Born on the 29th December 1921, Charles Bryant became a
silent key on the 30th December 2016, the day after his 95th birthday.
Charles had a love of radio from an early age. He
learnt Morse code at school when he should have been playing games, which he
hated. At the age of 14 he obtained an Artificial Aerial licence with the
callsign 2BXZ and was elected a Corporate Member of the RSGB* on the 13th October
1936. The original certificate is in my care, together with most of his
meticulously kept records.
By September of 1938 he received his Full Licence. His
Log Book No 1 shows the first QSO*tusing his new callsign G3SB was with none
other than Pat Hawker, 2BUH (later G3VA), who was a friend and near neighbour. A
QSL* card 2BXZ/2BUH is among the tens of thousands that he kept neatly filed and
which will be archived electronically by the RSGB.
His log shows a poignant entry on 31st August 1939:
“All amateur licences cancelled”. Charles told me that the following day a man
from the GPO* arrived to confiscate all his radio gear but refused to issue a
receipt.
Some time later a nattily-dressed gentleman arrived at
the family home and asked Charles to sign a piece of paper. This turned out to
be the “Official Secrets Act” and thus it was he became a Voluntary Interceptor.
Given lists of times and frequencies, the enemy traffic he heard was copied and
posted off to that mysterious Post Office Box in Barnet. He wasn’t to know at
the time but many years later learned that it ended up at Bletchley Park to be
decoded, helping to shorten the war. He received a somewhat anonymous
certificate of thanks for his vital work. There is some speculation that he
continued to copy Morse TFC* during the Cold War.
The next entry in the log is dated 24th January 1946:
“Licence re-issued”. Charles lost no time in getting back into his favourite
hobby and made QSOs at a staggering rate, mainly by CW*.
A move to Wales brought a new prefix but no change in
enthusiasm. We became good friends in 1984. When a move into a Residential Home
became necessary I set up his station there so he could stay on air.
I was with Charles a few hours before he died. He
couldn’t talk but he did manage to tap out both our callsigns on his knee. His
beloved Morse was with him to the end and I feel honoured to have had that last
QSO just before he went Silent Key.
Charles, 2BXZ/G3SB/GW3SB was a true gentleman both in
life and of the æther. TU SU AR SK
Tribute by Bruce Morris, GW4XXF
Radio Society of GB
QSO - a Q code used in commercial and amateur
radio communication; (quasi-stellar object)
QSL- card is a written confirmation of either a two-way
radiocommunication between two amateur radio
or citizens
band stations
CW - refers to a Morse transmission using a radio
signal - the abbreviation coming from the fact that it uses a
Carrier Wave,or
Continuous Wave that is interrupted.
TFC - Traffic
GPO - General Post Office