Detailed History 1911 to 1961
1911
It is an established factthat the first Wireless Club in the country was formed in Derby duringthe year 1911. Prior to this there was an Association run by theperiodical, "Model Engineer." Our local model engineering enthusiastswere experimenting with the new science of wireless. In the Spring of1911, Professor G. P. Bailey gave a lecture in the Derby Guildhall,entitled "Scientific Progress in Our Time" and demonstrated the ringingof bells and lighting of lamps with wireless waves. This prompted thelocal experimenters to form a group and with the guidance of Mr. S.Grimwood-Taylor and Mr. Alan Trevelyan Lee the Derby Wireless Club wasfounded. Original founder-members included Messrs. Carl L. Drury; L. W.Bemrose, S. W. Thompstone, G. E. Mart, F. Jolley, R. A....1 Briggs, H~Latham, A. B. Hulme, G. M. Bowles, J. Lowe, J. W. Downes, F. Nuttall,K. and G. Haslam, W. Harris, E. S. and R. Huson, H. Canham, T. G. C.Hill and J. Parsons, who acted as the first Secretary. A room in OldBank Chambers, Iron Gate, Derby, was used as an experimental station.The Station Call Letters were QIX.
1912
Having established thestation, books were purchased and a lending library started. During theyear, through the pages of a periodical, "English Mechanic and. Worldof Science," the Club gave valuable advice to other amateurs in variousparts and subscriptions for membership were arriving daily. On August12th of this year, the Amateur Radio Movement was officially recognisedin the USA. Our local newspaper, the "Derby Daily Express," carriedseveral reports of the activity in Derby and even reported the weatheras received from Paris.
1913
On Saturday, January18th, the Club Rooms were vacated. An Exhibition was presented at theClub's new rooms at 47 full Street, Derby. This received a full-pagecoverage in the February 6th issue of the "Daily Sketch." On May 7ththere was a column in the "Daily News & Leader" devoted to the;Derby Wireless Men's Club. In the July 9th issue of this same paper,under the heading "Aerial Music," reference was made to the Club andMr. Lee's cigar box receiver. The February issue of the "ModelEngineer" carried a letter with a plea for other towns to startWireless Clubs. Correspondence ensued with several notable people ofthe day, resulting in the formation of numerous Clubs, among them, theBirmingham Wireless Association, the Croydon Wireless and PhysicalSociety, Northampton and Bristol Wireless Clubs. The London WirelessClub was formed on July 5th and re-formed as the Wireless Society ofLondon on October 10th.
1914
Up till now the Office ofPresident had remained vacant. However, Sir Henry Norman, MP agreed tobecome the first President. An invitation from the Royal CornwallPolytechnic Society to participate in their Exhibition during Augustwas cancelled due to the outbreak of hostilities. It was during thisyear that Nottingham formed a Wireless Club and that Hiram Percy Maximfounded the American Radio Relay League. During the war years, membersput their knowledge to good use in one' or other of the Services, buttenancy of the Club Room was terminated in favour of a smaller room atthe Mechanics' Institute in the Wardwick. This helped to conserve thefinances.
1919
With the return ofmembers from active service, interest again started and the totalfully-paid membership as shown on the 31st December was twenty-two.
1920
The ninth Annual GeneralMeeting, held at 95 Canal Street, Derby, on January 2nd, was attendedby thirty-six when the Principal of the Derby Technical College, F. W.Shurlock, Esq.-, B.A., B.Sc., was elected to the office of President,the Secretary being Capt. W. L. Bemrose. Affiliation to the WirelessSociety of London was approved and meetings were transferred to Room 24at the Technical College.
