MARITIME RADIO STATIONS OF THE WORLD |
CLOSURE OF THE 500kHz
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Keyed By |
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CQ CQ CQ de GCC GCC GCC | Alistair Taylor, Station Manager |
Herewith the last W/T transmission from GCC | Alex Young, Radio Officer |
A fond farewell from Geordy land | Bob Baker, Radio Officer |
Sent with many a shaking hand | Alan Robertson, retired R/O |
For many years with signs we spoke | Alistair Watt, Radio Officer |
And now it all goes up in smoke | Leslie Anderson, Radio Officer |
So thanks and all the very best | Allan Cunnison, Radio Officer |
As GCC is laid to rest = GCC/GND DTG 010010z |
Bill Smith, Radio Officer |
Not to be outdone in the poetry stakes, Landsend Radio/GLD's final broadcast, sent by the steady fist of David Nancarrow, Radio Officer, (Amateur Radio callsign G3RID), included the text,
"but now the time has come,
ours is not to reason why,
the satellites are calling,
our morse transmissions die."
"Marconi, if you can hear us, we salute you"
Prior to the final broadcasts, at Landsend serving Radio Officer John Chappell (Amateur Radio calsign G3XRJ) had been busy dealing media coverage and interviews recording the end of a proud service. Many members of GLD's staff, past and present, were also on hand to witness the event and the same was true at Stonehaven/GND. At Portpatrick retired Radio Officer Peter Howe joined Graham for the occasion and, as already reported, at Wick Tom McLennan not only attended but put his fist "on air" for a final time. GND Radio Officer Bill Smith remained on duty at the GCC Key and carried our the many communications with UK and foreign Coast Stations until all fell silent at the final closedown.
Several faxes were later received by the closing stations, from ex-seagoing R/Os, who had taken the trouble to listen to the closure broadcasts, and expressed their thanks for the work of the service over the years.
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The callsign GLD first came on air in 1901 from Lizard Radio, transferrng to Landsend Radio in 1913, and is probably one of the most famous Coast Radio Station callsigns in the world. The code LEFO in a radiotelegram (meaning Lands End for orders) may have been a simple instruction to a ship to head for the UK, but for Radio Officers worldwide it meant listening out for GLD's signals. Over the passing years GLD has been a link, in peacetime and at war, for countless mariners from all over the world. The station has a long history of being there to help seafarers.
Portpatrick Radio first came on air in 1905 as a part-time Admiralty station with the callsign BYS. In 1921, following a collision and sinking in which over 30 lives were lost at a time when the radio station was off watch, a rapid change of command took place and Portpatrick came under GPO control maintaining 24 hour watch and with a callsign change to GPK. It was GPK which received the first SOS of the 2nd World War, when the steamer Athenia/GFDM was sunk by a torpedo on the first day of hostilities. It was also GPK which carried out the distress communications with the railway steamer Princess Victoria/GZMN on the day it sank with large loss of life - listening to the ship's drowning Radio Officer apologizing for his poor Morse Code as he reported that the ship was "on beam end".
Wick Radio was another Admiralty station, opening around 1907 under the callsign BYG. The station transferred to the GPO in 1920 when the callsign GKR came into use. At the northern extremity of the UK mainland, GKR has been involved in many distress incidents involving ships voyaging some of the world's most inhospitable waters. The station was also a main link for the UK's deepsea trawler fleet, with a Morse Telegraphy service on HF keeping them in touch with the fleets at their fishing ground off Norway, Spitzbergen, the White Sea and Bear Island, Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland.
Cullercoats Radio/GCC commenced life in 1906, built by the Amalgamated Radio Telegraph Company. In 1909 ownership transferred to the Poulsen Company of Denmark and in 1912 the station came under GPO control.
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The UK's 500kHz Morse Telegraphy service finally closed in the early hours of 1st January 1998 with a last exchange between GLD and GPK:-
GLD de GPK
73 David, lets hope GMDSS is as gud
73 de GPK +
GPK de GLD
ok, gud luck Graham +
GLD nw QRT
At GND the paper containing the text of GCC's final broadcast was signed by all past and serving Radio Officer's present and this historical document is now in the safe keeping of one of those present. The same person also has custody of the final 500Khz logbook for the station, including all the communications recorded during the UK's final WT distress action. It just happens that the Key used during that action is also held in the same person's custody!