Amateur radio heard SOS in Welsh town 2,000 miles away

[Wilf]

I knew that it was an ultra-long shot but just so that no stone was left unturned, I had sent an e-mail to the Gwent Police a few days ago asking if there was any record in their archives about Artie Moore filing a report on Monday 15th April 1912 about the message that he received from the Titanic. I even sent them the BBC link in which it says that one of the first people he informed was at the Police station / Outpost in Caerphilly.

Some local authority archives have police records that go back that far- what you'd be looking for is a Station Journal. But in my experience as an archivist the chances of those surviving is vanishingly small. Most Local Authority Archive police records are formed of personnel records and just occasionally, crime registers. The day-to-day stuff tended to get thrown out when the Police handed over their older records for archiving.

 

[Steven Christian]

Think I’ve strained my eyes this afternoon so will keep this relatively brief!

A lot more still to do on this so at least a few more visits to the Gwent Archive in Ebbw Vale with it’s wonderful staff. Nothing was too much trouble.

Ok, so I had already found the South Wales Gazette newspaper article of 6th October 1911 reporting the award of a bursary to Artie Moore. So the main object this afternoon was to carefully go through the records of the Monmouthshire Education Committee who made the award to Artie.

So we start with the minutes of the Monmouthshire Higher Education sub- committee of 22nd September 1911 confirming exactly the newspaper report of 6th October 1911.

Then the Higher Education sub -committee recommend on 13th December 1911 that the bursary be paid to Artie Moore to study at the British School of Telegraphy in London plus an additional £5 for tuition in Mathematics.

Then the same committee on 14th March 1912 records a report received by them from the Manager of the British School of Telegraphy that Artie is doing well, and that the Manager hopes he will take the Government Examination at the beginning of April [1912].

Then we come to perhaps what is the most significant record. The Report of the Director of Higher Education dated 19th April 1912.

That Artie had passed the Government Examination of Competency in Wireless Telegraphy.

As part of the bursary had not been used up, the committee arranged a course at Newport Technical Institute in Electrical Measurements “whilst he is waiting to obtain a post as a Wireless Operator “.

The Special Higher Education Sub- committee minutes of 12th June 1912 record that Artie has been appointed to a post under the Marconi International Marine Communication Company Limited.

We don’t have the exact dates of Artie’s course in London but it must have been between 13th December 1911 and 19th April 1912. He could have sat his examination just before Easter in early April 1912?

So there we are!

I found going through 12 months or so of Education committee and sub- committee records very interesting. Clearly in what was then Monmouthshire, education was very well recorded and organised. No mention of Titanic in any Education Committee Reports or minutes or those of it’s numerous sub committees. But frequent mention of the Coal Strike and the hardship that was being caused and the price of coal for schools etc or no coal being available. The Monmouthshire Education Committee organised what would these days be referred to as ‘free school meals’ for many during the Coal Strike.

In the article below it says Artie Moore was granted a scholarship after the Titanic disaster. Obviously wrong with the records you found. But it lists a Caerphilly councillor who seems to have knowledge of the subject. A radio guy himself. Maybe you could ask him. Actually he seems to be an ex-councillor in the last year or so.

The Welshman who received the Titanic’s distress call but nobody believed

Artie Moore was sat thousands of miles away in Blackwood when the message came through

www.walesonline.co.uk

 

[Arun Vajpey]

Thanks for that link Steven. This thread has become really interesting and I hope that there's some more input from Julian about the findings of his research. I envy him; searching painstakingly though old archives, newspaper reports etc for some lesser known bit of information sounds so interesting, even if the outcome is not always what one expects.

About that "Wales Online" article; interesting, but there appear to be a few inaccuracies here and there.

On a cold evening on April 15 1912 the 'unsinkable' Titanic hit an iceberg.

Obviously, it was at night on Sunday 14th April 1912 that the collision took place. In Wales, it could have been a few hours later and so early hours of 15th morning.

Just after midnight, as the ship steamed towards New York it collided with the iceberg - tearing a massive hole in its hull which caused freezing cold water to flood in.

