amazing!


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## Frank P

It is interesting reading your stories.. I only sailed on one ship with more than one Radio Operator and that was the Passenger ship Royal Viking Star were we had three R/O's, on the Tankers and Cargo ships that I sailed on we only ever had one R/O, a few of them were Female..

I was wondering with more than one R/O on a Tanker or Cargo ship what was there (work wise) for them to do?

Cheers Frank


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## pippin

Being male ♂ I am not sure I should be posting on this ♀ thread.
I spent my first eight months as junior R/O on an H16 ship.
On reflection I was perfectly competent after just four weeks to have gone solo.


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## Ron Stringer

Frank P said:


> It is interesting reading your stories.. I only sailed on one ship with more than one Radio Operator and that was the Passenger ship Royal Viking Star were we had three R/O's, on the Tankers and Cargo ships that I sailed on we only ever had one R/O, a few of them were Female..
> 
> I was wondering with more than one R/O on a Tanker or Cargo ship what was there (work wise) for them to do?
> 
> Cheers Frank


Some were just there under supervision - after qualification Radio Officers were supposed to serve 6 months sea time under the supervision of an experienced Radio Officer before being allowed to take charge of a ship's radio station. Some shipping companies chose to employ two qualified Radio Officers but used one (usuall the senior man) as a clerical/administrative assistant for the Master, performing similar duties to a Purser. Ships required to maintain round-the-clock listening watch on the radiotelegraph distress and safety radio frequency by the nature of their trade or classification (e.g. large passenger ships), had to carry a minimum of three Radio Officers.


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## Varley

The hours of manual watchkeeping was determined by the 'class' of ship. Some passenger vessels were either H16 or H24 (as in H for hours and ?? per day). Each operator had an 8 hour allocation hence H24, three operators minimum. Cargo vessels were generally H8 or Hx (not fixed) and therefore only carried one. This was for safety purposes only. More operators would be carried if the traffic so demanded. Where an H8 vessel carried two R/Os one might be a Junior - not allowed to sail alone until 6 months under supervision had been completed.


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## DickGraham

Sea service experience requirements for Radio Officers on single operator ships (Class IIb) were 6 months for vessels of 3000grt and above and 3 months for vessels between 1600grt and 3000grt which was why I was posted to the MV Worthing 1873grt after doing just 4 months on Shell tankers ST Mysia - and I was chuffed with that at the time


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## LucyKnight

DickGraham said:


> Sea service experience requirements for Radio Officers on single operator ships (Class IIb) were 6 months for vessels of 3000grt and above and 3 months for vessels between 1600grt and 3000grt which was why I was posted to the MV Worthing 1873grt after doing just 4 months on Shell tankers ST Mysia - and I was chuffed with that at the time


Since this thread has an input from those trained outside UK, it might be worth pointing out how newby R/Os gaining their 6 months mandatory seatime before going solo were classified.

Some companies eg Shell Tankers UK classed the new R/Os as trainee R/Os. However you were singled in in your discharge book as a 2nd R/O. Some companies referred to this period as junior time and I believe on passenger ships 3rd R/Os.

Despite being classed pay scale wise as a trainee R/O with Shell,, you were paid very well. About 3/4 the salary of a full Shell direct employed R/O.


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## DickGraham

Interesting re Shell direct employ - I did my trip on Mysia in '72 and both myself and the senior (A. H. G. 'Tim' Wall) were Marconi. I did another trip with Shell and Marconi in '74 on MT Venassa and at the end of that trip I handed over the job to an Indian chap who had been employed by Shell via an agency in Bombay - Marconi had apparently got the 'dunt' - so I assume they found that a bad idea and must have started to employ direct after that.


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## LucyKnight

DickGraham said:


> Interesting re Shell direct employ - I did my trip on Mysia in '72 and both myself and the senior (A. H. G. 'Tim' Wall) were Marconi. I did another trip with Shell and Marconi in '74 on MT Venassa and at the end of that trip I handed over the job to an Indian chap who had been employed by Shell via an agency in Bombay - Marconi had apparently got the 'dunt' - so I assume they found that a bad idea and must have started to employ direct after that.


