Radio CallsignsWritten by Ken Sutton
© RN Communications Branch Museum/Library
A quote by Jeff Dykes "I read so many books about the navy and ships, which always show you every detail possible including colour (which differed station on station) and pennant numbers which were often not used or blanked out by camouflage paint, but NEVER included the ships second name, namely its RADIO CALLSIGN."
With Jeff's quote in the back of my mind I started to compile a list of radio callsigns used for British and Commonwealth vessels through time. The information has been transcribed from the chapter entitled SHIPS BELONGING TO THE BRITISH ROYAL NAVY from the following publications:
a. British Code List 1891 b. Signal Letters of British Ships 1910 c. Signal Letters of British Ships 1912 d. Signal Letters of British Ships 1928 e. Signal Letters of British Ships 1939 f. Distinguishing Pendants and Signal Letters 1945-1948 g. Signal Letters of British Ships 1956 h. Signal Letters of British Ships 1961 i. Signal Letters of British Ships 1964
Further additions will be added idc from the 1944 edition of the Signal Letters of British Ships.
In the 1930's Britain had the use of the letters B, G and M for British ships, and other letters for British Commonwealth (Colonies) ships. During WW2 many British Warships had a callsign beginning with the letter 'B', the rest starting with a 'G' and later on, with the letter 'M'. This lasted until approximately 1948-49 when China was given the letter 'B' for its use, meaning that all British warships now began with either the letter 'G' or the letter 'M'.
Apart from many years of RADIO SILENCE, how many times did you send your callsign? Nine out of ten sailors were (are) experts at bending the arm at the elbow, but we were just as good at bending it at the wrist! (as well as at the elbow of course).
List of 3 Letter Callsigns
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Alphabetical List of Ship's Names and their Radio Callsigns.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Alphabetical List of Ship's Radio Callsigns and their Ship's Name.
B
G
M
Q
V
X
Z
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A quote by Jeff Dykes "I read so many books about the navy and ships, which always show you every detail possible including colour (which differed station on station) and pennant numbers which were often not used or blanked out by camouflage paint, but NEVER included the ships second name, namely its RADIO CALLSIGN."
With Jeff's quote in the back of my mind I started to compile a list of radio callsigns used for British and Commonwealth vessels through time. The information has been transcribed from the chapter entitled SHIPS BELONGING TO THE BRITISH ROYAL NAVY from the following publications:
| a. | British Code List 1891 | |
| b. | Signal Letters of British Ships 1910 | |
| c. | Signal Letters of British Ships 1912 | |
| d. | Signal Letters of British Ships 1928 | |
| e. | Signal Letters of British Ships 1939 | |
| f. | Distinguishing Pendants and Signal Letters 1945-1948 | |
| g. | Signal Letters of British Ships 1956 | |
| h. | Signal Letters of British Ships 1961 | |
| i. | Signal Letters of British Ships 1964 |
Further additions will be added idc from the 1944 edition of the Signal Letters of British Ships.
In the 1930's Britain had the use of the letters B, G and M for British ships, and other letters for British Commonwealth (Colonies) ships. During WW2 many British Warships had a callsign beginning with the letter 'B', the rest starting with a 'G' and later on, with the letter 'M'. This lasted until approximately 1948-49 when China was given the letter 'B' for its use, meaning that all British warships now began with either the letter 'G' or the letter 'M'.
Apart from many years of RADIO SILENCE, how many times did you send your callsign? Nine out of ten sailors were (are) experts at bending the arm at the elbow, but we were just as good at bending it at the wrist! (as well as at the elbow of course).
List of 3 Letter Callsigns
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Alphabetical List of Ship's Names and their Radio Callsigns.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | ||||||||||||
| N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ||||||||||||
Alphabetical List of Ship's Radio Callsigns and their Ship's Name.
| B | G | M | Q | V | X | Z | ||||||||||||||||