Hi, Listers Hi, Listers In tracking on-line my more recent (though late) ancestors' data I've found Masters' and Mates' tickets at The National Archives (UK), and (thanks to a lady on this list) Engineers' tickets hiding in the Maritime Museum at Greenwich. Can someone suggest, please, where I might look for Radio/Telegraphers' tickets? Assuming, of course, that there are such things, authorized by some (which?) authority. The cousin in question sailed afaik with Union-Castle, London Overseas Freighters, and Sea-Link. My landlubber father used to say that my four seaman uncles had Extra-Chiefs' tickets. I have never found any on line. Do such things exist, or is that a fraternal exaggeration? If they do exist, where might I find and download images of them? Thank you. Bruce Dodd Becoming a grease-spot in Ottawa

Hello Bruce, I think that what you are looking for is called a "PMG Certificate", but I have no idea of where to find an archive of them. The general Marconi Archives are at the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford and there is an online catalogue here:http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/news/2008/2008_nov_07Perhaps they can tell you where to look. http://www.neswt.co.uk/history.html "The Radio Officer, known to generations of seafarers as ‘Sparks’, was an integral part of life on board ships in the days before satellite communications rendered the job obsolete.  Training Schools for telegraphy at places such as  Bridlington, Brixton, Liverpool and Colwyn Bay, Wray Castle,where students gained their P.M.G. Certificate  (i.e. their ticket to practice). After gaining their qualifications’  the majority joined the Marconi Company who supplied Radio Officers to most of the Merchant  Marine companies, including Trawlers.After the inquiry into the sinking of the RMS Titanic, when the nearby SS Californian did not render her assistance, due to their radio being down for the night, it was ordered that round-the-clock watch had to be maintained on all ships over 1600 Gross Tonnage. Most vessels only carried one radio officer and during the hours he was off-duty, an automatic alarm device monitored the distress frequency. The  Sparks role on the larger Passenger Liners’ was quite demanding requiring them to handle a large amount of passenger communications, to produce news-sheets, sports results etc.Today, Marconi and other independent companies no longer supply Radio Officers to ships at sea. This is due to the  development of satellites. Deck officers are now dual trained as GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System) Officers, thereby being able to operate all of the ship's on-board communication systems and ETOs (Electro Technical Officers) are trained to fix and maintain the more complex systems." Regards,Adi   From: Bruce Dodd via <mariners@rootsweb.com> To: MARINERS@rootsweb.com Sent: Wednesday, August 5, 2015 6:52 PM Subject: [MAR] Telegraphers' tickets ... Can someone suggest, please, where I might look for Radio/Telegraphers' tickets? Assuming, of course, that there are such things, authorized by some (which?) authority. The cousin in question sailed afaik with Union-Castle, London Overseas Freighters, and Sea-Link.