Special event call sign GB6NU (Naughty Uncle) will be operated by Medway Amateur Receiving and Transmitting Society to celebrate our founder the late Bill Nutton G6NU during the society's centenary year. We hope to put GB100MW on air later in 2022 and will be advertised here when details are confirmed
The operating Rota will be updated daily below as Members confirm days - We have the special event licence GB6NU until 27th January 2022. If MARTS Members would like an operating slot, even one that is already scheduled, please email Kevin, but please try and give ONE days notice.
WILLIAM EDGAR NUTTON – G6NU Biography
Founding President of The Medway Amateur Receiving and Transmitting Society
Born 1st January 1894, Died 22nd January 1982
On New Year’s Day 1894 a boy was born to Minnie Beckham and John Nutton, the publicans of the Little Crown at the East End of Chatham High Street. Baptised William Edgar, he was, in later life, to be more affectionately known as “Uncle”, but more of that as the story unfolds.
William was born into a family of publicans with his grandfather, who he was named after, having held for many years the license of The Eagle public house in the Military Road Chatham; a very popular haunt for the hundreds of sailors who would nightly make their way from their ships moored alongside at Chatham Dockyard and from the naval barracks, HMS Pembroke.
William’s grandfather had died as a direct result of injuries received at the Eagle Tavern whilst attempting to quell an altercation resulting from ongoing rivalry between two army battalions also barracked at Chatham; public houses in Chatham were rowdy places and known for violence amongst the servicemen and local towns folk. The public houses of Chatham had a certain reputation; much of the circumstances of that era having been well described in the book “The Chatham Scandal” which details the rough and somewhat low life of the late Victorian naval town, particularly the area of the High Street, The Brook and the surrounding environs.
His father died from pneumonia at the age of 27 in 1897, just three years after his birth. His mother subsequently re-married an hotelier from Sheerness and it was there that they could be found in 1900. By the time of the 1910 census, William had employment as a grocer’s assistant and the family had moved to Upper Gillingham. The grocery business was to see William through his working life, and anecdotal evidence suggests that he was very good at his trade, likely due to his very personable nature and ability to talk to people no matter what their place in society.
At the opening of The Great War, William took up the rallying call to the colours and signed up with the Royal West Kent Regiment as a signaller. His Battalion was to find itself deployed to India and William was soon to find himself fighting insurgents on the North West Frontier. As a signaller he was to learn the Morse Code and how to signal using heliographs as well as the mule packed radios that were being made available to military operations at that time. William was to become highly efficient in the art of Morse Code and gained a real passion for all things to do with the science of wireless. He left the Army, upon demobilization, following the end of the Great War and took his skills as a Signals Instructor back into civilian life, although perhaps unsure at that time how this would fit into his ordinary life in the grocery trade.
Following his return to the family home in upper Gillingham, William met and wooed Elsie Forster and in 1920 they were married. In 1923, Elsie delivered a son, and the doting parents named him Derek. He was to be their only child.
When considering this post World War era one has to appreciate that Wireless was still very much in its infancy and the BBC was yet to be born. However, William had a passion for the art and science of radio and as broadcasting made its first steps onto the air waves, he and a number of likeminded folk from Gillingham started meeting in each other’s houses to admire their simple receivers and share tips on how to make them work better. William, of course, had the advantage of his service training and took an early lead in organising and motivating his radio minded friends. This was in 1922 and was the first organised step that Radio Amateurs in the Medway Towns took on a journey that has lasted for 100 years and is still going strong. In 1922, William and his radio enthused friends affiliated themselves to the Wireless League, an association set up in Great Britain by the owner/publisher of Wireless World.
One is reminded of the comments made by Professor RV Jones in his book Most Secret War where he defines the 1920’s as a golden age with the evolution of radio; where the average man in the street could engage with the wonders of physics where building a simple receiver was just on the edge of abilities and would be rewarded by receiving signals from the far-flung extremities of the Empire and indeed world.
