Issue 136 A publication of the Vintage and Military Amateur Radio Society July 2014

www.vmars.org.uk M0VMW Affiliated to the Radio Society of Great Britain

1 July 2014

The VMARS stand at the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton on 20th July, underneath and around the wing of the Valetta aircraft. Report on page 3

From our Chairman

At the time of writing we are just a few days away from our Annual General Meeting to be held at the Royal Corps of Signals Museum, Blandford, Dorset. A record number of Members have indicated that they will be in attendance this year and all of us on the Committee are very much looking forward to meeting as many Members as we can.

This month I am continuing the Great War

communications theme with an investigation into the little known undersea cable war that took place between Britain and Germany.

Submarine communications cables had proliferated in the years leading up to the Great War and these became a military target for both sides. One of the very first offensive actions taken by Britain against Germany following the Declaration of War on August 4th 1914 was to send out the cable ship Alert under Royal Navy escort to cut the five submarine cables linking Germany with France, Spain and the Azores to North America. Sections of the cut German cables were then used to expand communications between Britain and France and to other areas of the Empire, forcing German communications to rely heavily upon high levels of wireless traffic which could be monitored by the newly created ‘Y-Stations’ set up by the Admiralty, Military Intelligence section 1b and the General Post Office.

VMARS Committee Chairman:

Ian Underwood M0YMK Roundwyck Farm Pipers Lane, Balls Cross Petworth, West Sussex GU28 9JZ +44(0)1403 820185 chairman@vmars.org.uk

Secretary:

John Keeley GW6RAV 93 Park Crescent Abergavenny, Gwent NP7 5TL +44(0)1873 850164 honsec@vmars.org.uk

Treasurer & Publications Manager:

Bronek Wedzicha M0DAF 22 Farmers Way Copmanthorpe, York North Yorkshire Y023 3XX +44(0)1904 708704 treasurer@vmars.org.uk b.wedzicha@btinternet.com

Membership Secretary:

Peter Shepherd G7DXV 25 Tomkins Close Stanford-Le-Hope Essex SS17 8QU +44(0)1375 640618 memsec@vmars.org.uk

Ordinary Member:

Peter Jones G8CDC Tudor House Stoneleigh Road Blackdown, Leamington Spa Warwickshire CV32 6QR +44(0)1926 883345 peter@air-commuter.co.uk

Ordinary Member:

Ron Swinburne M0WSN 32 Hollywell Road Sheldon, Birmingham B26 3BX +44(0)1217 421808 m0wsn@aol.com

Co-opted Member and Public Relations Officer:

Stuart McKinnon G0TBI 145 Enville Road Kinver, Near Stourbridge West Midlands DY7 6BN +44(0)1384 872157 stuartjmckinnon@aol.com

Co-opted Member:

Philip Staplehurst 2 Sussex Cottages Bluebell Lane, Sharpthorne West Sussex RH19 4PF +44(0)1342 810299

Issue 136 The VMARS News Sheet

July 2014 2

For reasons of security during preceding decades, the British Government adopted the ‘All Red Line’, a policy of not allowing submarine cables to be routed through non-British controlled territory because they could be cut or compromised in war. This was made possible at the time due to the extent of the British Empire, which controlled vast swathes of all continents and their connecting sea lanes, protected by the massive Royal Navy. From the earliest days of laying undersea cables, Britain was well aware of their strategic value and of their vulnerability to enemy attack. In peace time, British cable vessels were constantly upgrading and replacing undersea cables but, on secret orders from the Admiralty, the cable ships also re-laid some of the redundant cables which were accurately charted but were dummy decoy installations to divert attention from the operational cable circuits. The Admiralty charts showing the routing and locations of working cables remained secret.

