# Marconi Recruitment



## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Having a look through the first edition of the Marconi Mariner house magazine I noticed the number of a Radio Officer who joined in February 1945.
His number was 16406.
When I joined in June 1966 I was given the number 22812.
That's an average of 300 sparkies a year joining Marconi in those 21 years.
Are there any more of you out there who's number confirms these figures?
Just a little excercise to see if I can come up with a "boom years" graph.

Cheers
Kris


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## athinai (Jan 18, 2006)

Hi Kris

As they were joining they were leaving just as quickly. Most people went to sea hoping to make and save money, but if there was'nt any money it was impossible to save etc., Hence I was one of the early Departees, making room for yet another guy., and upping the Statistics yet again. Any stats for guys leaving ?
73/


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## holland25 (Nov 21, 2007)

*Number*

joined MIMCO in Liverpool March 1956, left Sept 1957, number was 19518.


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Athinai,
Quite a few didn't last very long for one reason or another. I'm afraid I haven't come across anything about them leaving but it might be an idea if we had some figures from all sparkie members, not just Marconi, letting us know how long they spent at sea. That would give an idea.

Thanks Holland25.
Your figures mean that the average per year up to 1956 was 261 and from 1956 to 1966 was 321 per year.

Having only two figures for an average isn't much good but between your 18 months and my 11 years 2 months we have an average seagoing span so far of 6.7years [=P]
If you told us how long Athinai it would probably make the average even less. (EEK)

Cheers
Kris


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Probably for boosting the signal from an R/T transmitter by shouting out the window.
More chance of an answer that way sometimes. [=P]

I had to pass a standard deck officer's medical when I joined the Merch in 1966. I can't remember if I was sent for it by Marconi or the MMO. As far as I know he was the Hull port doctor.


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## ChasD (Mar 27, 2008)

Dont recall my old MIMCo number, (to many brain cells been washed away !) but to make a guess at the "boom" year it would probably be mid 60's. During that period, GEC ( under the command of Arnie Weinstock) went on a bit of a buying spree, first buying out Siemens Bros, asset stripped and sold the marine radio branch to AEI. They then bought out AEI and again sold the marine radio bit to Marconi. This would have given a big boost to MIMCo staff figures at that time. GEC then bought out Marconi (some people never learn) and found they had no one left to sell of the marine branch to so were finally stuck with it, albeit as a side branch. I was one of the "Goods and Chattels" that were bought and sold so although I tried initially to avoid Marconi and initially joined Seimens, we ended up stuck with one another, like a bad second hand purchase on eBay !


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## Ian (Mar 27, 2004)

(Smoke) Kris (Marconi sahib ),
I was tinkering around with an old L/W S/W receiver the other day (found it in the attic sort of thing ) from the 70,s.surprisingly it still works....
I was twiddleing the dials around and got morse traffic at around the 1450 to 14 60 meg band 
are there still operations on the Long wave net work or could this traffic just be an old carrier signal from a long closed down station ?
I don,t know much about Radio i can recognise S.O.S. lol but thats about it .
I was just puzzled by these signals 
thanks if you can help ,no problem if you can,t 
cheers Derby


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Could be amateurs, Derby.
Not being one I don't know what frequencies they use.
There's a sort of retro/ never give up morse thing going one and although difficult to find it's still being used.
If you Google "morse 14 mhz" you'll get some information.
Cheers
Kris


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## Ian (Mar 27, 2004)

Kris ,
thanks for your rapid response (very radio room ) lol
I will try that , its just the thought that the system so long unused should still be operational was what was puzzling me ..
still never hurts to ask 
cheers Roy


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## Moulder (Aug 19, 2006)

Hi Derybroy,

What sort of traffic content is it?

Regards,

Steve.
(Thumb)

(Edited after having just read your profile - cancel above Roy. As per the post below it was probably Amateurs that you heard. Cheers.(Thumb) )


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Joined at Liverpool 14.06.60, transferred to shore staff 08.04.66, Sea staff number 20804.