1921
This was the year of thetransatlantic tests on the short waves, in which several membersco-operated. Meetings were now being held alternately at the TechnicalCollege and Mr. A. T. Lee's residence at The Court, Alvaston, Derby.Meetings took the form of informal discussions, lectures anddemonstrations of small spark transmitters, crystal receivers, simplevalve transmitters and receivers and radio telephone apparatus,
1922
On May 12th, the "DerbyDaily Express," under "A Derbeian Diary," featured a paragraph on theClub's activities with a photograph of Mr. A. T. Lee's sisterbroadcasting to members the result of the Carpentier-Lewis fight theprevious night. During this year a Miss Austin was elected tomembership. The Dutch concerts from The Hague were a popular Sundayafternoon attraction and at the annual general meeting when thirty fourmembers were in attendance the sum of£1 is. was voted to the DutchConcerts Fund. On 11th November, the Wireless Society of London waschanged to the Radio Society of Great Britain.
1923
Membership now totalled91 and Club premises were changed twice, meetings being held first atthe Shaftesbury Restaurant, and then above the "Derby Daily Express"offices in St. Peter's Street, Derby.
1924
During the past twoyears, experiments had been carried out by Mr. A. T. Lee and Clubmembers, with telephony transmission from below ground to surface inthe mines. The apparatus used was exhibited during this year at theClub Wireless Exhibition.
1925
Club finances weresuffering due to the increased cost of room rent and to save furtherexpense the Club moved to a room in St. James's Street, Derby.Membership in 1925 dropped to forty-four, possibly due to the increaseof subscription which was enforced to offset the increasing financialliability.
1926
Activity increased inspite of the reduced membership. Members co-operated with the DerbyBranch of the Wireless League, Derby Rotary Club, Derby RailwayInstitute Radio Society, Bemrose Radio Society, Ripley and DistrictRadio Society and members of the Post Office Engineering Staff toprovide wireless for the patients in Derbyshire Royal Infirmary. TheChairman of the Technical Committee was E. V. R. Martin, G2TL, a veryearly member of the Club, and the installation -was officiallypresented to the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary on Monday, November 15th.The "Derby Daily Express" for November 15th and 16th carried full-pagearticles with photographs of the presentation.
1928
October of this year sawsome changes in the transmitting licence conditions, to take effectfrom the 1st January, 1929. Finances were such that the Club did notrenew its affiliation to the R.S.G.B. E. V. R. Martin, 2TL, was busyexperimenting with Television.
1929
With effect from 1stJanuary, existing licences to transmit were terminated, the prefix Gwas essential, as was the need to measure the sending frequency to agreater degree of accuracy. This led to the non-renewal of some of theOld-Timers' calls. It was estimated that of the previous total of 1,500licences, only 900 had been renewed. On January 15th, E. V. R. Martingave a demonstration of Television with his home-constructedtransmitter and receiver in the Mechanics' Institute. The 18th annualgeneral meeting of the Club was held at Messrs. Richardson's, EagleStreet, Derby on January 17th, when E. V. R. Martin was added to thelist of vice-presidents.
1930
The straight receiver wasin popular vogue and as a matter of passing interest, the BBC reportedthat they had received some 7,023 complaints of interference caused byoscillating detectors. An interest in direction finding had startedamong local enthusiasts, possibly due to the dearth of radiatingoscillators.
1931
The Amateur was stillonly permitted to broadcast for two hours out of every twenty-four, areason for the Club's visit to Bass's Brewery on July 1st. The wintersession commenced with meetings of the Derby Wireless Club in theLecture Room at the Pear Tree Branch Public Library.
1932
The coming-of age of theDerby Wireless Club was celebrated with a dinner at the Irongates Hotelon February 8th. Among those present were many of the founder and earlymembers of the Club.
1933
Membership remainedconstant, activity being centred around demonstrations and visits, butto cater for the short-wave enthusiast the Derby Short-wave Club wasformed, the Secretary being GilWhite, G2BOW. It was onJanuary 27th of this year that W. A. Mead G5YY (first Chairman of D.& D.A.R.S.) was elected Secretary of the Burton-on Trent RadioSociety.
1934
A visit to the RugbyRadio Station was organised.