The Admiralty had control over most of the world’s cable laying vessels, which would have been required to find cables in offshore locations and raise them in order to cut or divert them, an option mostly denied to the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine). Instead, the German Navy adopted a strategy of using a small independent naval unit consisting of a single surface raider ship supported by a collier to attack remote British controlled cable relay stations, shore installations and ports. The bases usually included a wireless station for the re-transmission of cable messages to Royal Navy and British commercial ships sailing the extensive sea routes servicing the Empire and much of the rest of the world. The remote island telegraph stations were only lightly protected, if at all, and the German Navy carried out several successful raids which temporarily put them out of action. The raids were a thorn in the side for the British and the Royal Navy embarked on a strenuous but fruitless campaign to remove the German threat to the British undersea cable and wireless network. Despite these successful German attacks, enemy damage to undersea cables and wireless installations had little effect on British international communications due to the high availability of alternative circuits while damaged cables were being repaired.

SMS Emden On the outbreak of war with Great Britain, Vice Admiral von Spee, commander of the Imperial German Navy East Asia Squadron based at Kiautschou Bay, East China, had grave concerns that his small squadron of six warships could not be supported from Germany in a war with the British Empire. His particular concern was the regional strength of the Royal

Australian Navy and he made the decision to disperse his ships and return them to German ports. One ship, the 4,200 ton Dresden Class Light Cruiser SMS Emden, under the command of Kapitän Karl Fredrich von Müller, was detached from the squadron with orders to remain in the region to harass British commercial shipping and attack and destroy shore installations in opportunistic raids. In just two months of independent operation, SMS Emden managed to bombard and destroy the Burmah Oil Company storage tanks in Madras, capture or sink more than twenty British cargo ships and launch a surprise attack on George Town Harbour at Penang, where she sank the French Destroyer Mousquet and the Russian cruiser Zhemchug, having entered the harbour disguised to look like HMS Yarmouth, a Town Class Light Cruiser based at the Royal Navy China Station.

The aerial mast on Direction Island destroyed by Emden’s shore party

In her final operation, von Müller attacked the Wireless Telegraph Station and Submarine Cable Relay Station located on Direction Island, one of the Indian Ocean Cocos Islands. Situated about 1,500 miles (2,400 km) northwest of Australia, the cable station was conveniently placed to boost signals from the British-owned and -operated submarine cable connecting Durban–Mauritius–Rodriguez Island–Cocos–Perth–Adelaide. Kapitän Karl von Müller believed that the destruction of the Direction Island installations would severely disrupt British communications from London to the entire southern Indian Ocean region. Aware that SMS Emden had been detached from the German East Asia Squadron to carry out independent raiding, staff at the Wireless Telegraph and Cable Stations on Direction Island had been alerted to the possibility of coming under attack. A constant watch was maintained from Direction Island and, on the morning of 9th November 1914, an emergency message “strange warship approaching” was transmitted, followed shortly after by the message “SOS! Emden here”. On arrival at Direction Island, Kapitän von Müller wasted no time in sending a fifty strong landing party ashore under the command of KapitänLeutnant (First Officer) Hellmuth von Mücke, with orders to destroy the cable and wireless station and to seize any useful documents such as code and cypher books.

Von Mücke ordered all station staff to assemble in front of the Cable Station, surrender any weapons and hand over documents. Some of the raiding party proceeded to destroy wireless and telegraph equipment, aerials and instrumentation, while others set about attempting to cut the submarine cables where they came ashore.

The VMARS News Sheet Issue 136

3 July 2014

British staff under German armed guard from KapitänLeutnant Hellmuth von Mücke’s shore

party. The flag of the Imperial German Navy has been raised for the benefit of the photograph