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## athinai (Jan 18, 2006)

Hi DerbyRoy,

You were more than likely listening to Amateurs as Kris said. The 14 Mhz Band is quite active and the ''Hams'' (Me Included) are on there regularly, and quite a lot of Ex R/Os. Its a Great Hobby.,
Rgds/


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## athinai (Jan 18, 2006)

Hi Kris,
Tks for the info, Yes one of my Classmates did the proverbial 11 trips, One out and one back (To Canada) and chucked it totally and went back to Uni., Never heard of him again.,

73


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## Ian (Mar 27, 2004)

Marconi Sahib said:


> ..but it might be an idea if we had some figures from all sparkie members, not just Marconi, letting us know how long they spent at sea. That would give an idea.
> 
> Kris


If you don't mind figures from another mere dog-watcher I joined IMRCo in March 1960 and left in May 1964.


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Thanks Ron,
the figures are now -
1945 to 1956 - 261 per year
1945 to 1960 - 302 per year
1960 to 1966 - 335 per year
Looks like a slow increase in recruitment. It may just be us boom babies coming of age between 1960 and 1966. 
I was a bit of a late starter being 20 when I went to sea. (Joined MimCo on my 20th birthday) [=P]

Thanks BA, that makes the average over 4 of us spanning 1956 to 1966 5.6 years at sea.
There's no such thing as a dog watcher among sparkies. You did it for as long as you could put up with it. (Thumb)

Cheers
Kris


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## Dave Woods (Apr 9, 2006)

Marconi Sahib said:


> Having a look through the first edition of the Marconi Mariner house magazine I noticed the number of a Radio Officer who joined in February 1945.
> His number was 16406.
> When I joined in June 1966 I was given the number 22812.
> That's an average of 300 sparkies a year joining Marconi in those 21 years.
> ...


I joined MIMCO in September 67 and my number was 23143, now how did I remember that as MIMCO changed the numbers a few times until I left in 96.


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Thanks, Dave.
That puts the average time spent at sea up a bit. (EEK)
That goes up to 10.3years.
Adding 1966 to 1967 with 265 joining.
The low figure could possibly be due to the 1966 Seaman's strike that was on when I joined. So really it was only an 11 month year. There may be some effect from allocation of numbers to depots. Not sure how that worked but I would think it would have been controlled from Chelmsford.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

is there a Marconi establishment in Chelmsford of any kind today?????

any Marconi presence at all?


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## Ian (Mar 27, 2004)

Thank you Ron ,Marconi,dave , et al,
for your response to my L/W signal post,
It seems that my interest in things nautical, have not all been in vain lol,
one thing regarding these signal from "ham" operators, on these wavebands/lenghths / do they still require what used to be called a post office licence or is it open to all these days ?
As i have said i can pick up SOS , but this does interest me how have the rules changed ?
once again thanks all for the replies 
best regards Derby


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

sparkie2182 said:


> is there a Marconi establishment in Chelmsford of any kind today?????
> 
> any Marconi presence at all?


The GEC group renamed itself as Marconi, spent money rashly buying overseas dotcom companies and got into massive difficulty trying to service the debts that it had taken on. To fund their debts they sold off all the profitable parts of the group. The military-biased parts went to BAe, the consumer-biased parts (Gilbarco forecourt fuel pumps, etc.) went to capital venture organisations and the commercial radiocomms part went to Finmeccanica of Italy, who owned the former Selenia of radar fame. That part of Marconi was given the name Selex. 

Some (including the former Marconi Marine) is still in Chelmsford but the old site has been sold for redevelopment and they will move to the old Marconi Avionics site at Basildon. The website is http://http://www.selex-comms.co.uk/selex/index1.htm

The merchant navy section is Selex Marine.


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## Tai Pan (Mar 24, 2006)

18 months marconi 1950-1952. 8.5 years Blue Funnel. 1952 -1960. dont forget about conscription, had a lot to do about leaving on your 26th Birthday, I did.