1935
The G.P.O. incorporated anew clause in the Amateur Licence forbidding social or politicalpropaganda. The Derby Short-wave Experimental society was busyorganising lectures.
1936
The Silver Jubilee of theDerby Wireless Club was celebrated with a dinner at the Irongates onthe 28th October when a presentation was made to the founder-members,Messrs. S. G. Taylor and A. T. Lee. In November, Mr. E. V. R. Martin,as Chairman of the Derby Wireless Club accepted the office of Presidentof the Derby Short-wave Experimental Society.
1937
The writer joined theDerby Wireless Club. Membership had risen to seventy-one and an eveningto remember was the demonstration of the Voigt loudspeaker at theresidence of Mr. W.Bemrose. Visits during the summer months were mostpopular and included the Ford Works at Dagenham, G.E.C. Coventry, Mr.Lee's model railway at, Etwall, the Bemrose Printing Works and theDerby and Notts. Generating Station at Spondon. The first lecture ofthe winter session was by Mr. J. D. Price on September 30th, hissubject being "Early Experiments in Wireless." April 10th saw theerection of an aerial on the Police Headquarters in Derwent Street, thefeeders being attached on the 13th. This was for experiments on thefive-metre band between a car and headquarters, the tests being carriedout by A. K Hazlehurst, G5HT and Reg Street, G2SD.
1939
During the early monthsof this year, field events were being discussed. R.S.G.B. members wereinterested in the National Field Day stations being operated inDistrict 4. On Sunday, June 25th, tests were carried out to providefive-metre telephony around the outskirts of the town and across.District 4 R.S.G.B. members won the N.F.D. Trophy with a score of 655points. With the outbreak of the second world war transmitting activityceased, all apparatus being confiscated by the authorities. The numberof local stations at this time amounted to seventeen fully-licensedamateurs and eighteen artificial aerial licences. Mr. S. G. Taylorformulated a listening group.
1941
H. C. Murfitt, B.R.S.,4071, appealed for R.S.G.B. members to form a local group.
1942
Gil White, G2OU, agreedto accept the office of scribe for Derby R.S.G.B. members. Pre-warR.S.G.B. meetings were usually held at the Trent Bridge Hotel inNottingham, there being insufficient support for meetings in Derby.
1943
Casual meetings werearranged by Gil White, G2OU, these being held at 43 Kenilworth Avenue,or at Les Jackson's residence at Franklin Drive, Alvaston.
1944
District 4 R.S.G.B.members attended the first Provincial District Meeting to be held inLeicester. During this year, Mr. S. G. Taylor passed away, the townlosing a very keen supporter for the amateur radio movement.
1945
R.S.G.B. meetingscontinued in February: Bill James, G6XM demonstrated his 22-valvereceiver.
1947
Came the return to civvyStreet - and due to the extensive use of radio in the Services, the bughad bitten quite a number of the younger generation. Meetings of theDerby Wireless Club were recommenced at the Technical College, underthe secretaryship of Mr. A. W. Elliott, the theme of the lectures beingRadar. Derby Short-wave Experimental Society started their informalmeetings at Nunsfield House, Boulton Lane, Alvaston. There was nowquite a large number of local R.S.G.B. members. A group was formed byAlan Grindrod, B.R.S. 9577, and meetings were held in a room at St.Thomas's Road, Derby. Alan Bryan, G8BN, started a Basic Radio Coursepending the re-issue of transmitting licences. A combined effort toenter a Station for the first post-war R.S.G.B. National Field Day wasa flop and the R.S.G.B. Group being short of funds. Discussion tookplace in November regarding the formation of the Derby &District Amateur Radio Society. Membership was to be open to all onpayment of a five-shilling subscription, the Society to cater for allaspects of radio and electronics, both technically and socially. TheSecretary during the first few months was Mr. Steadman and the Hon.Treasurer, Mr. H. Clamp, G2CRL.