While this was happening, Kapitän Karl von Müller had remained on board SMS Emden and was pleased to see the smoke from an approaching ship, which he at first took to be his support collier Buresk arriving for a pre-arranged rendezvous and preparing to come alongside to bunker his ship. He was mistaken, the approaching ship was HMAS Sydney, a 5,400 ton Town, Chatham Class Light Cruiser of the Royal Australian Navy commanded by Captain John Glossop, a 43 year old Englishman. HMAS Sydney was escorting an ANZAC troop convoy of 38 transports en-route from Australia to Egypt and had been urgently dispatched to investigate Direction Island following receipt of the distress call from the Telegraph Station, just 50 miles away. Soon realising his error as the masts of a warship became evident, von Müller weighed anchor, leaving Emden’s shore party stranded, while he positioned his ship to engage Sydney, opening fire on the Australian warship at a range of six miles (9.6 km) and in doing so revealing Emden’s position. Outgunned by HMAS Sydney’s larger guns and outpaced by her superior speed, Emden’s only chance of a successful outcome was to inflict the maximum punishment in the shortest possible time. His well trained and battle hardened crew gave von Müller an early advantage with shell hits on Sydney from his initial rapid fire salvo’s while he manoeuvred Emden for a possible torpedo attack on Sydney but, after a series of ranging salvos, Captain Glossop found his target and raked Emden with deadly effect, causing her to beach. Turning his attention out to sea to pursue the support collier Buresk as a prize vessel and use her coal to bunker Sydney, Captain Glossop was unable to prevent her crew from scuttling the collier with her valuable cargo before he could take possession of her and he returned to Direction Island to receive von Müller’s surrender from the beached Emden.

HMAS Sydney

Meanwhile KapitänLeutnant Hellmuth von Mücke’s shore party, having smashed the wireless station and cut one of the cables, had abandoned the Telegraph and Cable Stations and commandeered the Ayesha, a small schooner rigged cargo yacht that had seen better days, in order to make good their escape. Unaware that the schooner was crewed by more than fifty enemy sailors, Ayesha escaped unmolested from both Direction Island and the Royal Navy, to make passage for the west coast of Sumatra, about 850 miles to the Northeast. Feted as heroes, the story of the SMS Emden and her crew and the eventual safe return of almost all of von Mücke’s original shore party of 53 men to Germany, captured the imagination of the German public and of the Government. Having suffered disease and shipwreck, and battled with Bedouin tribesmen on their epic journey by sea and overland through Arabia to their homeland, they were honoured by the German Government, which decreed that all those who had served on SMS Emden during her short but successful Indian Ocean campaign could hyphenate their surnames “Emden” and that this honour would be inherited by future generations of their families, as some proudly do to this day.

HMAS Sydney’s shore party land at Direction Island to confront the German attack on the wireless station, only to find that they have

escaped on the cargo yacht Ayesha The story of von Mücke’s arduous escape from Direction Island and eventual return to Germany seven months later became a best-selling book in the United States in 1917 and is well worth a read.

More information:

HMAS Sydney and the Battle of Cocos islands: http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-sydney-i http://atlantic- cable.com/Article/1914BattleOfCocos/index.htm Porthcurno, Cornwall – Cable Wars: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01wsdlh

Ian Underwood M0YMK

Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton,

Bungay, Suffolk. VMARS display at Family Fun

Day, July 20th, 2014

Sunday, 20th July 2014 started out as a bright warm, if rather humid, day as the team of VMARS members, Ray M0EVK,

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July 2014 4

Peter G3SUY, David G0SKE, Peter G8BLS, John G0MGN, Owen G0TGQ and Brian M1JLM began erecting an assortment of aerials, including a 27 foot ex-military mast, a selection of fishing poles and whips, various tables and gazebos at the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton. The event was the annual family fun day when, in addition to the excellent aircraft museum, there were additional displays and attractions including vintage cars, jeeps, re-enactors in military uniforms, music and dancing, bric-a-brac and book stalls and, of course, our display of vintage and military radios.

Left to right seated: Lawrie G4FAA, a visitor, Owen G0TGQ, Peter G3SUY. Left to right standing:

Peter G8BLS, Brian M1JLM, John G0MGN A selection of radio equipment was set up outside on the assembled tables underneath and around the wing of the Valetta aircraft (see front cover of this News Sheet). Vintage military radio was represented by a nice T1154/R1155 pair, SCR-300, W.S. 19, W.S. 38, B2 spy set, R109, HRO, and another R1155 which provided background music and entertainment throughout the day. A couple of Clansman PRC-320 represented examples of more modern military equipment. In the amateur and commercial radio category, K.W. seemed to be the theme this year, and there were examples of K.W. Valiant, K.W. 77, K.W. Viceroy, K.W. 204 and also a Yaesu FRG-7. In contrast, a stunning looking Siemens E310 was provided by David. This latter unusual German ship's receiver was most impressive looking, with its enormous and colourful tuning dial occupying a very large part of the front panel, together with its large array of push buttons for band selection. The big surprise however was when looking inside. For such a large case, the inside seemed surprisingly empty.

