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Introduction

A typical sea-going officer

From the start the Marine Company provided all customers with a Marconi wireless service by leasing all necessary equipment and also by providing the required staff, so a new class of employment was created, that of Wireless Operator. These were men trained at Company establishments who installed and manned installations both on shore and at sea, undertaking the maintenance and the operation of the equipment as Company employees. Thus the Marine Company had two distinct workforces, one working for the main production Company, static in the UK factories and in its own support services, and an itinerant who served in stations located wherever in the world was required and on board both merchant marine and naval vessels. This led to the creation of the first schools for wireless training and a unique management system. Movement between employment at sea or ashore was available.

Initially a civilian operation the onset of the First World War required an added service which is covered here, and indeed was required again, more extensively, in World War Two.

Later the role was renamed to that of Radio Officer and as other electronic navigation aids and equipment came into use this could be extended to Electronics Officer with additional training.

Present Day

As the late 1980’s and early 1990’s approached, Radio Officers were slowly being made redundant. The type of radio equipment previously used was phased out and new rules and regulations came into force for a new system of communications using satellite communications and the new GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System) was being employed so the need for the Radio Officer ceased, and most of the coastal radio stations were closed down as well. The new type radio equipment was installed on ships where either the Captain or deck officers did the communications.

Thus the era of the Radio Officer came and went within less than a 100 year period of time. Ships now carry ETO’s (Electro Technical Officers) who are highly trained electrical and electronics personnel responsible for all of the previously mentioned items above to anything that has electricity in it on a ship, from an iron, a kettle, a lift, a washing machine, lighting all around the ship, electric cargo pumps, winches, computers, it has now all changed. That’s technology for you.

The Future

The intention is to include as much information as possible and practicable on both shore and sea-going staff. There are lists held in the Archive in Oxford but these are not easy to access so in much the same way as we have done for Marconi Apprentices we hope to collect input from users to build the picture. This can be done by contacting the owner using the link shown at the bottom of this page.

We have now obtained a complete set of Mariner which provides details of both ship and shore personnel from 1947 onwards. Efforts continue to obtain similar detailed information for earlier periods.

The Radio Officers Association  - an organisation of Merchant Navy, Civil Aircraft, Coast Station and covert radio officers with much information about the use of wireless in the marine environment.

The Role of the Merchant Navy Radio Officer

Radio Officer Nostalgia

A video story of a modern Radio Officer

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