RADIO OPERATORS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 112, 5 February 1941, Page 8

RADIO OPERATORS

Needed For Mercantile Marine APPEAL BY MINISTERS Facilities For Training Of Candidates An appeal tu men between the ages of IS and 20, and to those men tinder 30 who are not fit for military service, to join the mercantile marine as radio operators, was issued last night by the Minister oi Marine, Mr. Semple, and l>y the Minister of Defence, Mr. Jones, it was explained by the Ministers that in the interests of the safety of shipping it was necessary that all overseas ships should carry three radio operators and that coastal vessels, in which the duty of radio operator was at present carried out by the mate, should carry at least one operator.

“This will require the services of nearly 100 additional radio oiwrators and to provide these men the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand, Ltd., has kindly undertaken to train candidates iu its wireless school in Wellington,” said the Ministers. The course, they added, would last about two months, though candidates who already possessed some knowledge of radio or morse would probablj - be passed as qualified in a shorter period. At the end of the course qualified

operators would take service iu merchant ships in the ordinary way. The certificates to be granted to these operators would be provisional certificates and would be issued for the duration of the war only. Candidates would receive the wages laid down in the existing award after being signed on in ships. , , , The Ministers stated that they hoped there would be a good response to the appeal because, as it was unnecessary to emphasize, the mercantile marine was a vital part of the Empire’s war effort aud the safety of ships was allimportant. Thus men who undertook this work would know that they were performing war service as important and real as the men in the fighting services. . Candidates should write to the manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Wellington, giving full name and address, age and stating whether they possessed any radio or morse qualifications.