enacted. Most of these operators subsequently obtained
licences and had to change to the official series. I remember two YLs
who were very popular in Europe and the U.S.A. because they spoke
several languages fluently, but they never re-appeared when licences
began to be issued."

Since 1945 the U.S. and British signals units were authorised by
the Greek Ministry of Communications to issue calls to military and
diplomatic personnel in the series SV0WA in the case of American staff
and SV0AA for the British.

Socrates continued: "I heard that the Americans had formed a club
called 'Attica Amateur Radio Club' in Kifissia, a suburb to the north
of Athens, and in due course I was able to become a member."

"In 1954," Socrates continued, "George Zarifis (currently SV1AA)
who was a regular army officer in the Legal Branch approached Mr
Nicolis who was Director of the Wireless Division at the Ministry of
Communications and asked him 'Since you have authorised the Americans
and the British to issue licences to their personnel, why do you not
grant the same facility to us Greek amateurs?'. To which Nicolis had
replied 'There is no law of the land recognising the very existence of
radio amateurs so how can I issue licences to you?'.

"It was then that we decided to form an association whose
principal objective would be the enactment of legislation recognising
officially the existence of radio amateurs in Greece. As a recognised
body we would then be able to go back to Nicolis and get him to pursue
the matter.

"That was how, late in 1957, we formed the Radio Amateur
Association of Greece, R.A.A.G., Greek initials E.E.R.

"At the same time, after considerable effort, we got the Ministry
to issue 7 licences based on the Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1930 (No
4797) and the regulations relating to Law 1049 of 1949, as well as a
document dated July 8th 1957 issued by the radio division of the
Central Intelligence service (Greek initials K.Y.P.-R). This order
authorised the installation of a 50 watt transmitter to an applicant
under certain strict limitations, one of which was that the station
could only be operated from 06.00 to 08.00 hours and from 13.00 to
midnight. The seven lucky recipients are shown in the accompanying
photograph.

Akis Lianos SV1AD, Socrates Coutroubis SV1AE, Nasos Coucoulis
SV1AC (silent key), George Zarifis SV1AA, Mikes Psalidas SV1AF, George
Vernardakis SV1AB and G