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Thanks for those, Gents.
Average has reduced slightly to 9.75 years at sea.
Conscription had finished before I went to sea but I can understand how that would effect the time at sea before it ended.

Cheers
Kris


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## stocksie (Apr 22, 2008)

Marconi Sahib.
For your statistics, Marconi nr 17991. Joined East Ham March 1951. Left Aug
1958 for shore staff Grimsby. (Age 24) Pressgang back Nigaristan up the Gulf
Feb 1959 to Aug 1959. Redundant/retired Plymouth 1992.
Geoff


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## jimg0nxx (Sep 1, 2005)

Marconi R/O March 1962 to May 1974 number 21390


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## IAINT (Mar 31, 2008)

Hi Kris,

Joined Marconi late 1963 number 21978 redundant late 1981.

Regards
Iain T


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

A sudden flurry of activity. (EEK)
I shall have to find my figures and see if your time changes the average.
Thanks, Gents. (Thumb)
Cheers
Kris


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## de paor (Apr 14, 2008)

Joined Marconi Nov 59 left June 61 and Then BP 61to73 Oh they did go Back to the Marconi Name for when I went ashore worked For Hotpoint Which was A GEC Company And before I retired they were back to 
Marconi so I started and ended my career with Marconi


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## Cymac (Jul 29, 2008)

*Cymac*

Hi, I joined MIMCO in August 1959 and served on RT Nigaristan (Strick Line), TSS Golfito (Fyffes), SR Blairspey (G. Nisbet) and MV Cape Clear (Lyle Shipping). I left MIMCO and the sea in 1962. My impression was that most ROs left for shore jobs within five years.


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Welcome aboard, Cymac.
I see you've found the radio room already. It's getting quite crowded now.
The average may end up being less than 5 years in the end.
I did 11 and from various comments in letters to the Memsahib as it was coming to an end, I was a really old hand.
Hope you enjoy the trip. Just sign on and sign off when you like.

Cheers
Kris


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## mike N (Nov 13, 2007)

Hi, joined Mimco at East Ham Feb 59, left Mimco and the sea April 61. Wish I could have stayed a few more years.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Marconi Sahib said:


> The average may end up being less than 5 years in the end. Kris


Yes but you haven't had any of the real old hands on here. For example the Irish ferries hardly had anyone with less than 20 years service. Once they got on there, even Semtex wouldn't get them out of the radio room. There were lots of ships like that in the 50s and 60s, especially passenger vessels on regular runs. Eventually of course, all those vessels were sold or flagged out and most of the remaining owners went direct-employ. So as the jobs went, the length of service automatically went down - they were cut off in their prime!


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## BobClay (Dec 14, 2007)

Joined GTZM 1970, left in 72. Joined again in 1975 (having completed MED but was desperately broke) and left in 1976. 

Nothing against the company apart from the poor pay. Freelance paid better, but there were risks with that.


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## BrynW (Oct 30, 2006)

Hi Guys, Just looking at my Discharge Book, I joined Marconi in East Ham Dec 56 for my first ship and left in March 61.
Best ship was with MacAndrews Line (Ponzano) London down to Lisbon, Tangier, Casablanca and then on to the Spanish coast and back to London a round trip of about 4 weeks with about 10 days in London Dock unofficial leave (Marconi knew nothing) The OM used to ring me a couple of days before sailing and I would hot foot it back ready for the next trip. Did 12 months there before I was called to be best man at my brothers wedding (shot gun)and had to miss the next trip, Marconi got their own back and sent me out for 15 months next time round.
I notice that anyone joining the MN in the 50s usually missed national service & stayed in until they were 26. I finished to come ashore in 61 but never got call up papers probably because it finished in 62 but how come I never got call up papers when I went 18 , anybody know ? Was it down to the fact that we had a discharge book and ID Card ?


