ZL2AWJ 1963 New Zealand

Ted Thorpe on DXpedition with Don Miller W9WNV.

It gives me great pleasure to announce the much awaited 2012 DX Hall of Fame award for Ted Thorpe ZL2AWJ. Also awarded in 2012 was ZL1HY Mike Edwards and ZL3TY Bob McQuarrie.
Graham Hunter ZL3GQ

ZL2AWJ Ted Thorpe (SK in January 1966)
Ted (Edward Max) Thorpe was first licenced 14th October 1949 as ZL1ADX while he was still a student at Mt. Albert Grammar School in Auckland. From high school, Ted joined the NZ Broadcasting Service as a technical cadet at Broadcasting House, Shortland St, Auckland. Gaining his 1st class Certificate in Radio Technology and 1st Class Postmaster General's Certificate he went to sea as a Radio Officer on RMS "Rangitata", a UK-NZ passenger/cargo ship 16,737 gross tons, 411 passengers. After coming ashore he married Colleen, moved to Wainuiomata and joined Lintas (Unilvever) as Selwyn Toogood's technician on his TV series. As ZL2AWJ, (ZL calls were not transportable in those days) Ted achieved DXCC in July 1961.

On January 27-1966, at 0100z, the 38 foot Ketch "Marinero" sailed from Wallis Island en route to Western and American Samoa. Aboard were five individuals, including Chuck Swain, K7LMU and Ted Thorpe, ZL2AWJ who had just completed a successful operation as FW8ZZ on Wallis Island , the 15th such operation during the World Radio Propagation Study Association's 1965-1966 S.E. Asia-Pacific DXpedition. This DXpedition was received with enthusiasm by the DX fellows in the USA and throughout the world. During the preceding six months, over 75,000 QSO's had been logged on CW and SSB.

Chuck Swain and Ted Thorpe, who had done a great part to make all this possible, were returning from FW8ZZ Wallis Island. Ted was to return to New Zealand and Chuck was to join Don Miller in American Samoa and the DXpedition was to continue on for another two months, during which time operations were planned from Manihiki Island in the North Cooks, and Heard Island in the South Indian Ocean which would be counted as new countries by ARRL DXCC.

On 29 and 30 of January, a hurricane struck the Wallis Island - Samoa area, the eye of the storm passing directly over Wallis Island with winds in excess of 100 miles per hour and waves 50 to 75' in height. The "Marinero", with Chuck and Ted aboard never reached port. It was caught by the Hurricane close to Apia, Western Samoa. In the vast Air and Sea Search that followed, in which the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Air Force and the Royal New Zealand Air Force participated, no trace of the ketch or any debris was found. The "Marinero" is now considered to have sunk and the five on board, including Chuck and Ted, missing assumed dead. Hundreds of amateurs around the Pacific Basin monitored the bands hoping to hear a signal from the Marinero. They were unaware that the HF gear had been left on Wallis Island for the resident licenced hams. The Marinero had only VHF equipment for the relatively short voyage from Wallis to Apia. It is hoped that every DXer will give some consideration to just how much these two have contributed to DX to make it a more enjoyable hobby for all DXers. For those of us who knew Chuck and Ted personally, there were no two finer individuals on earth who were so devoted and risked so much, so that so many throughout the world could enjoy many happy hours of DXing.

QSL G4UZN Collection
Info courtesy of ZL3GQ