# Interesting Story



## phdad (Sep 5, 2019)




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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

Variations of the story did the rounds of the MIMCO depots throughout the UK.


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

Watching a film on board Barber Memnon, was it "617 Squadron", 2/Sparks ("Supersonic") pulled out a notepad and started scribbling as the Norwegian Resistance sent a Morse message to Britain. Turns out the "message" in the film was real!.........Made me realize he was "conditioned" and quite capable.

Rgds.
Dave


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

Off key , but I am reminded of that old chestnut from the WW1 trenches at the Somme.
The commanding officer asked his deputy to get his men to relay the following message along the trench and back to the higher command.
"Send reinforcements , we are going to advance "
High command received,
"Send three and four pence , we are going to a dance"

Sorry 

Bob


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

sparkie2182 said:


> Variations of the story did the rounds of the MIMCO depots throughout the UK.


I never experienced it myself, but it's well known that ROs waiting at Marconi depots used to called by their ship's call sign.

John T


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

makko said:


> Watching a film on board Barber Memnon, was it "617 Squadron", 2/Sparks ("Supersonic") pulled out a notepad and started scribbling as the Norwegian Resistance sent a Morse message to Britain. Turns out the "message" in the film was real!.........Made me realize he was "conditioned" and quite capable.
> 
> Rgds.
> Dave


The morse in "The Dambusters" was accurate


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## Engine Serang (Oct 15, 2012)

In 10 years time the Morse Code will be chiselled on to the Rosetta Stone.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

trotterdotpom said:


> I never experienced it myself, but it's well known that ROs waiting at Marconi depots used to called by their ship's call sign.
> 
> John T


I thought by name. How would we know our callsign before being assigned a berth?


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

In my time at sea, you didn't only call in at the Marconi depot when you were joining a ship but if you wanted to collect your pay and a travel warrant after signing off, you had no other alternative. When I joined the company at Liverpool that system of calling you in from the R/O's waiting room was definitely in use. 

On my first day there I witnessed an almighty row when an intransigent R/O ignored repeated Morse calls made over the loudspeaker on the wall. Eventually the door was opened and the cashier came in and asked the only other occupant why he had not responded to the call. He replied that he resented being treated that way, the callsign was of a ship over in Birkenhead, from which he'd signed off earlier that day and with which he had no connection whatever. He was a person, had a name and would not accept being addressed in any other way.

That's when it all took off. Having only just signed up and accepted my job, I wondered what I was getting into.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

"He replied that he resented being treated that way"

I don't blame him.


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## cajef (Feb 8, 2012)

I was called by morse in Liverpool depot in the early sixties I ignored them, after several calls eventually someone put their head round the door and asked for me by name.

When I got up he asked whether I could read morse or not, to which I replied yes and I have a first class ticket to prove it when you call me by my name Mr. Xxxxxxxxx I will come otherwise I will be off down the road to work for someone else, they never called me by morse again.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

As would I.
Well done.

I was always surprised they could get anyone to work for them in the first place.


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

sparkie2182 said:


> As would I.
> Well done.
> 
> I was always surprised they could get anyone to work for them in the first place.


Indeed...


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## holland25 (Nov 21, 2007)

From memory the morse wasn't all that crash hot anyway.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Varley said:


> I thought by name. How would we know our callsign before being assigned a berth?


I've thought the same thing myself. Maybe they used your name if you were "unattached".

I wondered if it was a way of the Staff Clerks keeping their hand in. Whatever the reason, it was patently ridiculous. 

John T


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

I had no objection to it although dropped soon after I joined in 1971. He who pays the piper calls the tune.


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## Engine Serang (Oct 15, 2012)

.- -. -.-- / -.. ..- -.. . / .-- .- -. - / .- / .--- --- -... / --- -. / .- / -.-. .-. .- .--. / ... .... .. .--. ..--..


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

They were often the most fun. At least in post radio-room days. Now, sans beer, sans gin con procedures operational we probably have to redefine 'crap'. Perhaps there is no need having achieved a reduction to the range on the ISO Crap scale to one,


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## gordonarfur (May 27, 2018)

Praise the Lord I had more intelligence than to join mimco. I would have been tempted to plant one on some who called me in morse code instead of my name.


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## P.Arnold (Apr 11, 2013)

I joined Mimco at Liverpool, 67’ which with a few exceptions was ‘my’ depot.
Never once in my joining or leaving a ship did I hear this morse code summoning.
Maybe that’s why I only got a 2nd PMG.


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## Bob McManamon (Oct 15, 2011)

*The luck of the Irish*

When I was 17, doing my radar ticket in 1959, there were three seagoing radio officers on the same course. One of them was from MIMCo. Naturally I pumped them all for information. The Marconi man told me that he was instructed to report to the office waiting room (London I think). He was called by morse code and went into the office to learn that he had been appointed to “a Class 3 passenger ship”. It turned out to be a local ferry that carried 250 (“wogs on deck” his words not mine) between Mombasa and Dar-es-Salaam, sailing at 8pm and arriving at 6am. In the whole two years he never did a single watch. I won’t relate the details of his tale – you’ve heard it all before – but once I turned 17-and-a half, I applied to NZ Shipping Company and didn’t seek greener pastures until they became part of P&O General Cargo Division in 1972! Happy Days and a close escape from Marconi, because I trained on their gear and liked it. So lucky to meet that guy. Mate…if you’re still alive and read this post give me a hoy. I remember you well, but not your name.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

"I joined Mimco at Liverpool, 67’ which with a few exceptions was ‘my’ depot.
Never once in my joining or leaving a ship did I hear this morse code summoning."