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## holland25 (Nov 21, 2007)

BrynW said:


> I notice that anyone joining the MN in the 50s usually missed national service & stayed in until they were 26. I finished to come ashore in 61 but never got call up papers probably because it finished in 62 but how come I never got call up papers when I went 18 , anybody know ? Was it down to the fact that we had a discharge book and ID Card ?


I am a similiar vintage to you by the looks of things.I think you were supposed to register when you became 18. I got picked up as being non conforming when signing articles in 1956, in London.The guy who did the signing sorted it out for me. I believe non registration was a serious offence.


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## BrynW (Oct 30, 2006)

Thats it Holland 25, I never registered, wonder if they are still looking for me ? how about doing National Service at age 70, could I go for back pay?
If I can claim it the drinks are on me.
Cheers


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## holland25 (Nov 21, 2007)

*brynW*

I got transported,which wasnt all that bad.


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## BrynW (Oct 30, 2006)

When you say transported, I presume you mean Aussie or NZ ?
Knowing what I know now I would have jumped ship in Aussie but I suppose we would have had to do 6 months Australian National Service for less pay way back in the 50s ?
Got ill on one trip and had to have the doctor on board in Necastle NSW, the first thing he said as he came into my cabin was " so your'e the guy that cannot be sent to hospital" the old man had told him not to send me ashore under any cir***stances otherwise he would have to wait for a relief and that would have cost money, no thought I could have been dying. That would have been the ideal time to have stayed there had he sent me to hospital. Never mind, the nurses from the local hospital came aboard for a party the following night, that seemed to do the trick of righting my complaint.


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## holland25 (Nov 21, 2007)

BrynW.

Australia. I didnt jump ship I came out here in 1981 to a job totally unconnected with the sea.In fact the nearest I ever came was a trip to NZ in 1957.

With regard to National Service, I left MIMCO in 1957 and they told me that they were going to report me to the appropriate authorities. I had however joined Blue Funnel, a good move at the time. Regular leave and an improvement in pay.


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## Trevorw (Jun 5, 2006)

"Ariguani" (Elders & Fyffes), 1955 for six months. Then had to find my way to Seaham Harbour and join the Cory collier, "Corfleet", where I spent three months or so between Northeast coast and the Thames - although we went foreign once and loaded coal from a Liberian tramp in Rotterdam!

Two or three other hulks with Marconi, then saw the error of my ways and joined Blue Funnel. Happiest days of my life until I swallowed the anchor!


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## andysk (Jun 16, 2005)

Reading these posts makes me pleased I went d/e with B&C straight from leaving Norwood Tech !


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

I suppose the advantage of radio companies was that you were not confined to one shipping co. & could sail in an enormous variety of ships. I joined AEI in early 1961 & in about 4 years sailed in one old cargo liner, two colliers & two iron ore carriers. I worked for Marconi for about a week after they took over AEI, but as they didn't seem inclined to let me rejoin SAGAMORE (we do the appointments - not the sea staff), I resigned & joined B & C, sailing from Liverpool about a week later as SAGAMORE lay in Newport looking for an R/O. Marconi asked B & C if I could do another voyage in SAGAMORE to help them out. B & C said OK if I agreed, but I didn't agree & went in RICHMOND CASTLE instead!
Bob


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## andysk (Jun 16, 2005)

You are right about variety of ships and runs with a radio company, I still managed to get quite a variety with B&C.

But, the view I seem to remember from 1970 when I had to make the employer decision, and which seems to have been reinforced since I discovered SN, is that MIMCo didn't seem to treat their sea staff as people but more as numbers.

I later worked ashore for IMRC, they seemed to be a bit more personal but I wasn't at sea with them.

I hasten to add these are personal views, hence somewhat subjective, & I certainly don't intend to upset anyone !

Was the RICHMOND better than the SAGAMORE had been !


