The First Radio Broadcasts From Ships

Parts 9, 10 and 11

[Taken from: Adventist World Radio's "Wavescan" - (DX Programs WS 384, 387, 396 and 397). Many thanks to Dr. Adrian Peterson]

9. The Australian “Kanimbla” - A unique and remarkable radio broadcasting station

Back in the days before World War 2, there were two ships in Australasian (OS-tral-Asian) waters that were quite famous in the international radio scene. One was the “Awatea” (AH-wa-TEE-a) that plied across the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, and we will tell you the story of that ship radio station on another ocasion. 
 
The other ship radio station was aboard the MV Kanimbla (ka-NIM-bla) that plied in Australian waters. Both ships were built in the United Kingdom, both were launched in the years 1935 and 1936, and both were noted for the broadcast of radio programming; the “Kanimbla” as VK9MI and the “Awatea” as ZMBJ. The notable fact about the passenger liner “Kanimbla” is that it was the only ship in the entire history of our world in which a radio broadcasting station was constructed into the ship at the time when the ship was built. The 11,000 ton passenger liner “Kanimbla” was built at Belfast in Northern Ireland, by the famous ship building company, Harland & Wolff. The electronic equipment was manufactured by AWA in Australia and shipped to Ireland for installation while the ship was still under construction. 
 
The “Kanimbla” was granted by the PMG Department in Australia a radio broadcasting license with the experimental callsign VK9MI and, as we mentioned earlier, it is the only ship in the world to have a radio broadcasting station incorporated into it at the time of construction. The radio station consisted of two studios; one for group broadcasts, and the other for announcer presentation. The crystal controlled transmitter was rated at 1.5 kW, though the QSL card states that the output into the antenna system was just 50 watts. This would seem to suggest that the original broadcast transmitter mal-functioned quite early and that the broadcast programs were then radiated from the ship’s communication transmitter. The original AWA transmitter could operate on any wavelength between 20 & 50 meters. The first test broadcast from 9MI was made on April 21, 1936 during sea trials in the Firth of Clyde. The new MV “Kanimbla” began its delivery voyage from Northern Ireland to Australia at 4:00 am on April 26, 1936. It is reported that the radio station 9MI made four test broadcasts each day during this 15,000 mile journey to Australia. 
 
The official inauguration of the new radio broadcasting station VK9MI was made in a special broadcast to Australia while the ship was south of the continent in the Great Australian Bight,1,000 miles from Sydney. At 8:00 pm Eastern Australian Standard Time, VK9MI went on the air shortwave and the program was picked up and relayed thoughout Australia over the ABC mediumwave network. This inaugural broadcast from 9MI was made on 11720 kHz, though subsequently the regular channel was 6005 kHz, though this was modified in April 1939 to 6055 kHz. The at times irregular schedule from VK9MI was usually half an hour or an hour a few evenings a week. The announcer and manager was Eileen Foley, who also signed the QSL cards. 

The “Kanimbla” plied with passenger traffic backwards and forwards on the southern route between Western Australia and Queensland, and the ports of call in this shuttle service were: Fremantle in Western Australia, Adelaide in South Australia, Melbourne in Victoria, Sydney in New South Wales and Brisbane & Mackay in Queensland. 
 
The local AWA mediumwave stations on land in each of these areas frequently relayed the shortwave programming from VK9MI to the local audience. Among these stations were 2AY in Albury New South Wales, 3BO in Bendigo Victoria, and 4CA in Cairns (pronounced as in air) Queensland. 
 
On many occasions, radio station VK9MI was heard on shortwave throughout Australia and New Zealand, and many QSL cards were signed by the famous woman announcer, Eileen Foley. As time went by, the transmitter began to malfunction and it produced a noisy wide signal in the 49 meter band. At the outbreak of the European War at the beginning of September 1939, the radio staton VK9MI was silenced, along with all other experimental shortwave stations in Australia. The “Kanimbla” then became a troop carrier, and after the war, it was unceremoniously scrapped. 

In WS 397 additional information on the Kanimbla was published:

Kanimbla Update - What happened to this ship afterwards?

Just a few weeks back, we presented the story of the radio station on board the Australian motor vessel,"Kanimbla". On that occasion, we mentioned that the ship was built in Belfast Ireland and that it was the only ship in the world into which a radio station was installed at the time when the ship was constructed.

The "Kanimbla" sailed for Australia on April 26 1936 and it made four radio broadcasts each day throughout the entire voyage. One month later, the inaugural broadcast was made for listeners in Australia with a nationwide relay on the ABC mediumwave network.

From that time onwards, the passenger liner travelled the Australian coastline, frequently sending out entertainment programs over the 50 watt broadcast transmitter, VK9MI. In those days, a VK callsign indicated an experimental station, not necessarily an amateur station as is the case these days. These hour long broadcasts in the evening were presented by the station announcer, Eileen Foley, and they were picked up by local mediumwave stations in the AWA commercial network and relayed to local audiences.

The final broadcast from VK9MI on the "Kanimbla" went on the air right at the beginning of September 1939 and when war was declared, the broadcast station was silenced forever. Station VK9MI never radiated another entertainment program.

We could ask the question: What happened to the "Kanimbla" after that? 

One of the really fascinating aspects about research into the history of radio broadcasting is this. When you think that you have completed research into all of the available information on a particular station, then unexpectedly, new information becomes available. 