It was 11:40pm - just before midnight shipboard time - that the Titanic collided with the iceberg. And of course, it is now known that the impact did not tear a "massive hole" in the hull.

But it was intercepting the Titanic distress signal that propelled Artie to fame and fortune.

Obviously, the likely authenticity of that Titanic related claim is what Julian is currently investigating but either way, I am not sure of the "fortune" part.

At the time one newspaper reported: "A young boy from the valleys of south Wales has witnessed through the modern invention of wireless the death of a famous ship thousands of miles away.”

It would be interesting to know which newspaper this was, when it reported the incident and exactly what it said. That might help us find out at what stage Moore's involvement became public news.

It would be interesting to know if Mr Kevin Dawson is still a local Councillor, in which case he might have more information.

 

[Steven Christian]

Thanks for that link Steven. This thread has become really interesting and I hope that there's some more input from Julian about the findings of his research. I envy him; searching painstakingly though old archives, newspaper reports etc for some lesser known bit of information sounds so interesting, even if the outcome is not always what one expects.

About that "Wales Online" article; interesting, but there appear to be a few inaccuracies here and there.


Obviously, it was at night on Sunday 14th April 1912 that the collision took place. In Wales, it could have been a few hours later and so early hours of 15th morning.


It was 11:40pm - just before midnight shipboard time - that the Titanic collided with the iceberg. And of course, it is now known that the impact did not tear a "massive hole" in the hull.


Obviously, the likely authenticity of that Titanic related claim is what Julian is currently investigating but either way, I am not sure of the "fortune" part.


It would be interesting to know which newspaper this was, when it reported the incident and exactly what it said. That might help us find out at what stage Moore's involvement became public news.

It would be interesting to know if Mr Kevin Dawson is still a local Councillor, in which case he might have more information.

Looks like he isn't. But I'm sure he is still in the area.

Caerphilly councillor asked to resign after quitting Labour

CALLS have been made for a Caerphilly councillor to resign after he left the Labour group to become an Independent.

www.southwalesargus.co.uk

 

[Arun Vajpey]

Looks like he isn't. But I'm sure he is still in the area.

I checked a list of the current councillors in Caerphilly Borough and Kevin Dawson was not among them. Therefore, it looks like he had to resign in 2018 like you say.

Their main website is currently down and so I was unable to send an e-mail. But there is a phone number and I'll call on Monday to see if I can get Mr Dawson's contact details. In those semi-rural and rural areas, the old adage "everyone knows everyone else" is often true even in these hardnosed days.

 

[Steven Christian]

I checked a list of the current councillors in Caerphilly Borough and Kevin Dawson was not among them. Therefore, it looks like he had to resign in 2018 like you say.

Their main website is currently down and so I was unable to send an e-mail. But there is a phone number and I'll call on Monday to see if I can get Mr Dawson's contact details. In those semi-rural and rural areas, the old adage "everyone knows everyone else" is often true even in these hardnosed days.

`There are a lots of hits on the internet regarding him so I'm sure some would lead to lead to contacts to him. Maybe he has some info on Artie Moore being a local guy and in the radio community. Yes it seems like he was purged from the local political community. Must have been a independent thinker. Cheers.

 

[Julian Atkins]

I think it is prudent to investigate the newspaper reports. The Gwent Archive have suggested that Tredegar Library has the best collection of local newspapers, and my ‘Archive Card’ now gives me access to the Cardiff University of Wales Library archives of national newspapers.

If, and I say ‘if’ advisedly, this is a made up story from the 1990s onwards, then I would prefer to check and cross check everything.

Take it from me that I do not look forward to going through microfiche film of newspapers! Eye strain and boredom spring to mind as I don’t have any specific articles/reports to go straight to as a reference. Nothing comes up on online searches of the British Newspaper Archives after October 1911. Until 1995 when Gelligroes Mill was going to be restored by Caerphilly Borough Council which it didn’t own, and was owned privately.

Kevin Dawson must be aware of all this as I have copied a lot of my posts from here onto the Artie Moore Radio Society Facebook group of which he is the administrator. I have asked for any members of this Facebook group to assist me with any documents etc but none have been forthcoming.

