These were Company Collective Call Signs, which were sent out by Portishead Radio to notify all ships within that company, that there was collective traffic for them. The same call signs were used on internal company H/F schedules. Many Radio Officers will remember them and have used them.
Callsign |
Allocated to |
|---|---|
| GACQ | ADMIRALTY |
| GBXZ | Any British Warship |
| GGSC | Ships In Company [Admiralty] |
| GTZA | OCEAN FLEETS LTD |
| GTZB | ALFRED HOLT & CO |
| GTZC | CUNARD STEAMSHIP CO LTD |
| GTZD | P & O PASSENGER DIVISION |
| GTZE | ELDER DEMPSTER LINES |
| GTZF | ELDERS & FYFFES LTD |
| GTZG | PRINCE LINE LTD |
| GTZH | KELVIN HUGHES |
| GTZJ | SIR WILLIAM REARDON SMITH & SONS |
| GTZK | THOMAS HAMLING & CO LTD |
| GTZL | ANDREW WEIR & CO LTD |
| GTZM | MARCONI INTERNATIONAL MARINE CO LTD |
| GTZN | JOHN SWIRE & SONS LTD |
| GTZP | SHANGHAI LICENSED PILOTS ASSN |
| GTZQ | BLUE STAR LINE LTD |
| GTZR | INTERNATIONAL MARINE RADIO CO LTD |
| GTZS | BRITISH TRANSPORT COMM |
| GTZT | ROYAL MAIL LINES LTD |
| GTZU | P & O STEAM NAVIGATION CO |
| GTZV | SIR R. ROPNER & CO LTD |
| GTZW | BRITISH RAIL WESTERN REGION |
| GTZX | BP TANKER CO LTD |
| GTZY | Not known or unallocated |
| GTZZ | WIRELESS SUBSCRIPTION PRESS |
| GWZA | Not known or unallocated |
| GWZB | UNION CASTLE LINE |
| GWZC | PORT LINE LTD |
| GWZD | BOOTH STEAMSHIP CO |
| GWZF | TURNER BRIGHTMAN |
| GWZG | H.E. MOSS & CO |
| GWZH | Not known or unallocated |
| GWZJ | MANCHESTER LINERS |
| GWZK | ESSO PETROLEUM CO LTD |
| GWZL | PALM LINE LTD |
| GWZM | T & j BROCKLEBANK LTD |
| GWZN | FURNESS WITHY & CO LTD |
| GWZP | Not known or unallocated |
| GWZQ | P HENDERSON & CO |
| GWZR | STANHOPE STEAMSHIIP CO LTD |
| GWZS | THE UNITED MOLASSES CO LTD |
| GWZT | Not known or unallocated |
| GWZU | Not known or unallocated |
| GWZV | PICKERING & HALDANE STEAM TRAWLER CO |
| GWZW | OVERSEAS TOWAGE & SALVAGE CO |
| GWZX | THOS & JAS HARRISON LTD |
| GWZY | MARKHAM CREEK LTD |
| GWZZ | CONSTANTINE HOLDINGS LTD |
| GZTA | LONDON & OVERSEAS FREIGHTERS LTD |
| GZTB | SILVER LINE LTD |
| GZTC | ASIATIC STEAM NAV CO LTD |
| GZTD | KELLER LINE (UK) LTD |
| GZTE | MOBIL MARINE SERVICES LTD |
| GZTF | Not known or unallocated |
| GZTG | DONALDSON BROS LTD |
| GZTH | NERA (UK) LTD |
| GZTJ | CONSOLIDATED FISHERIES LTD |
| GZTK | ASSOCIATED HUMBER LINES |
| GZTL | HUDSON BROS TRAWLERS LTD |
| GZTM | KING LINE LTD |
| GZTP | WATTS WATTS & CO LTD |
| GZTQ | Not known or unallocated |
| GZTR | SHAW SAVILL & ALBION CO LTD |
| GZTS | New Zealand Shipping Company/ Federal Steam Navigation Company |
| GZTT | HOLDER BROS LTD |
| GZTU | Not known or unallocated |
| GZTV | CAMPBELL BROS & CO |
| GZTW | J & C HARRISON LTD |
| GZTX | Not known or unallocated |
| GZTY | KINGSTON STEAM TRAWLING CO LTD |
| GZTZ | CAIRNS NOBLE & CO LTD |
| GZUA | AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS |
| GZUB | KRISTIAN JEBSEN (UK) LTD |
| GZUC | CRAIG STORES (ABDN) LTD |
| The remainder of the GZU- Callsigns appear to be unallocated. | |
| GZWA | Not known or unallocated |
| GZWB | ELLERMAN LINES LTD |
