Radio 819 History 3

Radio 819 - History (3)

The Landward again tried to make contact with those on board the Ross Revenge but received no response from the radio ship. They then advised over the ship-to-shore radio that a final decision must be made by the crew to leave the Ross Revenge by 12 noon.

The Dutch sea-going tug Volans then arrived and drew alongside the Ross Revenge. An officer from the Dutch Water Police asked permission to come aboard and to inspect the ship's registration papers. Both requests were repeatedly refused and the police then boarded the radio ship, in the process punching and knocking Radio Caroline engineer, Peter Chicago to the deck. Once on board the police stated that they had come to dismantle the transmitters and studios on board the Ross Revenge.

While all this was going on listeners to both stations were kept informed by way of special announcements. At 12noon on Radio 819 a repeat of the "Texas American Top 40 " programme from the previous week started, but was interrupted forty minutes later when the 819kHz transmitter was linked to 558kHz to broadcast a dramatic message by Radio Caroline's Engineer, Peter Chicago telling listeners what had happened and asking them to contact the authorities for assistance.

After the end of the announcement the taped programme started again on Radio 819, but only two minutes later it was interrupted once more for another urgent appeal from Peter Chicago for listeners to contact the authorities.

The taped "Texas American Top 40 Show" then continued until 12.52pm when it suddenly ended and there was silence on 819kHz until 1.01pm, when Caroline 558 was simulcast for what turned out to be the last seven minutes of the Dutch station's life.

At 1.08 pm both med Equipment removed from Ross Revenge during the raid in August 1989 ium wave transmitters on the Ross Revenge fell silent.

The raiders objective was to dismantle and seize everything on board the Ross Revenge which could be used by Radio 819, and this included items from the Radio Caroline operation as well - transmitters, aerial systems, studio equipment, records and tapes. The Ross Revenge's aerial array was cut from the masts and loaded on to the Volans, but the masts themselves, so painstakingly built by the crew of the radio ship, were left relatively undamaged.

When the Volans left the Ross Revenge later that day two Dutchmen from Radio 819, DJ Arie Swets and ship's cook Eddie Altenbergh, were on board, having voluntarily agreed to leave the radio ship following reassurances by the authorities that they would not be arrested when they returned to Holland. All British staff remained on board the radio ship.

Radio 819 never returned from its offshore base.