Amateur Radio had taken fledgling steps in around 1907 with rare experimental licenses being issued by the Post Master General, however, all activity had been ceased at the outbreak of War and it took some time for it to get going again. Although, during the dormant period of War, several early radio amateurs of some note, Hippisley(HLX later 2CW), Clarke (THX) and Lambert (2ST), managed to convince their Lordships of the Admiralty of their usefulness and the ability to “intercept” radio messages from the German Fleet from a stations they set up at Hunstanton with receivers and direction finding apparatus provided by the Marconi Company.
From meeting in each other’s homes, the interest in all things wireless had taken off in the Medway Towns and William established the Gillingham Wireless League, having gained the use of a class room at Richmond Road School. At this juncture William was supported by Reginald Hammans and Bill Moffatt, later to gain amateur transmitting licences as G2IG and G2CM respectively. Reginald Hammans was to go on to work as a senior radio engineer with the BBC and was President of the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) in 1956.
In 1929 William provided sufficient evidence of his competence in wireless technique to be able to be issued with the amateur radio call sign 6NU which later had the international prefix “G” added to make his call G6NU. Call signs are very personal things and in the early days the letters making up the call were transposed into memorable phonetics and in the case of 6NU that was initially “Nautical Uncle”. That did not last, and he was soon to be universally known as Six Naughty Uncles or less formally, simply as Uncle; a style that was to remain his signature for the remainder of this long and illustrious life – his wife gaining the style “Aunty Elsie”
In 1932 the MATS was issued with the callsign G5MW (Med Way) but sadly the depression of the 1930s subsequently left the club in a dire financial situation and the call was relinquished in 1935. It was quickly reissued to an individual in Leeds where it remained for many years to follow. The holder passed away in 1973 and after much horse trading with the authorities the club managed to have it restored and proudly use it alongside the late 1930s issued G2FJA (Fine Jolly Amateur).
In 1933 the amateur minded individuals with transmitting licences formed themselves into the Medway Amateur Transmitter Society (MATS) of which, of course, Uncle was the founding president. Uncle, at this time, remained as chairman of the Gillingham Wireless League and this was to cause much confusion when many years later the radio club’s archivist was trying to formerly establish the chronology of the club’s existence. We should have looked a little closer at our own archive because the answer to the conundrum was under our very noses in a newsletter article written by G6NU in February 1974. “The MARTS originated in 1922 – four enthusiasts met at G6NU’s home in Copenhagen Road in Gillingham and a steady growth began. In 1925 meetings were held at Richmond Road School, Gillingham and there were about 52 people present. Later, the name was changed to MATS”.
The MATS went from strength to strength and some notable call signs that appeared in a club photograph taken in 1933 were G2MI (wartime editor of the RSGB Bulletin, RSGB council member and more latterly QSL Bureau manager), G6XB, GRMM, G6AI, G6NU, G6VV, G6RQ, G6KT, G2AFT, G6QC (who during WW2 was employed as an Experimental Wireless Assistant at Fort Bridgewoods and Beaumanor and worked post war at Beaumanor for GCHQ.), G5FN (club secretary and chairman) and G2TN.
During this period “Uncle” had formed a close relationship with the editor of the Chatham Observer newspaper and he, on behalf of the paper, presented the club with a silver challenge cup which was fought for each year in a radio contest with the winner being presented with the cup by the editor at the annual dinner which was held at the Sun Hotel. The Club received many favourable column inches over the years, regularly reporting the strange goings on at the end of the aerials.
By the mid 1930’s Chatham had a rather flamboyant and rather radio enthused conservative member of parliament, Captain Leonard Plugge, known to his friends as Lenny. Captain Plugge may well have been known by many other names by Lord Reith, Chairman of the BBC, as he, Plugge”, was the founder and owner of the commercial station Radio Normandie. Where Reith had a staid and very high- minded broadcasting schedule for the BBC, Captain Plugge gave the people of Great Britain what they wanted, dance bands and light entertainment, (also responsible for the phrase "plugging it" in reference to advertisements) especially on a Sunday when Reith would only broadcast religious and high minded discussion.
