Collective Call signs

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

GACQADMIRALTY
GBXZAny British Warship
GGSCShips In Company [Admiralty]
GTZAOCEAN FLEETS LTD
GTZBALFRED HOLT & CO
GTZCCUNARD STEAMSHIP CO LTD
GTZDP & O PASSENGER DIVISION
GTZEELDER DEMPSTER LINES
GTZFELDERS & FYFFES LTD
GTZGPRINCE LINE LTD
GTZHKELVIN HUGHES
GTZJSIR WILLIAM REARDON SMITH & SONS
GTZKTHOMAS HAMLING & CO LTD
GTZLANDREW WEIR & CO LTD
GTZMMARCONI INTERNATIONAL MARINE CO LTD
GTZNJOHN SWIRE & SONS LTD
GTZPSHANGHAI LICENSED PILOTS ASSN
GTZQBLUE STAR LINE LTD
GTZRINTERNATIONAL MARINE RADIO CO LTD
GTZSBRITISH TRANSPORT COMM
GTZTROYAL MAIL LINES LTD
GTZUP & O STEAM NAVIGATION CO
GTZVSIR R. ROPNER & CO LTD
GTZWBRITISH RAIL WESTERN REGION
GTZXBP TANKER CO LTD
GTZYNot known or unallocated
GTZZWIRELESS SUBSCRIPTION PRESS
GWZANot known or unallocated
GWZBUNION CASTLE LINE
GWZCPORT LINE LTD
GWZDBOOTH STEAMSHIP CO
GWZFTURNER BRIGHTMAN
GWZGH.E. MOSS & CO
GWZHNot known or unallocated
GWZJMANCHESTER LINERS
GWZKESSO PETROLEUM CO LTD
GWZLPALM LINE LTD
GWZMT & j BROCKLEBANK LTD
GWZNFURNESS WITHY & CO LTD
GWZPNot known or unallocated
GWZQP HENDERSON & CO
GWZRSTANHOPE STEAMSHIIP CO LTD
GWZSTHE UNITED MOLASSES CO LTD
GWZTNot known or unallocated
GWZUNot known or unallocated
GWZVPICKERING & HALDANE STEAM TRAWLER CO
GWZWOVERSEAS TOWAGE & SALVAGE CO
GWZXTHOS & JAS HARRISON LTD
GWZYMARKHAM CREEK LTD
GWZZCONSTANTINE HOLDINGS LTD
GZTALONDON & OVERSEAS FREIGHTERS LTD
GZTBSILVER LINE LTD
GZTCASIATIC STEAM NAV CO LTD
GZTDKELLER LINE (UK) LTD
GZTEMOBIL MARINE SERVICES LTD
GZTFNot known or unallocated
GZTGDONALDSON BROS LTD
GZTHNERA (UK) LTD
GZTJCONSOLIDATED FISHERIES LTD
GZTKASSOCIATED HUMBER LINES
GZTLHUDSON BROS TRAWLERS LTD
GZTMKING LINE LTD
GZTPWATTS WATTS & CO LTD
GZTQNot known or unallocated
GZTRSHAW SAVILL & ALBION CO LTD
GZTSNew Zealand Shipping Company/ Federal Steam Navigation Company
GZTTHOLDER BROS LTD
GZTUNot known or unallocated
GZTVCAMPBELL BROS & CO
GZTWJ & C HARRISON LTD
GZTXNot known or unallocated
GZTYKINGSTON STEAM TRAWLING CO LTD
GZTZCAIRNS NOBLE & CO LTD
GZUAAUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
GZUBKRISTIAN JEBSEN (UK) LTD
GZUCCRAIG STORES (ABDN) LTD
The remainder of the GZU- Callsigns appear to be unallocated.
GZWANot known or unallocated
GZWBELLERMAN LINES LTD
GZWCELLERMAN’S WILSON LINE LTD
GZWDCAYZER IRVINE & CO LTD
GZWECONTAINER FLEETS LTD
GZWFSHELL TANKERS LTD
GZWGAIR MINISTRY
GZWHNot known or unallocated
GZWJPANOCEAN SHIP MANAGEMENT LTD
GZWKH. MARKHAM COOK LTD
GZWLCRAWFORD SHIPPING CO LTD
GZWMMEDOMSLEY STEAMSHIP CO LTD
GZWNBURIES MARKES LTD
GZWPUNITED TOWING CO LTD
GZWQNot known or unallocated
GZWRJ & J DENHOLM (MANAGEMENT) LTD
GZWSNot known or unallocated
GZWTHELLYER BROS LTD
GZWUATHEL LINE LTD
GZWVCHR SALVESEN & CO
GZWWMANX MARINE TELECOMMUNICATIONS
GZWXBIBBY BROS & CO
GZWYFRANK STRICK & CO
GZWZHUNTING & SON LTD
GZXARICHARD IRVIN & SONS
GZXBADMIRALTY
GZXCSTANDARD-VACUUM TRANS CO LTD
GZXDF T EVERARD & SONS LTD
GZXEJOHN WOOD & SON LTD
GZXFREDIFON LTD
GZXGBEN LINE STEAMERS LTD
GZXHNORTH STAR FISHING CO
GZXJLAMPORT & HOLT LINE LTD
GZXKTHE PACIFIC STEAM NAV CO
GZXLCOMMON BROS LTD
GZXMBRITISH & COMMONWEALTH (GROUP MNGMT)
GZXNWALPORT LTD
GZXPOVERSEAS TANKSHIP (UK) LTD
GZXQSUGAR LINE LTD
GZXRP & O BULK SHIPPING DIVISION
GZXTTHOMAS DAVIDSON
GZXUMALCOLM SMITH LTD
GZXVERICSSON MARINE
GZXWCANADIAN PACIFIC STEAMSHIPS LTD
GZXXASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL INDUSTRIES LTD
GZXXSCOTTISH SHIP MANAGEMENT
GZXYNATIONAL MARITIME BOARD
GZXZP & O GENERAL CARGO DIVISION
That is the list as at 11.7.1974

3 Comments

  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.

  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

    • 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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