1948
The constitution of thenew Society had not yet been confirmed and at an extraordinary generalmeeting on - the 30th -June, a new Committee was proposed and Mr. AlanAlsbury, B.R.S. 12789, agreed to assist the writer in sorting out thepaper work, whilst Mr. W. R. Chaffe, G2DLJ, agreed to work on the rulesto be adopted. On July 7th the Chair was taken by Mr. W. A. Mead, G5YYand a draft set of rules perused. The first technical lecturedemonstration was on August 4th, when R. Bonner Williamson, G5RW, spokeon Crystal Grinding for the Amateur. Membership at this time wasthirty-eight, being composed mainly of R.S.G.B. members who were alsomembers of the other local organisations. The services of an earlyDerby Wireless Club member, John Goodwin, 2NC, were co-opted and aseries of lectures and demonstrations on Practical Television for theAmateur were commenced. Attendance at meetings rose rapidly, such thatthe room at 67b London Road was incapable of holding the audience. TheSociety co-operated with the Local Model Engineering Society and put ona display at the local exhibition. Gil White, G2OU, built the Society atransmitter for participation in contests. At the close of thefinancial year the Society's membership stood at seventy.
1949
The Society's firstannual dinner was held at the Grandstand Hotel on February 9th. Shortlyafterwards, A. G. G. Melville, F.R.C.S., consultant at the DerbyshireRoyal Infirmary, accepted office as the Society's President. The CallSign G3ERD was obtained for the Society. Member J. A. Headworth startedthe magazine for the Local Hams, G 3 Experimental Radio Derby. In theNational Field Day, the Society scored 758 points and came sixth out ofthe entries in Great Britain. Social evenings were organised on thelast Thursday in each month at the Post Office Social Club. Thepremises, 67b London Road, were vacated and the Society's headquartersbecame the subbasement in the College of Art, Green Lane, Derby. OnJune 22nd, an invitation was received from the Derby Wireless club formembers to join them on their visit to the Whitely Electrical Works atMansfield and on November 19th the Wireless Club members heard Mr. A.B. Vaughn speak on Electron Optics.
1950
On June 14th, DerbyWireless Club founder-member A. T. Lee spoke to Society members on thehistory of the Club. The first Direction Finding contest was arrangedfor June 25th. On July 5th an extraordinary general meeting approvedthe increase in subscriptions from five shillings to seven shillingsand sixpence, to cover the rent of additional premises at Swarkestone.The first annual outing to the Hobbies Exhibition at London wasarranged. The magazine editor, Ron Naylor, left for Canada.
1951
Renewals were slow inforthcoming although a very full and attractive programme for this yearhad been arranged which included an elementary series of lectures forthe juniors by E. Shimmin. In September, Jock Smith, G3EMJ, gave thefirst lecture on single sideband transmission. Later that year theSociety's historic section created Quite an attraction at theExhibition in the Becket Sale Rooms. October 17th saw a large gatheringat the Grandstand Hotel for the R.S.G.B. official regional meeting-thefirst to be held in Derby. The organisation for this event was in thecapable hands of Charles Drink-water, G3FNK. Towards the end of thisyear, correspondence was entered into with the secretary of the DerbyWireless Club, Tom W. Brown, and the Hon. Treasurer, Les. Corbett, witha view to amalgamation. Members assisted in the Festival of Britain'sLand Travelling Exhibition at Nottingham. To increase funds, theSociety was now participating in public address ventures at variousfunctions.
1952
Bill Mead, G5YY, who hadserved as Chairman since 1948 had to relinquish office in view of hismove to Leicester and Maurice Swift, G3IUK, was welcomed to the chair.Tom Darn, G3FGY, took over Editorship of the Club Magazine. On 19thFebruary the committee of the Derby Wireless Club decided that no moremeetings were to be held for the present. At the annual dinner on the29th February, Mr. W. A. Mead was presented with a clock by theSociety. The Society won an R.S.G.B. miniature, having attained thehighest score in the first two-metre field event held in May andcontested from Harborough Rocks, Brassington. The Chairman organisedthe first annual Christmas party.