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## bert thompson (Nov 28, 2005)

Am fairly sure my number was 17869. Joined Marconi November 1950
First attempt to join was November 1948. Understand the reason for, or so I have always been led to believe,was that there was so many R/O's with wartime qualifications who had to sit a theory paper to obtain a Second class PMG. There was a chap in Aberdeen who catered for this examination and I think there was something like eight papers going around. Therefore I had to do National Service. When I applied again in November 1950 there was obviously a shortage and after a couple of weeks at Cardiff Depot being instructed on paperwork I went off on my own on a coaster.


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

Andy,
RICHMOND CASTLE was nowhere near as comfortable or well-fitted as SAGAMORE, but I really enjoyed getting away from iron ore & West African ports. We did Liverpool, London, Las Palmas, Luanda, Lobito, Walvis Bay, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Dakar, Mareseilles, Bremen, Hamburg & then laid up in Blackwater. After ten days, I was sent short notice to fill a temporary gap in TANSVAAL CASTLE as 4th. From then on it was all mailships apart from a winter crossing from Ellesmere Port to Charleston, South Carolina & back in NINA BOWATER. I left NINA BOWATER at 1030 one morning in Ellesmere Port & joined REINA DEL MAR the following morning ofr a season in the Mediterranean.

In AEI, the colliers were a very interesting experience that I didn't really appreciate at the time, but have since - FREDERICK T. EVERARD followed by flatiron WANDSWORTH, summer & winter of '62 & what a winter it was in the North Sea!
Bob


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## Ivor Lloyd (Jul 18, 2005)

I joined Marconi in 1942 aged 16 and Two months. Havent a clue what my Number was


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Shipbuilder said:


> In AEI, the colliers were a very interesting experience that I didn't really appreciate at the time


When I worked ashore in South Shields for MIMCo I used to dread being sent to one of the AEI-fitted colliers to hand over to a new R/O joining the vessel. The trouble was that the ships' electrical supplies were DC but the AEI equipment was AC powered. To resolve that, the various equipments in the radio room were provided with rotary motor-alternator machines, fitted wherever the installation engineers could find a space for them. In cupboards, under kneeholes, even on the top shelves of lockers or out in the alleyway.

To demonstrate to the new R/O that the gear was working it was, of course, necessary to switch the equipment on - in theory no problem at all, since the on-off switches were usually clearly marked on the front panel. However nothing would happen until you created the necessary AC supply by starting the appropriate rotary machine. Thereby was the problem for a young technician trying to maintain some shred of face. The starter switches for the 'secret' machines were even more fiendishly hidden. On a Marconi-fitted ship the pigeon-holes above the desk were used to hold do***ents, such a logbooks and message pads. On an AEI ship such a pigeon-hole could also hide a starter switch for a motor.

It was not very impressive, when supposed to be 'demonstrating' the equipment, to be seen crawling around on hands and knees, opening cupboards and drawers, and feeling around under benches, looking for the breaker that would switch on the motor for the main transmitter.

No two ships seemed the same and I never seemed to be sent to the same ship twice, so every such visit was a challenge. Harton Staiths or Tyne Dock were not my favourite places anyway, but coupled with the humiliation of not being able to get the station running, made those jobs my least favourite.


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

I joined my first solo ship and found to my horror that I hadn't a clue as to how to turn anything on. The routine I had been used to was no good whatsoever. There was, of course, no-one to hand over the station to me.
By the time I accepted defeat Marconi's Liverpool depot was well closed and all friendly techs would have been tucked up in bed.
Knowing we were sailing next day I didn't sleep very well that night.
Luckily we didn't sail until the afternoon and my saviour in the form of a Marconi tech appeared at morning smoko to bail me out and introduce me to the vagaries of the inverter banks fitted into the base of the very early Oceanspan VII. :sweat:


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## mikeg (Aug 24, 2006)

Marconi Sahib said:


> I joined my first solo ship and found to my horror that I hadn't a clue as to how to turn anything on. The routine I had been used to was no good whatsoever. There was, of course, no-one to hand over the station to me.
> By the time I accepted defeat Marconi's Liverpool depot was well closed and all friendly techs would have been tucked up in bed.
> Knowing we were sailing next day I didn't sleep very well that night.
> Luckily we didn't sail until the afternoon and my saviour in the form of a Marconi tech appeared at morning smoko to bail me out and introduce me to the vagaries of the inverter banks fitted into the base of the very early Oceanspan VII. :sweat:


