Amendments
10th December 2005 Amended code to Home Page.
Amended names sent in by the Late Arthur Butcher, G3KPJ.
Celebrating The Coronation, 1953.
- Louis Varney, G5RV assisted in the erection of a marque in the Central Park, Chelmsford in which they ran a special event radio station. The Call-sign GB2CRA was issued for the event.
Did you, or do you know of anyone who was there or worked GB2CRA - please tell us.
Thanks to Derek Holmes, G3JSV for providing us with the QSL Cards & the first 4 Cororation pictures.
Personal QSL Card issued from Derek, G4102GB2CRA to Ruth on 4/4/1953.
QSL Card issued to ISWL G4102 on 5/6/1953 at 2142GMT.
50 Watts transmitter, using a HRO receiver.
Unknown - Peter Bendall,SWL - Cliff Fenton, G3ABB - Unknown
If you know, please advise us.
G3EHZ working from the tent.
Alan Davies, G3INW - Peter Naish, G3EIX - Derek Holmes, G3JSV.
Visit by The Chelmsford Mayor & party.
(L to R) Arthur Wreford, G3EHZ - Cliff Fenton, G3ABB with pipe - W J Paterson, G2HGI.
Louis Varney, G5RV is looking on (without the pipe).
Peter Bendall-SWL, Alan Davies-G3INW, Peter Naish-G3EIX and Louis Varney-G5RV (Right)
Peter Bendall was later G3NBU and now DJ0JR, Alan is now GW3INW, Peter Naish was later VK2BPN.
The photograph was taken in a tent set up in "The Rec" Chelmsford (now Central Park) to commemorate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, 1952.
The Special Event Station, callsign GB2CRA (Chelmsford Radio Amateurs) was the first time that a GB callsign was issued for such purposes.
Louis, probably though his contacts in the GPO (the Licencing Authority at that time) arranged for the call to be issued. Up to then, only the RSGB Headquarters had GB callsigns - they were not very pleased when Louis broke their monopoly. This was probably what started the general issue of such callsigns.
The photograph shows the original G5RV "TVI Proof" 50 Watt Transmitter built by G5RV. The later one had 2 x 807s in the PA and was published as the "Elizabethan" because of the Coronation. Also in the picture is a HRO loaned by Lawrence Fuller, G6LB.
The photograph was taken by G3KPJ using a 9 x 12cm plate camera and the above picture was scanned directly from a contact print. Our thanks to Arthur, G3KPJ for permission to publish his photograph.
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