wrote:
From: on Sat, Dec 31 2005 7:05 am


Dave Heil wrote:

My mail carrier delivered the January, 2006 issue of QST on December 24.
Isn't that the annual "antique" issue?

1942 was, ummm, SIXTY THREE YEARS AGO! Heh, I'd say that was
"antique." :-)

But you seldom get much right. To be considered an antique, something
generally needs to be at least 100 years old. :-) :-)

It carries an interesting article "Secret Agent Hams: Remembering Camp
X" by Gil McElroy VE3PKD. McElroy's piece mentions us that the camp was
also the location of a high-powered radio station known as "Hydra" and
the article states "Not surprisingly, hams had a central role in it all".
An article in QST states "Not surprisingly, hams had a central role in
it all."

Why am I not suprised?

"Camp X" was a Canadian spy school near Ottawa.

That's what the article says.

"Hydra" station was intended to keep communications with England
during WW2. It ceased operation in the 1960s.

That's what the article says.

It sounds terribly GLAMOROUS, donut? :-)

Yes, it does, doesn't it?

More can be found under the Canadian Communications and Electronics
Branch website (as Branch History) under:

http://www.img.forces.gc.ca/commelec...ory/cont_e.htm

Thanks, Leonard. One can also read the QST article and/or the the other
books it references.

...and select "Chapter 5"

McElroy states that "Hydra was operated by former hams, recruited by
Camp X administrators who went looking ofr them specifically, using
prewar government listings to locate the best quality Amateur Radio
operators.

"Prewar government listings?" I thought Bush was the only President
guilty of such profiling?

Dubya, not Herbert Walker... :-)

"Best quality Amateur Radio operators?" The A-1 Operators was a
government list?

Yikes! That must have been in an ERA when the Democrats trusted
"thier" government. Oh, wait, wasn't that when the Dems had full
control of the government?

It was a Canadian operation.

Yet numerous U.S. citizens were there. Wild Bill Donovan was one of them.

He goes on to name some of them and goes on to quote
Lynn-Philip Hodgson, author of the book "Inside Camp X":

"...an amateur radio operator was an ideal candidate for handling
clandestine radio activity of any description, be it interception or the
actual transmitting of traffic. the radio amateur liked and understood
his hobby, he was good at solving technical problems and keeping
equipment running without seeking outside assistance. He was already
capable of sending and receiving Morse Code efficiently, and needed only
to be trained in the specialities of handling clandestine radio messages".
Secret Agent Man!

"Secret Agent Ham," soon to be an action-filled TV series
starring Patrick Macgoohan as "X" the camp leader... :-)

There's room for the well-known profile of your likely behavior. Your
actions are accurately predicted by the profile.

A number of photos are included in the article. The caption of one of
them should prove galling to the factually challenged Leonard Anderson.
It reads, "Bill Hardcastle VE3RY (right) reads the May 1942 issue of QST
at Camp X while Bob Rowan consults 'The Radio Amateur's Handbook'."
Why wouldn't an amateur be reading an amateur publication? Do you thnk
QST would have included the photo where he's reading "Life?"

Most everywhere else during WW2 the troops would be reading
about pretty girls and movie stars and pretty girls and
sports stories and about pretty girls.

Let's ask your typical question here. Were you there?

But, those at the not-very-famous "Camp X" near Ottawa were
of the clandestine amateur persuasion 62 years ago...

Most clandestine things aren't very famous.

Besides, the big station at WAR (in MD outside of DC) was
doing its high-power HF multi-circuit thing with the UK
and other places back then. For heavy traffic they used
RTTY even back then.

The story wasn't about WAR.

Would an amateur centered publication be posting the names of the
professional engineers associated with the project? Maybe that
wouldn't be self-serving?

Nah. Amateurs did it all and did it better...in the imaginations
of other amateurs...

That's not what the article says and it isn't what the book referenced
says. How do you come to know so much about it? Were you there?

Today's mail brought the January, 2006 copy of CQ. An article on the
various voice modes mentions Fessenden's 1906 amplitude modulation feat.
The letters section of the same issue features one sent by Steve
Robeson K4YZ.

Steve will do anything to get hisself into the spotlight, even forge
postings on RRAP. You would have thought he would have left all that
attention seeking behind when he left the orphanage, but its just a
part of who he is, now.

Major Dud will probably claim some sort of "assistant" NCOIC
status with the RCAF marine detachment at Camp X. :-)

It seems that you're setting yourself up as the expert on Camp X,
Leonid. :-) :-)

Geez, this is getting better than the old "reserve colonel"
telling about his son over in the Persian Gulf during the
1990-1991 first Gulf War "behind the lines sending intel
to Hq via CW!" :-)

Do you have any reference material which demonstrates that the article
is anything but true, or are you simply compelled to live up to the
profile of your likely behavior?

Happy Fessenden!

Dave K8MN