| ATTACK
ON THE ROSS REVENGE - 19th AUGUST 1989 |
RADIO CAROLINE - REMEMBERING THE RAID, SATURDAY 19TH AUGUST 1989:
August is certainly the month for commemorations. It was not only the month some 30 years ago this year, (2013) that the Ross Revenge arrived in the North Sea, but on the same date in 1989, the ship was raided on the high seas, in an illegal act of piracy by trigger happy drinking Dutch officials. The low life UK officials were also squandering public money by being involved in the procceedings at some level or another. (It's easy to see which side I fall into..lol)
Again I shall gather my own personal thoughts on the subject, as well as give some newspaper cuttings of the time, and recordings, and links to videos, etc.
The attack on the Ross has been the subject of much discussion over the years. The short wave service from the ship had always attracted attention because of the poor frequency choice, although it seems the Dutch just didn't want an offshore radio station broadcasting in Dutch.
Back on 23rd Feb 1988, the first log was made of the SW service, on 6210. It was noted in Scotland on 3/3 on 6210, but on 4/3 had moved to 6215. By 8th March it was back on 6210, though on 13th April it was back on 6215. On 15-20th April we have it noted on 6205, and then by 27th April it was back on 6215, which was where it stayed. There are many long recordings made from the SW service in the downloads section.
The frequency of 6215kHz was a concern. I recall at the time photocopying a few pages from respected utility expert, Jorg Klingenfuss, and trying to send them to Chicago via a friend down south. Whether these photo copies ever reached the ship is anyone's guess, as the station remained on 6215, a secondary emergency frequency. This was certainly not a clever idea, and various dxers who had some knowledge of SW tried to tell Caroline not to use the channel. Even if the frequency wasn't really used, it was another excuse from the authorities about interference.
A few selected pages from the KLINGENFUSS book, 1990 are included in the pdf file below. It would have been the previous years book I copied and tried to send to the ship, in the hope they may move.
A
few selected pages from the KLINGENFUSS book, 1990.
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I remember the week after the raid, I had received a cassette of the raid. The tape was the first time I had heard the full procceedings, due to the signal being nil up in Scotland. I had a brief live play of the radio down a phone, when a friend down south rang me up during the last half hour. Anyway, listening in the car to the tape, the next week, and driving past the local nick, I took pity on some wee fella walking the road, who obviuously hadn't the money for a bus. The next town, and his destination was about 6 or 7 miles. I carried on playing my tape, and the fellow sat in silence. He never said a word. Now we all know how dramatic the live attack on the Ross Revenge was. Anyone in their right mind would surely have asked what this was that I was listening to.
When we reached the village 6 miles distant, he thanked me and hopped out, never to utter a word. I often wonder if this brainless character actually did pick up on what was happening, and tells the story to this day in the pub, of the day a big hairy guy picked him up, and a raid was going on in the background....LOL.. I rather doubt it..
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This page will be added to in the coming weeks hopefully, as recordings and cuttings come to light.
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The following audio files are from GH, CC in Cambridge, as well as my own recordings.
890819_sat_0529-0820_caroline_558_day_of_raid_reel_gh.mp3
890819_sat_0850-0916_caroline_558_day_of_raid_reel_gh.mp3
890819_sat_0933 - 1300 558Khz - FULL RAID RECORDING INCLUDING THE LEAD
UP TO THE LAST 30m OR SO. The raid starts at 193 minutes with Chicago
taking the mic.
The Raid, (External link) via AZ Anorak site. Password for the zip,
freeradio
1989_08_19_1600_BBC RADIO 4_95.8_news_on_caroline_raid_c90_1403_kb.mp3
1989_08_19_1630_BBC RADIO 1_98.6_news_on_caroline_raid_c90_1403_kb.mp3
1989_08_19_1700_BREEZE AM_sat_5pm_news_1431.mp3
1989_08_19_1700_ITN_5pm_news_tv_audio.mp3
1989_08_19_1705_ANGLIA_5.05pm_news_tv_audio.mp3
1989_08_19_1715_BBC1_5.15pm_news_tv_audio.mp3
1989_08_19_1800_BBC RADIO 4_95.8_news_on_caroline_raid_c90_1403_kb.mp3
1989_08_19_1800_BBC WORLD SERVICE_6pm_news.mp3
1989_08_19_2130_ITN_9.30pm_news_tv_audio.mp3
1989_08_20_12.55_ANGLIA_12.55_lunchtime_news_tv_audio.mp3
1989_08_20_1840_ANGLIA_news_tv_audio.mp3
1989_08_21_1800_ANGLIA_6pm_news_tv_audio.mp3
1989_08_22_2100_RADIO SWEDEN_1179_on_caroline_raid_c90_1403_id_tape_kb.mp3
1989_08_23_1800_ANGLIA_6pm_news_poor_copy_tv_audio.mp3
1989_08_24_thurs_RADIO NEDERLAND MEDIA NETWORK_report_on_raid.mp3
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1998_11_15_radio_caroline_raid_nigel_johnny_etc.mp3
Listen to Nigel Harris and Johnny Lewis, as well as Caroline Martin etc discuss the raid in 1998. A very interesting discussion, although apologies if the audio is a little toppy.
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More
is included in the ANORAKS UK WEEKLY REPORT, ISSUES 276 - 278, their
final issue.
A
few selected pages from the KLINGENFUSS book, 1990.