I exoect you are aware of the Shell Helderline site where you could View photos of those 2 Shell tankers and our you name down on the crew lists with rank and dates. Several other R/Os have done so for Vanessa. In 76 vessel was modified and became A floating platform.



VENASSA (1) | Helderline.com



V class were similar age built 50s to the trusty rusty bucket work hard play hard H tankers eg the good old SS Hemitochus affectionately known as ''Trochus. Ended up at the Ships *nackers yard in Taiwan where she crossed the bar in 77 along with her worn out continually breaking down Marconi radars) after a long trip on.her. Last part ou in the Far East with no a/c.


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## Frank P

LucyKnight said:


> I exoect you are aware of the Shell Helderline site where you could View photos of those 2 Shell tankers and our you name down on the crew lists with rank and dates. Several other R/Os have done so for Vanessa. In 76 vessel was modified and became A floating platform.
> 
> 
> 
> VENASSA (1) | Helderline.com
> 
> 
> 
> V class were similar age built 50s to the trusty rusty bucket work hard play hard H tankers eg the good old SS Hemitochus affectionately known as ''Trochus. Ended up at the Ships *nackers yard in Taiwan where she crossed the bar in 77 along with her worn out continually breaking down Marconi radars) after a long trip on.her. Last part ou in the Far East with no a/c.


Lucy, did you do the VietNam run from Pulau Bukom with the Hemitochus, I was there for eight months 1969 -1970 and I saw a few H boats........Cheers Frank


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## pippin

Interesting. I had never heard of "Trainee" R/O.
Nor of "Cadet" R/O if that was what they were called - Officer and Cadet?

My PMG Certificate rear inside cover simply states QUALIFYING SERVICE.
Dates of completion of six months' service
ditto One years' service
ditto Two years' service

Up to half (but not more) of the qualifying service periods could be served at a Coast Radio Station,
I had forgotten that.

The one year and two year requirements were for various classes of passenger ships.

As you say for my first six (actually eight) months I was signed on as 2 R/O.


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## LucyKnight

Frank P said:


> Lucy, did you do the VietNam run from Pulau Bukom with the Hemitochus, I was there for eight months 1969 -1970 and I saw a few H boats........Cheers Frank


No I didn't.
There were several Shell Tankers. On that run when the hostilities were ongoing Sone were going there after the beginning 73 when hostilities officially ended.
I remember when I was on SS Mangelia one m engineer saying he had to swim across the engine room to get out after they were mined.That was one of the A class I think which were similar in size midship and aft accommodation. I was on two of those, SS Alinda and MV Amoria.

Some of the A and H class were ex Eagle Oil vessels. Eagle oil was a Geordie Shell subsidiary and their fleet taken over I believe late sixties.

The manuals for some of the original gear eg non automatic d.f. with orange dial woukd have the original names written on them all beginning with San.eg San Ernesto.


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## Frank P

Lucy, I was on the Mary Else Tholstrup a Danish Gas tanker and when we were in port or at anchor the American and Vietnamese military would be going around every hour in boats throwing hand-grenades in the sea, so you did not get much sleep.

I used to go onboard and swap books with some of the crew on the Shell tankers in Pulau Bukom..

Cheers Frank


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## martin winn

I was the R/0 Christmas 1968 (my 21st Xmas eve) in Saigon on The Hemitrochus. The radars weren't much of a problem.I'd been on a course at Marconi Hull, and the instructor gave lots of tips.
The Capt. offered me Marconi/Shell only employ: however I turned it down. I didn't want to spend my sea career on oil tankers, (I'd been on Donax before as 2nd R/O). Marconi must have thought we'll teach him. Next trip 15 months on Ropners Thirlby (shell charter only). Terrible company and ship; but had a good time. I grew up on that trip - no comments please.I told Marconi no more tankers. Next trip City of Karachi - OK. I left then for P&O then Radio & Electronic Services. (Cunard, Brocks, Port Line ACT et al.). My time with Port LIne - Halcon days.


