OM1TB Guam

"O" stood for Oceania until 1929, but carried over on this call.
The "M" stood for the Marianas.

Charles W. Walker (OM1TB) on the left in khaki, Larry Jones (WSBS) on the right in white aboard the yacht Carnegie in Guam. The Carnegie set sail on it's 7th voyage on May 1st, 1928. The voyage was due to last 3 1/2 years but unfortunately when it pulled into port in Samoa on November 29th,1929 there was an explosion while refueling and it burned to the water line. The Carnegie's Captain, Captain James Percy Ault, was severely injured and a cabin boy was killed. The Carnegie had arrived in Guam on May 20th, 1929 so the photo had to be taken around that date.

OM1TB Charles Walker was Communications Officer (master Radiotrician according to his QSL card) in the United States Marine Corps. in Sumay, Guam. According to his QSL he also held the call sign AC2MO but I was unable to find any reference to that activity.

WSBS Larry Jones established regular schedules with amateurs, and handled most of its affairs via amateur radio. I found reference to 9045 kcs as the frequency being used.

OM1TB  was a U.S. Marine aviation outfit based at Sumay, Guam M.I., they flew the super wasp. I have three of these cards with different ops. 1 cards says chief operator Pickering (1930), the next says OPs T.F. Lodwick and H.A. Pickering (1930),  the third card Kugler U.S.M.C. (1930). I may have others and I have seen several others, the oldest which was from 1929.

In the May 1939 issue of Radio Magazine I found a reference to KD6QLS from Midway being Ex-OM1TB & XU8TB. I believe KD6QLS was Harold John Strickland. It appears several Op’s used the OM1TB call.

Callsign Info Courtesy of Wolf OE1WHC, QSL Collection at DokuFunk, Vienna
QSL from SM5LNE Collection
Info and photo courtesy of N2BTD
Info courtesy of G4UZN, Patrick Rigg