My sympathies are with you Kris. I had much the same experiences on a Chandris and Brocklebank - never having seen a lot of the radio equipment before let alone the navigational equipment. Somehow you get by in those first days but initially a quick dive to search for the tech manuals whilst keeping fingers crossed and hope you have at least a few hours before sailing. Nightmares could be made of this..... :sweat:


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Tech manuals?
Good heavens, Mike! 
It was always try all the switches and if that doesn't help then scream for help. 
It was only this first time as the one and only sparkie. Brand new braid with diamond, all fired up and ready to go, knew everything and yet couldn't switch the gear on. (EEK)
Possibly luckily I did two 3 month trips on her and then I never saw the set up again.
Stood me in good stead for when I came ashore and had to go on all sorts of foreign ships and fix kit I'd never heard of let alone seen before. [=P]


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## mikeg (Aug 24, 2006)

Kris, Mon dieu - its the screaming for help bit I really wouldn't like - you are the only one on board who is supposed to know how the ships radio equipment operates!! A short review of the manual gives you a quick insight and will perhaps save loosing face (as they say on Chinese crewed ships) to possibly prevent the faint chance of an equipment co*k-up. If the manual is foreign or doesn't have a operators section then I'd start flickin' switches and hope it all works. Luckily this way always worked fine for me - I was never stuck.


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Unfortunately, in this instance, I could find absolutely no written information about the power supplies, Mike.
Believe me the shack was turned upside down in my panic. :sweat:
I don't suppose I would've really screamed for help. The next move would be to take it apart to see how it works. (Whaaa) (LOL)
Luckily rescued by the tech next day as I picked up a big screwdriver!
One of my first jobs was to stick a big list on the front of the Tx identifying the switches and the order they had to be operated in in order to get the pretty lights to flash.


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## mikeg (Aug 24, 2006)

Kris - Suppose we got there in the end, whichever route we took :sweat:

R651400 - Thats really scarey (EEK) I wonder what would have happened if there was an emergency. Requiring immediate assistance is the wrong time to learn how to use the transmitter.

My chief during my initial 6 months insisted that I tune up and operate the emergency transmitter and autokeyer in darkness i.e. by feel only, he used to test me to just before the point of autokeying. He took the 24V emergency lighting bulb out as well!!
He said if you had a neon on the aerial feeds that would give you a rough indication if you can't see the tuning meters.

Luckily I never had put that particular training into use.


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## bert thompson (Nov 28, 2005)

Joined November 1950 left January 1954
July 1954 April 1956
December 1956 Feb 1959
Breaks to go to college and service on tugs.
Returned to sea in August 1977 on Panocean ships. Different world Stayed until April 1987. What a difference in all respects. Food,accomodation and four month trips. Felt like a different world. 
Pity it has all finished. 
Bert.


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## lagerstedt (Oct 16, 2005)

Did Marconi and the like recruit outside the UK or did you have to be in the UK and go to one of there depots ie Hull, Liverpool etc.

Regards
Blair 
NZ


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## Dave Woods (Apr 9, 2006)

lagerstedt said:


> Did Marconi and the like recruit outside the UK or did you have to be in the UK and go to one of there depots ie Hull, Liverpool etc.
> 
> Regards
> Blair
> NZ


In the mid 90's there was a Marconi R/O attached to Cable and Wireless, and was appointed to the Enterprise in Manila; being single he decided to move to the Philippines to live. He was told by Marconi that this was incompatible with his UK employment and that he had to move back to the UK or leave the company.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

lagerstedt said:


> Did Marconi and the like recruit outside the UK or did you have to be in the UK and go to one of there depots ie Hull, Liverpool etc.
> 
> Regards
> Blair
> NZ


There were a hell of a lot of R/Os from outside the UK i.e. the Irish Republic, working for MIMCo but then again we did have a depots in Dublin and bases elsewhere in the the Republic (e.g. Cork).