A short contact was made during the morning with the Yorkshire Air Museum GB0YAM by the T1154 which was cut short by deep QSB together with QRM. Contact was also made with a couple of local amateurs up in North Norfolk, who were both running homebrew valve equipment on top band AM, Gary G3TOZ and Bruce G3WCE, using the W.S. 19, T1154/R1155 and the two PRC-320s.

There was a steady stream of visitors to the stands during the day, and some interesting conversations struck up.

After lunch, things took a turn for the worse. Static crashes became more frequent across the bands, and by about 2 p.m. these were almost continuous. Shortly afterwards, the storm arrived. As seems to have become the norm this summer, this was no short sharp storm, but was a sustained lashing downpour with hailstones nearly the size of sugar cubes at one point. All the people who earlier had been enjoying the outside attractions suddenly vanished. Huddled

together under the large gazebo and a tarpaulin for nearly an hour or so we soon abandoned the idea of trying to keep dry. The storm was determined to collapse the gazebo roof with the weight of water, the roof of which Peter G8BLS had to push up to empty several gallons of water every few minutes. The torrential down-pour resulted in large lakes forming around the site and these spread around and into the gazebos. Later on, though, at least this meant we need not try and find a way around the large lake outside the main hanger when trying to reach the NAAFI for cups of tea. Our feet were so wet already, we just walked straight through the lake. Inside the hanger and NAAFI the music and dancing continued, despite several inches of water having flooded inside there too.

One unexpected thing we did not anticipate was the sight of Peter G3SUY's T1154/R1155 slowly starting to sink at one corner into the ensuing quagmire of mud under the Valetta. Prompt action prevented the pair disappearing under a sea of muddy water. We had anticipated some rain on the day, but not quite the monsoon we got. When we finally left site, even the main road outside the venue was still badly flooded in both directions by the storm. I managed to creep through the worst bit, about 50 yards, with water nearly up to the sills.

Peter, G3SUY huddled under a tarpaulin as the downpour really took hold, with the lake spreading

around the table

The lake spreading around the table The museum itself (see http://www.aviationmuseum.net) is well worth a visit, not only for the aircraft and related exhibits but an extensive range of vintage radio gear tucked here and there, courtesy of Ray M0EVK.

Brian Murfitt M1JLM

The VMARS News Sheet Issue 136

5 July 2014

Grenadier Day

Lille Barracks, Aldershot

As usual, the sun was well and truly shining down on us retired Grenadiers and visitors representing other regiments and arms. The usual ‘suspects’ came to put together a fine display of ex-Mil radio, weaponry and vehicles.

Ian Underwood M0YMK, Robin Maddison G0GNE, Carolyn Underwood, Jane Marshall, Les Thacker

2E0IBN, Anne McKinnon M3TBI and Stuart McKinnon G0TBI. Photo G0TBI

This year, Grenadier Day was a ‘special’ event as it was opened up to the local community to see what happens in a Guards barracks and we had quite a stream of interested visitors. I was fortunate in being helped again by Ian our Chairman M0YMK (Royal Air Force), Les 2E0IBM (The Royal Green Jackets) and Robin G0GNE (Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment) as the stand had a non-stop queue of adults and children wanting to know about the various exhibits on display.

We were very busy on the stand. Photo G0GNE My thanks to Anne M3TBI, the station manager, Carolyn Underwood for the marvellous bill of fayre and Jane for helping to put it all together, and for supplying us lads with a cool drink every half hour or so. We had the Loyal Toast at the start (HM The Queen is the Colonel-in-Chief) and, later, a toast for all the fallen Grenadiers, particularly poignant as this year marks the centenary of the start of WWl.

This year we persuaded those who attended the stand and touched the equipment to buy a raffle ticket and an

impressive £114 was raised for the Colonels Fund, see: http://www.thecolonelsfund.com/. Thanks to my colleagues and the ladies for prizes and ticket admin.