The operating Rota will be updated daily below as Members confirm days - We have the special event licence GB6NU until 27th January 2022. If MARTS Members would like an operating slot, even one that is already scheduled, please email Kevin, but please try and give ONE days notice.
WILLIAM EDGAR NUTTON – G6NU Biography
Founding President of The Medway Amateur Receiving and Transmitting Society
Born 1st January 1894, Died 22nd January 1982
On New Year’s Day 1894 a boy was born to Minnie Beckham and John Nutton, the publicans of the Little Crown at the East End of Chatham High Street. Baptised William Edgar, he was, in later life, to be more affectionately known as “Uncle”, but more of that as the story unfolds.
William was born into a family of publicans with his grandfather, who he was named after, having held for many years the license of The Eagle public house in the Military Road Chatham; a very popular haunt for the hundreds of sailors who would nightly make their way from their ships moored alongside at Chatham Dockyard and from the naval barracks, HMS Pembroke.
William’s grandfather had died as a direct result of injuries received at the Eagle Tavern whilst attempting to quell an altercation resulting from ongoing rivalry between two army battalions also barracked at Chatham; public houses in Chatham were rowdy places and known for violence amongst the servicemen and local towns folk. The public houses of Chatham had a certain reputation; much of the circumstances of that era having been well described in the book “The Chatham Scandal” which details the rough and somewhat low life of the late Victorian naval town, particularly the area of the High Street, The Brook and the surrounding environs.
His father died from pneumonia at the age of 27 in 1897, just three years after his birth. His mother subsequently re-married an hotelier from Sheerness and it was there that they could be found in 1900. By the time of the 1910 census, William had employment as a grocer’s assistant and the family had moved to Upper Gillingham. The grocery business was to see William through his working life, and anecdotal evidence suggests that he was very good at his trade, likely due to his very personable nature and ability to talk to people no matter what their place in society.
At the opening of The Great War, William took up the rallying call to the colours and signed up with the Royal West Kent Regiment as a signaller. His Battalion was to find itself deployed to India and William was soon to find himself fighting insurgents on the North West Frontier. As a signaller he was to learn the Morse Code and how to signal using heliographs as well as the mule packed radios that were being made available to military operations at that time. William was to become highly efficient in the art of Morse Code and gained a real passion for all things to do with the science of wireless. He left the Army, upon demobilization, following the end of the Great War and took his skills as a Signals Instructor back into civilian life, although perhaps unsure at that time how this would fit into his ordinary life in the grocery trade.
Following his return to the family home in upper Gillingham, William met and wooed Elsie Forster and in 1920 they were married. In 1923, Elsie delivered a son, and the doting parents named him Derek. He was to be their only child.
When considering this post World War era one has to appreciate that Wireless was still very much in its infancy and the BBC was yet to be born. However, William had a passion for the art and science of radio and as broadcasting made its first steps onto the air waves, he and a number of likeminded folk from Gillingham started meeting in each other’s houses to admire their simple receivers and share tips on how to make them work better. William, of course, had the advantage of his service training and took an early lead in organising and motivating his radio minded friends. This was in 1922 and was the first organised step that Radio Amateurs in the Medway Towns took on a journey that has lasted for 100 years and is still going strong. In 1922, William and his radio enthused friends affiliated themselves to the Wireless League, an association set up in Great Britain by the owner/publisher of Wireless World.
One is reminded of the comments made by Professor RV Jones in his book Most Secret War where he defines the 1920’s as a golden age with the evolution of radio; where the average man in the street could engage with the wonders of physics where building a simple receiver was just on the edge of abilities and would be rewarded by receiving signals from the far-flung extremities of the Empire and indeed world.