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## lagerstedt (Oct 16, 2005)

Thanks for the info. The reason I ask is that after reading all the threads in the radio room I was going the reset my time clock back to the 1960's and sign on with one of the radio companies or even try for direct employment.

The more I think about it, 2 years on a Bank boat to start with (get the exotic ports of the east and pacific out of the way) then spend the rest on my time on a home boat say, Blue Star Port or P&O GCD or even Shell or BP.

I have set my time clock to start Jan 1960 and stop about 1986 then start again and always roll over the period 1960 to 1986. The period 1965 to 1986 was a period in my life that was a great. I met a lot of great people (many I still see after some 40 plus years) went to a lot of great places and drank a lot (paying for it now).

Regards
Blair
NZ


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## Hugh Wilson (Aug 18, 2005)

Kris,

I joined Mimco at the Liverpool Depot on August 02 1968 and was given the sea staff number 23375 plus paybook number 7578, by Bob Porter, Personnel Officer. Left to come ashore in Feb 1980. I rejoined Marconi as a freelance ETO in July 1996, after having being interviewed by Mallory Philips and Val Barson at New Street, Chelmsford, in October 1995. Mal was convinced that the R/O would be back in a big way and was very enthusiastic about their future role as GMDSS trouble shooters moving at short notice between different ships. I often wonder what happened to him. I do know that Val Barson, a very pleasant lady, retired in early 1999. I once asked her about previous service records etc and she told me that everything had been destroyed when Elettra House was closed.

Hugh


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

So 563 between me and thee, Hugh.
In 14 months.
That reinforces the impression that the 60s were boom years for the Merch and Marconi.
I have a feeling that paybooks might have matched as well because mine was something like 7001 or so. 
Can't quite remember because it wasn't one of the important numbers and I don't have it any more. 
Had to hand it back when I left otherwise I didn't get paid. [=P]
Cheers
Kris


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## Pandem (Aug 23, 2008)

My MIMCO staff number was 19582 when I joined in May 1956. 2nd class ticket number BA660.

Incidentally I was only 16 yrs 8 mnths old on my first trip 2 R/O on Shaw Savill "Athenic". Went "Solo" on T2 class Esso tanker the day after my 17th birthday.

I've often wondered if anyone managed at any thing younger than this?

Pandem


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Ivor Lloyd said:


> I joined Marconi in 1942 aged 16 and Two months. Havent a clue what my Number was


Someone here just beat you Pandem.

Cheers
Kris


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## Pandem (Aug 23, 2008)

Well Well Well, now I know!

Pandem


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## Mimcoman (May 18, 2008)

Ron Stringer said:


> There were a hell of a lot of R/Os from outside the UK i.e. the Irish Republic, working for MIMCo but then again we did have a depots in Dublin and bases elsewhere in the the Republic (e.g. Cork).


Ron: I knew I'd seen your name somewhere else. Do you remember the attached?


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Mimcoman said:


> Do you remember the attached?


Hi Mimcoman. Only very vaguely (but then, that is how I remember most things). What is it from? I used to be asked to write technical items for the Mariner as well as various MIMCo Technical Notes and PDSC bulletins. Over a period of 40-odd years there were a lot of them. Memory, and much else, seems to be fading as time passes; only the waist keeps growing.


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## Mimcoman (May 18, 2008)

It's from the MIMCo Technical Services Memo nr 5, dated September 1970.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Good God! No wonder I couldn't remember that. I have problems remembering what I had for breakfast, never mind nearly 40 years ago. Thanks for that little reminder, though. Happy times of yore.


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## Paul Braxton (Jul 21, 2005)

*Mimco number*

My Mimco number was 23627, joined Oct. '69 and left May '82.

Unrepeatable!

Paul


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