Royal Signals Amateur Radio

Membership of The Royal Signals Amateur Radio Society (RSARS) is open to anyone interested in amateur radio and who has completed service with the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom or certain other countries or is currently serving. They have over 1180 members worldwide.

In May 1952 the 1st Army Wireless Reserve Squadron, Cadre, Royal Signals was formed and Major Dennis W. J. Haylock (G3ADZ) was appointed Officer Commanding with a mandate to recruit personnel mainly from radio amateurs.

In 1954 the first proposal for the formation of an "Army Amateur Radio Society", a Society having both amateur status and, as with the United States' "Military Affiliate Radio System" (MARS), official recognition as an emergency military network was put forward by Brigadier Eric Cole (G2EC), then CSO Southern Command. This proposal was very favourably received but, because of G2EC's posting overseas, he was unable to supervise and monitor the Society's organisation, and the proposal was not proceeded with. By 1955 an Army Wireless Reserve Amateur Radio Society had been formed, a bi-annual news sheet entitled "Broadcast" issued to members and unit exercises and camps arranged to ensure that GB3AWR operated in various "rare" counties.

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