MEMBERSHIP
The Royal Signals Amateur Radio Society
Information on the Society
Pictures of RSARS activities and Members
If you have had some form of service in the UK or some overseas military organizations, or are currently so serving, you may be eligible for membership. See below for details.
We produce a Journal entitled “MERCURY”
The Society runs a number of and arranges awards, trophies. Please visit the respective pages on this site for more information.
Our Membership Secretary will be pleased to hear from any prospective members.
Email to: memsecrsars@gmail.com
The Society has a long history commencing 1952.
Society Rules
Membership
You are qualified for membership of the Royal Signals Amateur Radio Society if you are a serving or retired member of Royal Signals (the Royal Corps of Signals), including Royal Signals TA
MEMBERSHIP may also be granted to the following:
(1) Any serving or retired member of the British Army or TA.
(2) Any serving or retired member of the Army Cadet Force, Combined Cadet Force or University
Officers Training Corps.
(3) Any Serving or retired member of a Commonwealth Signal Corps.
(4) Any civilian who is or has been employed by a Royal Signals Unit and, if necessary by Council
agreement, other MOD (Army) civilians.
(5) Any serving or retired member of a NATO Army Signal Corps who has been attached to, or
worked in close liaison with, Royal Signals, subject to the approval of Council.
(6) Any civilian or member of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, or Royal Air Force who has given or
who is giving service in support of the aims of the Society, subject to approval of Council.
(7) Any serving or retired member of Overseas Signal Corps who has given service or is giving
service in support of the aims of the Society, subject to approval of Council.
(8) Any applicant, not fitting into categories 1-7, must have the sponsorship of a member of
Council and demonstrate how they would contribute to the Society.
Note: Any proposal under Rule (8) is to be agreed by a majority of Council members
If not qualified by any of the above, you may still be eligible for affiliate membership.
AFFILIATED MEMBERSHIP may be granted to the following:
(1) Any Royal Signals Amateur Radio Club of the Regular Army or TA.
(2) Any Amateur Radio Club in the British Army or TA.
(3) Any Amateur Radio Club or Signals Unit of the ACF,CCF or UOTC.
(4) Any Amateur Radio Club in a Commonwealth Army Signals Corps.
(5) Any recognised UK Radio Club which has a minimum of 3 or more RSARS members on its
books. If accepted, one of the proposing RSARS members would be responsible for
subscriptions and as with normal membership, if subscriptions are not paid, then the
membership becomes archived
Membership secretary can be contacted at Email: memsecrsars@gmail.com
Home Annual Membership of the Society costs (from 1 January 2025) £12 per year and Overseas Annual Membership costs £14 per year. Membership subscriptions are due on 1st January each year and a reminder/payment form is sent out with the November issue of “MERCURY”. All new Members are welcomed into the Society by a short “potted personality” paragraph in the issue of the journal next following their admission, unless anonymity is requested. Application forms for membership can be obtained by post from the Membership Secretary or the Editor of “MERCURY”.
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS
Annual Subscriptions are due on 1st January each year. Failure to make payment to the Society Membership Secretary by 31st March voids the membership status including loss of the use of the free QSL Bureau and no further communications are sent from the Society. A reminder and renewal form is included in every issue of “MERCURY” in November each year. A full list of members unpaid as at publication date is usually included in the March issue of “MERCURY“. Archiving of unpaid Members will then take place.
The various methods of payment (including now Direct Debit) are shown on the renewal form. Subscription rates are currently:-
Home Members £12 pa
Overseas Members £14 pa
The Society publishes a 35-page (A4) journal, “MERCURY,” produced online as a Pdf file in the members’ portal from June 2025. Members can read online or print their own copy.
“MERCURY” will be published online 4 times per year:
March
June
September
December
Within the December issue will be the Agenda for the Annual General Meeting
The Editor of “MERCURY” is Mervyn S Foster G4KLE
In May 1952 the 1st Army Wireless Reserve Squadron, Cadre, Royal Signals was formed and Major Dennis Haylock (G3ADZ) was appointed Officer Commanding with a mandate to recruit personnel mainly from radio amateurs.
In 1954, the first proposal for the formation of an “Army Amateur Radio Society”, a society having both amateur status and, as with the United States’ MARS (“Military Affiliate Radio System”), official recognition as an emergency military network was put forward by Brigadier Eric Cole (G2EC), then CSO Southern Command. This proposal was very favourably received but because of G2EC’s posting overseas he was unable to supervise and monitor the Society’s organisation, and the proposal was not proceeded with. By 1955 an Army Wireless Reserve Amateur Radio Society had been formed, a biannual news sheet BROADCAST issued to members, and unit exercises and camps were arranged to ensure that GB3AWR operated in various “rare” counties.
In 1956 G2EC became Honorary Vice-President of AWRARS which had extended its membership to a number of Army personnel who were not members of the Squadron. Also in 1956 the Unit became 2 Press Communication Signals Squadron and went to Suez where MD5ADZ, MD5DNQ and MD5AMO were briefly activated.
By 1959 the Squadron had been renamed 404 Signal Squadron AER, and the question of affiliation between Army amateur radio clubs, many of which existed in the TA and AER, was being actively pursued.
In 1960 G2EC, when Director of Telecommunications, asked Major-General Whistler, the Signals Officer in Chief, to carry out a survey within the Corps, the results of which indicated that there was sufficient support to justify the formation of a Royal Signals Amateur Radio Society.
0n 23 June 1961 at Blandford, where 404 Signal Squadron AER was at camp, a meeting was held of War Office, Command and Unit representatives under the chairmanship of G2EC, and RSARS was formally established. By August 1961, the Rules and the first edition of “MERCURY” were sent to all Army Command HQ and Royal Signals units worldwide. HQ RSARS was established at Catterick Garrison, and the Catterick Club (G3CIO), which had been in existence since 1947, became the HQ station.
At the 1966 AGM it was agreed to extend Society membership to all serving soldiers and the Society Rules redrafted at the 1968 AGM incorporated all approved changes, and this new revision included all personnel serving with or employed by a R. Signals unit – regular or T. & A.V.R., members of the CCF/ACF and University O.T.C. were also included.
The call sign G4RS was issued to the Society in 1967. 0ther UK call signs operated for the Society are:- GØRCS, GØSIG, G3CIO, G3SIG, G3VXX, G4CCF, G3PYZ and there are Overseas calls.
The Headquarters Station, G4RS is currently located at Blandford, Dorset having spent many years at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire.
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