Watson's Radio Club
SK - G3BA / formerly GM3BA - Tom Douglas (1994)
Tom Douglas G3BA was a Watsonian, originally GM3BA, living at 10 Marchmont Street. Later as G3BA he was well-known in VHF circles, including being RSGB VHF Manager.
Professionally he was the Engineer in Charge at the BBC Television transmitting station at Sutton Coldfield in the Midlands.
Keen on VHF contesting, he operated from a site in the hills near Gatehouse of Fleet in Dumfries & Galloway. After his death, that site continues to be used by the GM3HAM/P contest group of the Lothians Radio Society.
Mike Dormer G3DAH, Jack Wilson GM6XI, Syd Rowden GM6SR, Tom Douglas G3BA at the Scottish VHF Convention in 1969.
(Courtesy RSGB RadCom)
During WW2, Tom was an officer in the Royal Corps of Signals, serving in the Far East. He was captured by the Japanese in Siam (now Thailand) and spent three years in Prisoner of War camps including working on the building of the railway line which became famous in the film "The Bridge on the River Kwai". He was responsible for the design and building of clandestine radio receivers known as "Dicky Birds" which allowed the prisoners to listen to news broadcasts. There is an article about this on the website of the Lothians Radio Society (click).
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Photo of Tom and group found in Short Wave Magazine, Aug 1969.
​
Tom's G3BA callsign is now held by Bob Jones G3YIQ of Bradford-on-Avon who worked for Tom at Sutton Coldfield.
He has dedicated the G3BA page on QRZ.com to Tom.
