CQD

One thing I love to do on rare occasions when I can, is collect radio memorabilia.

Not that I'm a big collector.  At the moment, I only have two original, very large ceramic 'egg' insulators from a local Marconi transmitting station, which sent the first direct (non-relay) signal from the UK to Australia in 1918 (centenary this year).

So I was quite pleased to find a good quality 'CQD' medal from 1909 for sale for quite a good price of £450 recently.

Obviously, in 1909, commercial radio was very new, and this medal commemorates the successful use of the first major distress signal to be broadcast at sea, saving over 1700 lives.

The Imperial War Museum records give the following details about a similar medal.  The images are of the specific medal I am acquiring:

This medal takes its name from the CQD emergency radio signal - predecessor of SOS - sent out by the stricken White Star steamship 'Republic' after it collided with the Italian steamer Florida on 21 January 1909. 

The liner 'Baltic' responded to the call. The 'Republic' was the more severely damaged vessel, but all her passengers were transferred first to Florida and then to the Baltic, before the Republic sank. 

The saloon passengers of the 'Baltic' and the 'Republic' subscribed to a fund to provide medals to the crews of all three ships involved in saving over 1700 lives. 

Four silver-gilt examples were presented to the three captains, and to Jack Binns, the Marconi operator on the 'Republic' who sent the CQD radio signal. Silver medals were presented to the officers, and bronze to the crew. 

This medal, in silver, was to Robert Jones, who was a Marconi Radio Operator involved, probably an Assistant on the 'Baltic', which had two operators (for continuous watch coverage). This requires further research. 

Jack Binns was made a national hero for sticking to his radio post until the last minute - it could well have been Robert Jones that he was, in part, communicating with (as well as several land-based stations). 

Robert Jones (April 1889 - 1 March 1951) served as a wireless operator at sea for the Marconi company until 1919, when he took a shore-based position as a radio engineer, eventually to retire just prior to the Second World War. 

The 'family story' is that he was sunk on three ships during the First World War, and that by the time of the Armistice his nerves (and lungs) were 'ruined'. The Family have notes to indicate he had served at some time on four vessels that were lost in the war, although it is not certain that he was aboard all of them when there were lost (needs research): - 'Hesperian' (liner, sunk 4 Sept 1915) - 'Cymric' (liner, sunk 8 April 1916) - 'Appam' (captured 15 Jan 1916 by surface raider Moewe - with a prize crew of 23 steamed to US, where Germans attempted to have the British crew (160) and passengers (170) interned; notable legal dispute at the time - Jones perhaps temporarily a POW in USA) - 'Kittiwake' (sunk 9 April 1917 - seems very small compared to these other vessels - only 1866 tons?)