Members of Queen’s Company relaxing after winning the tug-of-war. Photo G0GNE

It was nice to meet up with our new President of the Grenadier Guards Assn Colonel REH Aubrey-Fletcher, formerly Grenadier Guards a mere Subaltern when I was in, spending a short time with us in the 2nd Battalion, and most in the 1st Bn. The Regimental Band made an impression as usual, even when having to compete with the Farnborough International Air Show. On previous occasions the Air Show has been week or so earlier or later.

There was considerable interest from the public. Photo M3TBI

A great day as you might have expected.

Stuart McKinnon G0TBI

Have you validated your licence?

Members who are licenced amateur radio operators will be aware that the life-time licence was issued on the condition that it be validated by the holder at least every 5 years. According to OfCom and RSGB, a large proportion of licences (40%) are already overdue for renewal. Anyone operating without having renewed their licence every 5 years is operating illegally. Further information is available on the RSGB website.

Bronek Wedzicha M0DAF

Issue 136 The VMARS News Sheet

July 2014 6

French Vintage Radio Show

Bonneval 13th September 2014

Denis Derdos F1AHX draws our attention to a vintage radio show, similar to our NVCF, to be held in Bonneval on 13th September. Further information may be obtained from Pierre Frichot (frichotp@wanadoo.fr).

VMARS Reflectors (Groups) on the Web

The Society hosts two official Yahoo Groups (VMARS-Member and VMARS-Collector) exclusively for VMARS Members. These are closed groups and the discussions cannot be viewed by non-subscribers. Members can join both groups by invitation only. Invitations to join VMARS-Member are issued automatically to new Members or by application to Bronek Wedzicha M0DAF. Invitations to VMARS-Collector are issued by application to Ian Underwood M0YMK. Both Groups are moderated by the Committee and their purpose is as follows:

The VMARS-Member Group is a forum where Members can share technical and other specialised information about all aspects of VMARS Members' interests and within the scope of the Society. It is not to be used for the posting of advertisements for trade.

The VMARS-Collector Group is a trading platform for VMARS Members. Its purpose is to enable Members to buy, sell, exchange or request items which relate directly to vintage and military radio, radar and associated items.

Members are advised that another Yahoo Group calling itself VMARS is not an official VMARS site and correctly identifies itself as having nothing to do with the Society except in name.

Bronek Wedzicha M0DAF

VMARS Members’ badges

Once again, Stuart McKinnon G0TBI is taking orders for VMARS Members’ badges, which he orders several at a time. If you would like to order a badge (at very reasonable cost) please let Stuart have details of your name and call sign as you would like for it to appear on the badge. He will be placing the next order shortly. My own badge is reproduced below to show the format though the font size of your name and call sign may be larger.

Bronek Wedzicha M0DAF

Saturday AM Net-Controller’s Rota

Date 1st op 2nd op 3rd op

9th Aug G4GEN G4BQF GW8TBG

16th Aug G4BQF GW8TBG G8AQN

23rd Aug GW8TBG G8AQN M1PVC

30th Aug G8AQN M1PVC M0YMK

6th Sep M1PVC M0YMK G3XGW

13th Sep M0YMK G3XGW M0TCM

20th Sep G3XGW M0TCM M0DAF

27th Sep M0TCM M0DAF G0TBI

Whenever possible Ian Underwood M0YMK posts a recording of the Saturday AM Net from his QTH in West Sussex on the VMARS website:

http://www.vmars.org.uk/Regular_NETS_Details

Sending in articles, news items, letters and advertisements for VMARS Publications

Please send copy to Colin Guy, G4DDI, by post or e-mail, 7 Herrick Court, Clinton Park, Tattershall, Lincs. LN4 4QU Tel 01526 344715 g4ddi@vmars.org.uk The copy deadline for the next issue of the News Sheet is 15th August. For articles for the next issue of Signal the deadline is 9th August, but copy would be appreciated as far in advance as possible.

