The Dawn of Amateur Radio in the U.K. and Greece: A Personal View — John Shaqi
The Dawn of Amateur Radio in the U.K. and Greece: A Personal ViewJoly, Norman F.
History
The Dawn of Amateur Radio in the U.K. and Greece: A Personal View
Joly, Norman F.
Radio broadcasting
"During the last three days," wrote one newspaper, "the police in
Piraeus have been investigating a very serious case implicating
leading cadres of the Communist party." Of course, it was nothing of
the sort. The equipment they had seized belonged to five radio
amateurs, George Gerardos SV1AG, Mikes Psalidas SV1AF, Nasos Coucoulis
SV1AC, Aghis Cazazis SV1CA and Sotiris Stefanou who didn't have a
callsign yet. In fact Mikes Psalidas was not even at home at the time
of the police raid, as he was in a military camp in the outskirts of
Athens, doing his compulsory military service. The newspapers
described in detail what had been found. "At the house of Mikes
Psalidas, who is a student at the Athens Polytechnic, the police found
wireless telegraphy receiving equipment (a National HRO), wireless
telephony equipment in full working order, that is, two transmitting
microphones, a step-down transformer and various other items."
The same newspaper went on "Unfortunately, at the house of Aghis
Cazazis, at 25 Tenedou street, the search was inconclusive because a
certain person, well known to the police, and whose arrest is
imminent, removed a high power transmitter just before the police
arrived and disappeared with it."
Another newspaper referred to "telegrams in code", received from
abroad and from the secret headquarters of the Communists, "which are
now being deciphered by a special department". These were SV1AG's
little collection of QSL cards.
Stefanos Eleftheriou of the Ministry immediately took up the
matter. Firstly, he pointed out to the Piraeus police that Athens did
not come under their jurisdiction, and they had no right to arrest
anybody there without a warrant. Secondly, all the five radio
amateurs they had arrested were known for their nationalistic
political convictions, particularly Psalidas whose father was a senior
officer of the Royal Hellenic airforce.
Before the 'suspects' were released and their confiscated
equipment returned to them, they were warned not to speak to newspaper
reporters at the risk of getting a kick up their backsides. This was
to prevent the public from learning how ludicrous had been the
accusations, and how completely unjustified the arrests had been. But
one newspaper came out the following day with a banner headline "THE
OWNERS OF THE WIRELESS AND RADAR EQUIPMENT ALL TURNED OUT TO BE
STAUNCH ROYALISTS!" This paper sent a reporter to interview SV1AC.
They wrote, "In reply to a question from our reporter, Mr Coucoulis
said that when the police realised the foolishness of their action,
they issued a summons against him under Law 4749, which has absolutely
nothing to do with amateur radio."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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