Amateur Radio had taken fledgling steps in around 1907 with rare experimental licenses being issued by the Post Master General, however, all activity had been ceased at the outbreak of War and it took some time for it to get going again. Although, during the dormant period of War, several early radio amateurs of some note, Hippisley(HLX later 2CW), Clarke (THX) and Lambert (2ST), managed to convince their Lordships of the Admiralty of their usefulness and the ability to “intercept” radio messages from the German Fleet from a stations they set up at Hunstanton with receivers and direction finding apparatus provided by the Marconi Company.
From meeting in each other’s homes, the interest in all things wireless had taken off in the Medway Towns and William established the Gillingham Wireless League, having gained the use of a class room at Richmond Road School. At this juncture William was supported by Reginald Hammans and Bill Moffatt, later to gain amateur transmitting licences as G2IG and G2CM respectively. Reginald Hammans was to go on to work as a senior radio engineer with the BBC and was President of the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) in 1956.
In 1929 William provided sufficient evidence of his competence in wireless technique to be able to be issued with the amateur radio call sign 6NU which later had the international prefix “G” added to make his call G6NU. Call signs are very personal things and in the early days the letters making up the call were transposed into memorable phonetics and in the case of 6NU that was initially “Nautical Uncle”. That did not last, and he was soon to be universally known as Six Naughty Uncles or less formally, simply as Uncle; a style that was to remain his signature for the remainder of this long and illustrious life – his wife gaining the style “Aunty Elsie”
In 1932 the MATS was issued with the callsign G5MW (Med Way) but sadly the depression of the 1930s subsequently left the club in a dire financial situation and the call was relinquished in 1935. It was quickly reissued to an individual in Leeds where it remained for many years to follow. The holder passed away in 1973 and after much horse trading with the authorities the club managed to have it restored and proudly use it alongside the late 1930s issued G2FJA (Fine Jolly Amateur).
In 1933 the amateur minded individuals with transmitting licences formed themselves into the Medway Amateur Transmitter Society (MATS) of which, of course, Uncle was the founding president. Uncle, at this time, remained as chairman of the Gillingham Wireless League and this was to cause much confusion when many years later the radio club’s archivist was trying to formerly establish the chronology of the club’s existence. We should have looked a little closer at our own archive because the answer to the conundrum was under our very noses in a newsletter article written by G6NU in February 1974. “The MARTS originated in 1922 – four enthusiasts met at G6NU’s home in Copenhagen Road in Gillingham and a steady growth began. In 1925 meetings were held at Richmond Road School, Gillingham and there were about 52 people present. Later, the name was changed to MATS”.
The MATS went from strength to strength and some notable call signs that appeared in a club photograph taken in 1933 were G2MI (wartime editor of the RSGB Bulletin, RSGB council member and more latterly QSL Bureau manager), G6XB, GRMM, G6AI, G6NU, G6VV, G6RQ, G6KT, G2AFT, G6QC (who during WW2 was employed as an Experimental Wireless Assistant at Fort Bridgewoods and Beaumanor and worked post war at Beaumanor for GCHQ.), G5FN (club secretary and chairman) and G2TN.
During this period “Uncle” had formed a close relationship with the editor of the Chatham Observer newspaper and he, on behalf of the paper, presented the club with a silver challenge cup which was fought for each year in a radio contest with the winner being presented with the cup by the editor at the annual dinner which was held at the Sun Hotel. The Club received many favourable column inches over the years, regularly reporting the strange goings on at the end of the aerials.
By the mid 1930’s Chatham had a rather flamboyant and rather radio enthused conservative member of parliament, Captain Leonard Plugge, known to his friends as Lenny. Captain Plugge may well have been known by many other names by Lord Reith, Chairman of the BBC, as he, Plugge”, was the founder and owner of the commercial station Radio Normandie. Where Reith had a staid and very high- minded broadcasting schedule for the BBC, Captain Plugge gave the people of Great Britain what they wanted, dance bands and light entertainment, (also responsible for the phrase "plugging it" in reference to advertisements) especially on a Sunday when Reith would only broadcast religious and high minded discussion.