The VMARS News Sheet Issue 136

7 July 2014

Committee Notices Committee Meeting 29th July 2014

Committee Meeting No. 4 of 2013/14 was held on Saturday 29th July 2014 beginning at 1000 UTC. The meeting was kindly hosted by Peter Jones G8CDC at his QTH near Leamington Spa.

The following were present: Ian Underwood M0YMK (Chairman), Bronek Wedzicha M0DAF (Hon. Treasurer & Publications Manager), Pete Shepherd G7DXV (Membership Secretary), Peter Jones G8CDC (Committee Member), Ron Swinburne M0WSN (Committee Member) and Stuart Mckinnon G0TBI (Committee Member and Public Relations & Publicity Officer).

Apologies were received from John Keeley G6RAV (Hon. Secretary).

The principal decisions taken and topics discussed were as follows:

1. Email Decisions

An email decision to support the Worcester Centenary Event was recorded.

2. Health & Safety

Noted that H&S Risk Assessments were being completed but it was agreed that, as a Committee Member is not always present at events, a note be added to the assessment form reminding those organising events, etc. to provide a copy of the completed form to the Hon. Secretary.

3. Society Membership

Pete Shepherd reported that membership currently stood at 443. There were two mailed applications and one email application pending. To date, 14 applications had been received. Pete will be tracking membership enquiries received as a result of the mailing of other societies and clubs. Pete will give a full report at the AGM.

Ian Underwood raised the question of the validity of ‘reduced’ subscriptions at the discretion of the Committee as provided under Note (b) on the Application Form. After full discussion, it was unanimously agreed to remove this provision. Note (b) will, therefore, be removed from the form.

Pete Shepherd reported that he had received an enquiry as to whether a person under 18 could join the Society. After full discussion, it was agreed that the best way forward was for ‘junior’ membership (i.e. for a minor) was to include as part of family membership. The ‘minor’ would be welcome to attend Society events provided they were accompanied by the full member who will be deemed to be responsible for them. ‘Junior’ members will not be eligible to vote at AGMs and EGMs. JK to draft an amendment to the T&Cs note accompanying the Family Membership option on the Application Form.

4. Increasing Society Membership

Bronek Wedzicha reported that he has sent over a 100 letters to clubs and societies in the north of the UK and in the West Midlands; each mailing contained a copy letter from Ian Underwood, a copy of Signal and two Society brochures. The total cost so far has been £374.16. The next areas to be targeted will be Regions 10 & 12 involving a further 100 mailings. This will then bring the total cost up to £750, the agreed budget for the initiative. The results of the initiative will be closely monitored in order to assess effectiveness.

5. Net Procedures

Bronek Wedzicha will issue a ‘reminder’ in the next NS to Net Controllers, highlighting the importance of handling weak stations, leaving gaps for late callers, and generally encouraging good net management.

6. Storage Facility at Baginton

It was agreed to move all of the remaining contents of the Baginton container (racking/valves/manuals, etc.) to the Wolverhampton storage unit on Tuesday 15th July. Stuart McKinnon will hire a suitable vehicle for the day. A working party will be organised. Peter Jones, Ron Swinburne and Stuart McKinnon have already volunteered.

7. AGM 2014 Arrangements

It was agreed that the AGM needs to have a schedule of events – this will be prepared by Stuart McKinnon.

8. AGM 2015

Arrangements to hold the 2015 AGM at Neatishead are to be pursued by Stuart McKinnon and a suitable date put forward for approval.

9. Request for Affiliation Received from the Amateur Radio Society at RAF Halton.

The request for affiliation was fully discussed. Committee would have liked to have found some mutual benefits to both ourselves and RAF Halton ARS but none seemed obvious beyond the possibility of joint events or as a possible venue for a future AGM. Ian Underwood was, therefore, asked to contact the RAF Halton ARS representative and explain the view of the Committee.

10. Membership Data Security

The issue of data security was discussed, in particular, Society liability in respect of membership data including data in respect of lapsed or former members. Agreed that JK will be asked to review our data security and report back to Committee.