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## martin winn

Should have read Halcyon days.


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## Baulkham Hills

I relieved a Scandinavian female R/O on an Liberian flag U.S. owned VLCC. I arrived on board about 8am, she was still asleep. I Knocked on her door and said I would be in the Radio Room, a while later this middle aged lady appeared in a nightie with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth. She had not finalized the accounts but she was due off in about 2 hours time so I let her get on with it. Eventually she finished them, then came the bar accounts (the r/o was to look after them) and there was a big loss on the books, which she just paid the money from her own pocket. I asked her what she was looking forward to doing during her vacation. She told me her and her mother would go to Las Vegas and gamble at the casino's, food was free and they would keep gambling until there was none left, then she would contact the company that it was time to go back to sea. She was quite a character


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## Troppo

I was relieved by a female R/O, Heather Yarnton, on the Lake Barrine/VLLB. It was her first trip solo. A great first ship!

I knew her well. We were at college together. She was doing her MRGC and I was doing radar.

She eventually married a mate and swallowed the anchor.

She was the only one in Australia at the time (1982)...from memory there were no other ones after her. Pity.


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## pippin

Troppo: "female R/O, *Heater* Yarnton" 

Troppo typo? or was she really *hot*????


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## rogd

Oh dear,Pippin!


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## Troppo

Groan....typo.


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## pippin

I guessed as much Troppo, but I am not one to let such a good one go by!


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## John Cassels

pippin said:


> I guessed as much Troppo, but I am not one to let such a good one go by!


A good what ?.


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## pippin

Chance of a joke. But the joke is now lost because Troppo has now corrected his typographical mistake.. 
You might be able to work it out from the red type in my post. If not then _ça ne fait rien_ .
Or as we say in Welsh _does dim ots_ .


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## Piecesofeight

IAN M said:


> Quote from The Red Duster:
> "The Norwegian Merchant Navy was the only Allied merchant fleet that permitted women to serve on board as radio operators, although Russia might have done so. In spite of women holding identical licences to their male counterparts they faced a closed door during and after the war."
> 
> IAN M


In 1985 I joined the Chimo as R/O (became Bergen Pride / Sylvia and other names later), taken over by Wallemship Hkg. Originally built 1984 for the Norwegians and was told my berth was previously occupied by a female Norwegian so clearly at some point they changed their minds.


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## djringjr

USA Radio Officer Billie Adele Pennings, who graduated from radio operator training in San Francisco took this route, registering and serving with Norwegian shipping company. After WWII she trained as a veterinarian, and received her DVM degree.

Dr. Billie Adels Pennings, aged 99 of Bellaire, Texas formerly of Corpus Christi, Texas where she had her veterinary practice is shown below after graduation from radio operator training school in San Francisco. This pioneer wanted to serve her country so she registered with Norwegian shipping company, dodging U Boats in WWII.


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## Nigel Fisher

tunatownshipwreck said:


> I would say about half of the Norwegian radio operators were female in the 1970s, I don't know what the numbers were in the 1960s, but I met a few. I remember a Russian woman who was R/O on a Soviet ship in the early 1970s, also a Filipina woman on a ship from Taiwan in 1971. Around the mid-late 1970s I read articles about American women breaking in to the trade on US ships. I met a Canadian woman who was working keys on a Japanese-owned ship with a Panamanian flag and Filipino crew around 1974. Then there was a British R/O who might have been a woman working on a Greek ship, the crew wasn't sure either.


I was the last R/O on the MT Marion Sleigh/VPIH. The company sold the ship on completion of 6 weeks dry-docking in Amsterdam and sold to the Reidar shipping company who named her the Gruno Reidar (can't remember the call sigh apart from it beginning with O). A very attractive Norwegian radio operator took over from me and I had a most enjoyable hand-over. Found out then that she was just purely an operator, as the 2nd Engineer (who was her boyfriend -DAMN!) was responsible for all of the radio and electronics maintenance on the ship. Different from the UK system.


----------