| GZWC | ELLERMAN’S WILSON LINE LTD |
| GZWD | CAYZER IRVINE & CO LTD |
| GZWE | CONTAINER FLEETS LTD |
| GZWF | SHELL TANKERS LTD |
| GZWG | AIR MINISTRY |
| GZWH | Not known or unallocated |
| GZWJ | PANOCEAN SHIP MANAGEMENT LTD |
| GZWK | H. MARKHAM COOK LTD |
| GZWL | CRAWFORD SHIPPING CO LTD |
| GZWM | MEDOMSLEY STEAMSHIP CO LTD |
| GZWN | BURIES MARKES LTD |
| GZWP | UNITED TOWING CO LTD |
| GZWQ | Not known or unallocated |
| GZWR | J & J DENHOLM (MANAGEMENT) LTD |
| GZWS | Not known or unallocated |
| GZWT | HELLYER BROS LTD |
| GZWU | ATHEL LINE LTD |
| GZWV | CHR SALVESEN & CO |
| GZWW | MANX MARINE TELECOMMUNICATIONS |
| GZWX | BIBBY BROS & CO |
| GZWY | FRANK STRICK & CO |
| GZWZ | HUNTING & SON LTD |
| GZXA | RICHARD IRVIN & SONS |
| GZXB | ADMIRALTY |
| GZXC | STANDARD-VACUUM TRANS CO LTD |
| GZXD | F T EVERARD & SONS LTD |
| GZXE | JOHN WOOD & SON LTD |
| GZXF | REDIFON LTD |
| GZXG | BEN LINE STEAMERS LTD |
| GZXH | NORTH STAR FISHING CO |
| GZXJ | LAMPORT & HOLT LINE LTD |
| GZXK | THE PACIFIC STEAM NAV CO |
| GZXL | COMMON BROS LTD |
| GZXM | BRITISH & COMMONWEALTH (GROUP MNGMT) |
| GZXN | WALPORT LTD |
| GZXP | OVERSEAS TANKSHIP (UK) LTD |
| GZXQ | SUGAR LINE LTD |
| GZXR | P & O BULK SHIPPING DIVISION |
| GZXT | THOMAS DAVIDSON |
| GZXU | MALCOLM SMITH LTD |
| GZXV | ERICSSON MARINE |
| GZXW | CANADIAN PACIFIC STEAMSHIPS LTD |
| GZXX | ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL INDUSTRIES LTD |
| GZXX | SCOTTISH SHIP MANAGEMENT |
| GZXY | NATIONAL MARITIME BOARD |
| GZXZ | P & O GENERAL CARGO DIVISION |
| That is the list as at 11.7.1974 | |
Wasn’t GBMS used for “All British Merchant Ships”? I seem to remember BRIMER exercises addressed to that collective callsign, back in the day.
It appears that MBMS was also used for “All British Merchant Ships”. I have found in my files a copy of a message addressed to MBMS by Portisheadradio concerning the declaration by Argentina of a 200 mile exclusion zone around the Falkland Islands.
GGSC was used by Admiralty it meant SHIPS IN COMPANY – this I believe referred to groups of warships at sea. I last saw it a hard copy book issued to ships and think it was titlled BRITISH SHIPS CALLSIGNS it was an official publication. i certainly recall seeing it on the Derbyshire n 1953-53. Does anyone else remember this publication.? Cheers, Roger
This reply is somewhat late… but just by a few years.
GGSC is still assigned to Ships In Company. It is used to address any ship or vessel in company, usually by visual signalling.
I have received and relayed the callsign only once (post Gulf War 1991, using a signal light) to address warships in company with congratulatory messages as they passed a Coast Station where I was operating.
The publication in question is Allied Communications Publication 113 (ACP-113). The extant edition is AI (i.e. edn 35). It is dated January 2012.
The source document and amendment signals can be downloaded at:
http://jcs.dtic.mil/j6/cceb/acps/acp113/
ACP-113 Section 4 details Indefinite and Collective Merchant Ships Call Signs.
Regards to all.