This is the case with the story of the radio broadcasting ship, "Kanimbla". For much of this additional information, we are indebted to Dr Martin van der Ven in Germany, who maintains a website on the story of radio broadcasting from ships. His website is: www.offshore-radio.de

Just one month after the outbreak of the European Conflict, the "Kanimbla" was taken over by the Royal Navy and the ship was commissioned as HMS "Kanimbla", that is His Majesty's Ship "Kanimbla". The "Kanimbla" then made its way to Hong Kong for re-outfitting as a navy troop transport. 

Acting as a navy vessel, the "Kanimbla" carried troops and supplies to allied forces in the Pacific and Asia. During this era, the ship was operated by the Australian navy on behalf of the British navy.

Nearly four years later, HMS "Kanimbla" was re-commissioned in a ceremony in Sydney and it joined the Royal Australian Navy as "HMAS "Kanimbla', that is, His Majesty's Australian Ship, "Kanimbla". The ship served a similar role in the Australian navy for a period of six years after which it was de-commissioned in Sydney in 1949.

At this stage, the "Kanimbla" was re-outfitted again as a passenger liner and then returned to its original owners when it rejoined the passenger traffic. Then in 1961, the ship was sold in Asia and renamed the "Oriental Queen" for passenger traffic in Asian waters. Three years later again it was placed under charter to a Japanese company, and after three more years, they purchased it.

In 1974, just 40 years after it was built, the glorious ship "Kanimbla" was unceremoniously broken up for scrap. That then is the end of the long and interesting saga of the "Kanimbla", the only ship in the world that had a radio broadcasting station built into it at the time when the ship was constructed.

However, there are two more items of interest. There was a soldier in the American army by the name of A. J. Haley. A few years ago, he read an article about the Australian ship, the "Kanimbla", in the American radio magazine, "Popular Communications". He wrote to the editor of the magazine stating that he rode the "Kanimbla" during its era of service as a troop transport vessel in the Pacific. After his demobilization, Haley entered the radio world himself in an amateur role, with the callsign K8UJW.

The other item is this. In recent time we have received several batches of old QSL cards for the AWR Historic Collection. One of these cards is an original QSL card from VK9MI for a reception report dated August 5, 1937 and it was signed by the announcer, Eileen Foley herself. 

Another QSL card also verifies a reception report on a transmission from the "Kanimbla", and it was during its time of service under the Australian navy. The callsign was VLFS and the ship was calling the maritime station VIS in Sydney at the time on 12380 kHz. The date of reception was May 30, 1946.

10. A listener story regarding his part in a historic radio broadcast from a ship

A recent reception report from Robert Chester in Adelaide, South Australia, tells an interesting story regarding his involvement with a special once-in-a-lifetime radio broadcast from a ship. Robert was commenting on a previous edition of Wavescan in which we presented the story of “Radio Broadcasting from Ships in Australian Waters”.

It was back around the year 1961 and Robert Chester was the panel operator for the commercial radio station 5DN with its studios in North Adelaide. The 5DN mobile studio was placed aboard the local steamer, Troubridge (TRUE-BRIDGE), which made a regular run from Port Adelaide on the mainland to Kingscote on Kangaroo Island, a little over 100 miles.

The morning announcer, Mel Cameron, was in the mobile studio on the ship and he was in communication with 5DN by radio. For this special broadcast, Mel Cameron on the ship made all of the announcements, and Robert Chester back in the studio played all of the musical recordings and commercial advertisements, using as many as five different turntables.

Although there were difficulties with the radio link at times, yet nevertheless they successfully completed this unusual remote broadcast. Robert Chester states that he understands this was the first radio broadcast by a commercial station from a ship at sea in the waters off the coast of South Australia.

11. First Music Broadcast from a Ship - a very unusual broadcast

The July issue of “Radio & Television News” for the year 1954 tells the story, a very unusual story actually, of what they claim is the first broadcast of music from a ship. The item was written by Charles G. Cooke, who heard the broadcast.  This is what he says:

Here is the story of what was probably the first instance of a music broadcast by wireless. It was in the Spring of the year 1906 and all of the navy vessels in the American Atlantic Fleet had returned to their home base at Hampton Roads in Virginia at the end of winter maneuvers in the Caribbean. 

Officer Cooke was the wireless operator on one of the navy vessels and while he was on duty he heard a spark transmitter changing its pitch and playing the first line of the song, “Home Sweet Home”. In those days, wireless apparatus was quite primitive and officer Cooke was listening-in on what is described as an electrolytic detector.

Amazed and curious at this strange wireless broadcast of music, he made enquiry from all of the wireless operators in the American fleet. He finally discovered that the strange music was coming from the US Navy vessel, USS Missouri.

The ingenious wireless operator on board the “Missouri” was using an 80 volt DC generator feeding a mercury turbine interrupter through a large spark coil. The operator had calibrated a sliding rheostat with the correct positions for the musical notations C D E F G A B C. All that was necessary to transmit the musical tones was to slide the rheostat to the desired notation and the spark transmitter changed its tone accordingly.    

Officer Cooke concluded his unusual historic item with the comment that in those days, that is back in the year 1906, there were no wlreless traffic controls and virtually no interference so that it was possible to play around with wireless equipment, sometimes in quite novel ways.

 Click here for Parts 12, 13 and 14