It was normal practice at Liverpool when used the office between 1960 and 1964, the last time I sailed out of Liverpool and became "attached" to Newcastle depot until I left the sea staff in 1966. Although I visited other depots, including East Ham, in the course of my time as R/O, I did not hear Morse being used as a summons anywhere else than Pall Mall, Liverpool.


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## Robin McHood (Apr 11, 2015)

cajef said:


> I was called by morse in Liverpool depot in the early sixties I ignored them, after several calls eventually someone put their head round the door and asked for me by name.
> 
> When I got up he asked whether I could read morse or not, to which I replied yes and I have a first class ticket to prove it when you call me by my name Mr. Xxxxxxxxx I will come otherwise I will be off down the road to work for someone else, they never called me by morse again.


Only place I ever ran across the morse code call was once at Liverpool depot and it was your surname they used, this would have been 66/67. I was told that East Ham used to have a buzzer in pub next door which I thought was a wizard idea, story may have been apocryphal..


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## Robin McHood (Apr 11, 2015)

Regarding the anti Mimco posts, I joined them in 66 they treated me well over the years and paid for my ETO training, I was one of the first in the UK. Good gear, in general, great manuals. If I had time over again would go straight back to work for them. All stood me in good stead.


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## jimg0nxx (Sep 1, 2005)

Was with Mimco from 1962 to 1974 and never heard morse used in any depot(including Liverpool from 1963 to 1968). I was involved with depots in all the main ports of the UK and one or two overseas.


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## Robin McHood (Apr 11, 2015)

jimg0nxx said:


> Was with Mimco from 1962 to 1974 and never heard morse used in any depot(including Liverpool from 1963 to 1968). I was involved with depots in all the main ports of the UK and one or two overseas.


As I said it was a one time only event, memorable for that reason, maybe it depended on who was on that day? Nowhere else did I run across it and like you was in and out of most UK depots and quite a few round the world. Left in 1982.


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## sparks69 (Dec 18, 2005)

Engine Serang said:


> .- -. -.-- / -.. ..- -.. . / .-- .- -. - / .- / .--- --- -... / --- -. / .- / -.-. .-. .- .--. / ... .... .. .--. ..--..


Pretty pattern --- I wonder what it means ? Some sort of secret code maybe ? Or maybe Aliens, I used to hear it on the radio years ago.
Way beyond the understanding of ordinary humans.
(Jester)


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## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

Spacing needs improvement


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Bill.B said:


> Spacing needs improvement


I gave up after "Py".

John T


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

I tried it as Braille but it didn't gel !


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

"I gave up after "Py".

Glad I'm not the only one.


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## sparks69 (Dec 18, 2005)

Was there ever a ship with the call sign GCHQ ?


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## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

Any dude wanting etc etc. A bit of spacing needed.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

sparks69 said:


> Was there ever a ship with the call sign GCHQ ?


If I tell you, I'll have to kill you.

John T.


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## sparks69 (Dec 18, 2005)

trotterdotpom said:


> If I tell you, I'll have to kill you.
> 
> John T.


So don't tell me then..................


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

sparks69 said:


> So don't tell me then..................


OK. It will remain an enigma.

John T


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## P.Arnold (Apr 11, 2013)

sparks69 said:


> Pretty pattern --- I wonder what it means ? Some sort of secret code maybe ? Or maybe Aliens, I used to hear it on the radio years ago.
> Way beyond the understanding of ordinary humans.
> (Jester)


Not sure but does fit

any dude want a job on a crap ship?


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

I couldn't imagine Pall Mall Porter calling anyone "Dude"!

John T


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

I agree. Bob is unlikely to have used the word.


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## P.Arnold (Apr 11, 2013)

Varley said:


> I agree. Bob is unlikely to have used the word.


Sorry chaps

But I think Engine S is just winding you up.


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## RayL (Apr 16, 2008)

sparkie2182 said:


> As would I. Well done.
> I was always surprised they [MIMCO] could get anyone to work for them in the first place.


In my case the answer's simple - when I qualified in 1965 the shipping companies were very picky, insisting that the applicant must have both a 1st class PMG and a Radar cert, and I had neither at that time. Getting through my training had been very tough financially owing to harsh treatment by the County Council over my maintenance grant, so going on to further studies was something I didn't even consider at the time. I desperately needed to get to sea and start earning, and in the cir***stances MIMCO was my saviour.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

P.Arnold said:


> Sorry chaps
> 
> But I think Engine S is just winding you up.


I think that is a bit much. He's a steam man not an horologist. He shouldn't meddle with our clockwork.


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## searover (Sep 8, 2007)

Just got 2nd Class PMG in 1953. Told to report to East Ham depot at 8:30am. Via bus, train and Tube arrived in time dragging suit case with all my new uniforms. Sat in waiting room and jumping every time the morse started - usually "TA" for technical assistant. Eventually 3:30 pm !!! my surname came and I recognised it. "Phew!" They gave me a good first ship the "City of Port Elizabeth". Leave depot,dragging suitcase back to the station and on to KG docks. A long tension-filled day.


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