1953
One item of note duringthis year was the visit to the Sutton Coldfield Television Station. TheSociety assisted at the Hobbies Exhibitions at Matlock and Ripley. Aspecial Coronation issue of the Society's Magazine was edited by TomDarn, G3FGY, which included pictures by Jack Hibberd, G3MXI. This wasthe last issue, due to the expense involved.
1954
The Society was presented with aTrophy by G5YY, to be contested for annually. The first to receive thistrophy was Tom Darn, G3FGY. On March 3rd a meeting was convened betweenCommittee members of our Society and the Committee and founder-membersof the Derby Wireless Club, when agreement was reached that our Societyincorporate the name of the Derby Wireless Club 1911 within theSociety's title.
1955
June 15th saw anintroduction to Radio Astronomy when member Ken Stevens described theconstruction of the Radio Telescope he was building at his residence inOaklands Avenue, Littleover. The founder-members of the Derby WirelessClub were elected to honorary membership of the Society.
1956
The Society's secondtrophy was presented by the President, Mr. A. G. G. Melville andcontested for on July 1st, the winner being Fred Clay, G3IBL."Isotopes" was the subject of the President's lecture on March 14th,held at the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary.
1957
Under the organising handof the Chairman, Maurice Swift, -G3IUK, the two-metre station was againoperated from Harborough Rocks, the points scored gaining the Societyits second miniature.
1958
Ken Stevens' radiotelescope now being operational, members heard of the latestachievements at Oaklands Amateur Observatory on June 25th. This wassupported by a cine' film covering the past five years' work. On August17th, the Society, in collaboration with the Derby Short-waveExperimental Society and the 21 NM Corps (NM) Radio Club, held itsfirst Mobile Rally at Rykneld Schools, an event which is one of themost popular annual social gatherings. During October, the Society hada stand at the S.S.A.F.A. Exhibition in the Drill Hall, Derby whennumerous copies of the "Do you belong to a Radio Society?" (a re-writeof E. V. R. Martin's pamphlet) were distributed. Interest in DirectionFinding was at last catching on.
1959
Norman Birkett, G3EKX,won the President's trophy for direction-finding for the second year insuccession. The Society organised the R.S.G.B. NationalDirection-finding Final event on October 6th, when only one team foundthe two hidden stations. On February 18th, at the invitation of VictorBuckland, over one hundred members and friends visited "Studio B" foran excellent demonstration of stereo and hi-fl sound. In April theChemical Plant at British Celanese was toured, our guide being memberFred Clay, G3IBL. June 10th was the occasion of members visiting thefirst Amateur Radio Telescope at Ken Stevens' house, when the abilitiesof the twenty-five-foot dish was demonstrated. The second Mobile Rallywas held on August 16th when over 1,000 visitors were signed in.
1961
The Golden Jubilee Year,when the foundation of the Derby Wireless Club was celebrated with adinner and dance at the Derbyshire Yeoman on April 23rd. Guests ofhonour included Major General Eric Cole, C.B., C.B.E., G2EC, Presidentof the Radio Society of Great Britain, the Director of Education forthe County Borough of Derby, C. Middleton, Esq., M.A., the ChiefConstable of Derbyshire, W. E. Pitts, Esq., and Derby Wireless Clubfounder-members, Alan Trevelyan Lee, Esq., Carl L. Drury, Esq., G. EricMart, Esq., together with Derby Wireless Club members, Arthur K.Hazlehurst and E. Vivian R. Martin.
The foregoing is a briefhistory of activity throughout the first fifty years, extracted fromrecords held in the Society's archives. It is not possible in the spaceprovided to include every detail, nor include by name all those personswho have worked so hard for the Amateur Radio movement in Derby andDistrict. Apologies are tendered to those who have received no mention.FRED C. WARD, G2CVV.