11. Society Finances

Bronek Wedzicha reported that the Society Accounts up to December 31st 2013 had now been examined and found to be in agreement with the bank statements and other records provided to the Honorary Examiners. There were, however, some suggestions on structure and presentation for future accounts advised by Antony Wedgwood, as follows:

a) Advance renewal payments to be separately accounted.

b) Committee expenses should be separated under headings of Governance, Auctions, Miscellaneous, etc.

Bronek Wedzicha further reported that the balance at bank on 13th June was £20,373 and the investment account at Scottish Widows had a balance of £10,000 plus a small amount of interest.

12. Members Individual Liability

Ron Swinburne raised a question regarding the individual liability of members. The Society is constituted as an Unincorporated Association governed by a Constitution. In the event of the Society getting into debt and having to be wound up, members of the Society could be held jointly liable for the debt. Ron believed there was a scheme where, in the event of the Society having to be wound up in this way, the members individual liability would be limited to £1.

Issue 136 The VMARS News Sheet

July 2014 8

13. VMARS Handbook

Bronek Wedzicha reported that Chapters 4 & 8 will be available for inspection at the AGM. Bronek also reported that Peter Chadwick G3RZP had offered to help with the compilation of the index to Signal.

14. Sorting & Cataloguing of Donated Valves in Storage at Wolverhampton.

Confirmed that the donated valves will be held in storage at Wolverhampton and made available to the membership at Society auctions and rallies.

15. Public Relations & Publicity

Agreed that an NS article, covering Ian Greenberg’s generous gifting of an Elizabethan Transmitter to the Society, will be prepared.

16. Rallies & Events

(1) Newark Rally: Noted that the Society will have a stand at this event.

(2) Society Stands: Committee is always receptive to request for hosting Society stands at rallies and events but asks that reasonable advance notice be given in order that the necessary arrangements can be put in place.

(3) Brooklands: The possibility of hosting an event at Brooklands in 2015 was discussed and it was agreed that this idea be pursued.

17. Improvements to Members Services

No specific items to report.

18. Further Committee Meetings

The next Committee Meeting is scheduled for 6th September and the venue will be confirmed nearer the time

There being no further business, the meeting was formally closed at 1500 hours.

Applications for Membership

We wish to welcome the following new applicants for VMARS Membership:

Name, Callsign (Region) Interests

Mr DH Aram G8DVK Didcot, Oxfordshire

Total rebuild of R1155L and restoring other old radio equipment.

Mr MD Carvell M0ZBZ Hertfordshire

Modern military radio. Covert aerials.

Mr GA Hamilton 2E0SBS Devizes, Wiltshire

I have two WS19s in need of help, advice and parts to complete this radio to its full working capacity. Also operating T1154/R1155. Interested in amateur radio.

Mr BRB Hewitt G8IPY London Larkspur radio systems

[Membership rules require names of applicants for Membership to be published, before they are formally accepted as Members. This allows existing Members to object, if they wish. If you want to object to any of the above, please write to our Hon Sec, John Keeley – Ed.]

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Advertisements FOR SALE: The following books at £5 plus postage RSGB Amateur Radio Handbook. Third Edition ARRL Radio Amateur Handbook. 1956 ARRL Radio Amateur Handbook. 1948. No outer cover

Small CRT offered for postage only. Not sure what it is from or its condition. Part number Type 23D. Details can be found via National Valve Museum website. All items can be taken to AGM for collection in person if required. Pete Shepherd G7DXV 01375 640618 pete.shepherd4@btinternet.com

WANTED: Loan of AVO CT446 transistor analyser manual for the VMARS Archive.

Colin Guy G4DDI 07824 356189 g4ddi@vmars.org.uk

FOR SALE: Eddystone EP14 panoramic adapter £50.00. Steve Parnell, 8 Cannon Close, Sandhurst, Berks. GU47 0ZZ 07973 830520

Copyright Notice The VMARS News Sheet is a publication of the Vintage and Military Amateur Radio Society. Copyright remains vested in the authors, thus no material in this News Sheet may be copied and published elsewhere, in part or in full, by any means, without the express permission of the author. This may be sought either from the author direct, or from the News Sheet Editor, Bronek Wedzicha, M0DAF.