 

[Julian Atkins]

I need to find Artie Moore’s obituary published in the local press apparently the Merthyr Gazette in late January 1949. He died 20th January 1949 in a Bristol Convalescent Home.

This ought to be relatively straightforward in Tredegar Library reference section. 20 minutes drive there and back and if they have the relevant microfiche ready a further 20 or 40 minutes of eye strain.

But finding other contemporaneous newspaper stuff from 14th April 1912 onwards that might contain a reference to the Artie Moore story about Titanic is going to take many many hours and probably visiting various sources of 1912 newspaper archives.

 

[Steven Christian]

I need to find Artie Moore’s obituary published in the local press apparently the Merthyr Gazette in late January 1949. He died 20th January 1949 in a Bristol Convalescent Home.

This ought to be relatively straightforward in Tredegar Library reference section. 20 minutes drive there and back and if they have the relevant microfiche ready a further 20 or 40 minutes of eye strain.

But finding other contemporaneous newspaper stuff from 14th April 1912 onwards that might contain a reference to the Artie Moore story about Titanic is going to take many many hours and probably visiting various sources of 1912 newspaper archives.

Found a cropped pic of Artie Moore's obit. Unfortunately what it linked to was no longer online. But from the metadata of the pic it said it was from the Merthyr Express "artiemoore's obituary" So in 1949 the story of him picking up the Titanic was being told. Cheers.

 

[Julian Atkins]

Steven,

Thanks so much for the above that will enable me to find Artie Moore’s Merthyr Express newspaper obituary so much quicker! Can Phil Hind award you something for this?!!

Many thanks,
Julian

 

[Steven Christian]

Steven,

Thanks so much for the above that will enable me to find Artie Moore’s Merthyr Express newspaper obituary so much quicker! Can Phil Hind award you something for this?!!

Many thanks,
Julian

Well I've been searching the brit archives but so far nothing so hold off on any thanks. The link that attached was from a BBC program from 2012. But the story is gone. Don't know why.

How radio ham heard Titanic SOS

www.bbc.com

P.S.. I appreciate your thanks. Still trying to find that article. Curious as to why it's not available

 

[Steven Christian]

I think that BBC article was covering the exhibition in the article below. Maybe that place has some info. I get alot of hits when searching Artie Moore. Even Youtube clips. But documents are hard to find.

Visitors flock to New Tredegar for Titanic exhibition

An exhibition detailing local radio ham Artie Moore receiving the Titanic's SOS call has been inundated with visitors. Currently being held at the Winding

caerphilly.observer

 

[Arun Vajpey]

This is not looking very promising.

I did a search on Newspapers.com for any information in the year 1912 in Welsh papers using keywords "Titanic" and Moore". Most of the hits were for South Wales Echo and there were plenty of them - but all were about Captain Moore of the Mount Temple. Nothing about Arthur - or Artie, as he was called - Moore in relation to the Titanic. In fact, typing "Artie Moore" without the Titanic keyword got nothing whereas "Arthur Moore" brought out a little entry about the adventures of a teenage petty thief and his gang on 17th April 1912.

Unless I have missed it, the BBC article penned by Neil Prior gave no direct source reference. I have sent him a LinkedIn message and hope that he responds.

 

[Julian Atkins]

Steven’s extract from the Merthyr Express is going to be very helpful. Scanning microfiche of newspapers knowing what headline you are looking for is going to make it so much easier!

I do have a big problem to resolve with regard to the few days after 14th April 1914, but potentially that might be resolved by the Merthyr Express newspaper obituary of Artie Moore in 1949.

The fact that Steven’s extract of the Merthyr Express newspaper obituary of Artie Moore takes the ‘story’ back to 1949 rather than the mid 1990s (when Gelligroes Mill was going to be restored) is significant.

 

[Arun Vajpey]

After several failed tries to get any hit with Artie Moore and Titanic in Wales for the entire year of 1912, I tried 1911 instead using 'Moore' and 'wireless' as keywords and this came up at the very first attempt. Kind of proves what Julian has been saying, I guess. There appears to be a big question about whether the much acclaimed Moore-Titanic story is really true.