Collective Call signs

3 Replies to “Collective Call signs”

1. 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.

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2. 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

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   • 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.

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