Recollections of Edward Ansell (W9PSA in 1941)
Archivist Note: This page was constructed using several sources submitted by Ed.
Prior to WW II I was a "ham" radio
operator
(I still have the Hallicrafters "Sky Buddy" my father bought for me in
1939) with the call sign W9PSA. By the time I graduated from high
school in the Spring of 1943 at age of 17 I had acquired a First Class
Commercial Radiotelephone Operator license. After brief employment as
an engineer for local broadcast stations I was hired as an operator at
WAS Duluth, owned by the Lorain County Telephone Co., where I was
employed through October 1945. This employment enabled me to work
full-time during most of the shipping season and attend my first and
second years at what was then Superior State Teachers College (now the
University of Wisconsin-Superior) in Superior Wisconsin.
In
the Winter, when the Lakes were frozen over, I worked on weekends. I
can't recall doing much except calling Sault Ste. Marie Coast Guard on
Channel 51 for a weather report and then reporting to a local
bush pilot, Nick Niemi so he could decide whether to fly the mail to
Isle Royale. After sweeping the floor, I was free to study.
WAS
provided radio communications services on a 24/7 basis because of the
constant flow of Great Lakes freighters carrying, among other
cargoes, iron ore from the
Mesabi Range to the steel mills in the Midwest and East. In addition to
broadcasting weather reports, two or more times, daily, we stood watch
on Channel 51 (2182 kilohertz) the International calling and distress
frequency. When a ship called in on Ch. 51, we would move to a working
frequency, (probably one of those listed on the 1968 WMI card
submitted by Ken Bobel), We would then connect the caller through a
local Bell System telephone company operator to the number requested
and operate the station radio equipment during the call. As I remember,
we also did occasional maintenance on the transmitter.
My
original supervisor was Melvin (Mel) Werking , who left to return to
Port Washington WI in 1944 and was replaced by Al Klopp from WAD, Port
Washington. The personnel during my time there were: Mel Werking, Al
Klopp, Clayt Toms, Lloyd Horton (who was also played string bass with
the
Duluth Symphony), Jim Scott (who serviced ship installations) and a
night watchman, at least part of that period, by the name of Jake
Hittler !!!!. I have no recollection of a Dale Grimswood or Dorothy
Wolf as being associated with the station from 1943 through Oct. 1945.
Don Heisner of Lorain made occasional inspection visits and it was my
understanding that he was the Chief Engineer of, at least, the Coastal
Harbor Station operations of the Lorain County Telephone Company.
Below
is an image of the front of my Waterfront Pass identification card. On
the reverse it shows me as being 18 years of age, and an issue date of
July 5, 1944. It was required of all persons associated with shipping
activities. It also entitled me to a gasoline "C" sticker for my 1942
Plymouth in the Summer, and a "B" sticker in the fall and winter.
The
only other fact of significance that I can recall is that in the late
Fall of 1945, just as I was about to leave to continue my
under-graduate education at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, JIm
Scott was installing the first VHF sets on boats. They were made by
General Electric.
Except for 7 years as an enineer for the F.C.C, and 18 months at
R.C.A., my working life as a lawyer was far removed
from radio communications, but now retired at age 87, I am considering
the possibility of again becoming a "Ham" operator.
Edward O. (Ed ) Ansell
July 2013
Archivist note: Ed had a long career as a lawyer with little further radio involvement. See: Edward O. Ansell Obiturary