Evening star., 1940-08-04
Radio Operators
In Great Demand
By Naval Reserve
locol Division
Seeking Recruits
For This Service

Seeking Recruits
For This Service
With radio operators in heavy
demand, both by the naval com.
munications service and by the Fed.|
eral Communications Commission,
to say nothing of the private radio|
companies, it appears likely that
there will be a shortage OF such
personnel to man all of the activi-
ties OF national defense. In an ef-
fort to meet this demand, the Navy
is trying to enlist the service of all
young men interested in radio, and
If they will join the Reserve, will
instruct them in the code, the meth
ods OF handling dispatches by naval
procedure and the technicalities Of
radio.
1t. Comdr. j. H. Nicholson, COM
mander of the Communications Re-
serve Division here, is urging mem
bers OF his command to search
the city for likely recruits.
1t was pointed out that at this
time, radiomen are required for
active duty with the fleet on the
Atlantic. at the Sound Signal School
at New London, Conn, and at radio
billets Of the Navy on shore. Further
than this. men are wanted to take
the cruise of the Organized Reserve,
which will be made aboard three
destroyers of the Atlantic Neutrality
Patrol from September 7 to 20 and
for other duty.
Men also are wanted to fill the
ranks of the local division and to
maintain 1t at full strength until
such time as it is called into the
regular establishment in the event
that the President of the United
States issues proclamation declar.
ing a full emergency.
Preparations have been made at
the headquarters Of the Communi-
casions Division in the Eleventh
Street Army to aid the members Of
the command in complying with the
demands Of the Federal Communi-
cations Commission for more rigid
identification of the radio operators,
including amateurs, to ascertain
that only American citizens hold
such licenses. Comdr. Nicholson said
that officers are available to assist
the men with the F. c. c. uues-
tionnaire, arrangements have been
made for taking photographs to be
sent on the questionnaire, as well
as facilities for fingerprinting, not
ing weights and heights. However,
the men must provide the evidence
Of citizenship.
Annual award of the medal. do.
mated by the District of Columbia
Department of the Veterans Of
Foreign Wars, to the most outstand-
ing enlisted man of the local Naval
Reserve battalion will be made
shortly, it was announced at the
battalion headquarters.
A board of officers, headed by 1t,
w. Croft Jennings, commanding Of
ficer Of the battalion, is considering
the records Of the men who have
been recommended by the division
commanding officers or whose work
has otherwise attracted attention.
The award is not made on the basis
OF any one accomplishment, but
rather on general excellence. For
this reason all aspects Of the records,
written and unwritten, of the men
under consideration will be weighed
by the board.
The boards decision is expected
shortly. It is believed THAI the
actual award will take place on q
Tuesday night when the battalion Is
inspected by a high-ranking official
of the Navy Department, and pos
sibly that the formal presentation
will be made by him. 1t is probable
that such an inspection will be held
before the organization starts on
its annual training cruise.
With only five drill nights Of two
hours each left, or a total of 10
hours, members of the local bat
talon are pushing every minute to
be ready for an intensive period Of
sea duty aboard three destroyers Of
the neutrality petrol, by the time
the three ships arrive at the WASH
ington Navy Yard to take them
aboard.
Members of the command are be-
ing urged to make arrangements
with their civilian employers. so that
the organizations will be able to
take full complement. The gun
crews of each of the three divisions
which will fire the test scores at
target practice during the second
week of the cruise are being inten-
sively drilled by the division officers
in the hope that they will be able to
capture the gunnery prizes as they
did last year. They are being aided
considerably this year by new train
ing equipment which has been in.
stalled in the local armory. which
they are using to the utmost.
AS the destroyers which will take
them on their annual training cruise
are on virtually war service status,
it was pointed out that each member
of the Reserve will be expected to
perform the full duties of his rank
Of ratings. Special attention is be-
ing given in the short time before
the cruise, in ascertaining that each
Of the petty officers with a specialist
rating knows his job thoroughly, and
will be able to work along with the
Regulars aboard the vessels, with
out any lost motion. Because OF
the general training schedule, pro-
vided by the officers for the men Of
the local command, it is expected
that these men will be able to set
tie down Immediately In their billets
aboard the destroyers, and instead
Of just acting as training ships they
will function as they would on their
regular duties.
Knights Of Columbus