Operator Wireless "O"? (Royal Corps of Signals / 1920s)

Hello everyone. I just received my grandfather's service records (Operator Wireless, Royal Corps of Signals, 1921 -1926) and I'm intrigued by a classification referred simply as 'O' (or .O.). I seems that some higher skill level was required to get the 'O', but I have no idea what this 'O' stands for. If it helps, my grandfather service was all in the Middle East (Iraq and Palestine) and he was reportedly involved in the spying of radio communications from Russia and French Palestine (now Lebanon). All morse code at the time, of course. Attached are a couple of screenshots from his service records, plus an excerpt from a short memoir he wrote for family and friends in the 1960s. Looks like he was further promoted from 'O' to 'O' BT in 1924. Any idea what would those letters mean?

Reclassified "O" 24 Aug 1923 by Paul Y posted Nov 27, 2024 at 9:43 AM

Reclassified "O" B.T.12 Sep 1924 by Paul Y posted Nov 27, 2024 at 9:43 AM

Memoirs mention by Paul Y posted Nov 27, 2024 at 9:43 AM

 

Deleted

 

Hi Steve... Thank you for the feedback. "O" for "Operator" seems logical BUT... There is already "Operator" in his rank: "Operator Wireless .O.". So it doesn't make sense that it would mean "Operator Wireless Operator".. It has to be something else.

Reclassified "O" 24 Aug 1923 by Paul Y posted Nov 27, 2024 at 9:43 AM

 

Hi Paul - perhaps the "T" in "BT" is actually a roman numeral "I"? A short form of Group B, Class I? (BI)

 

Redd, I agree! At first I thought it was BT (BT underlined) but looking at it again it's totally BI. The true mystery seems to be the "O" part. Thanks for the feedback!

 

Just a thought...

In the early 1930s, Royal Signals WE Tables list "Operator (signals)" as a Tradesman category, in Groups A to D. It might be that he is shown as an Operator, Group B, Class II in the above, latterly becoming Class I, who was employed as an operator, wireless. By 1941, Operator (signals) had become Operator (wireless and line) in R Sigs WE tables. I don't think I can recall seeing operator, wireless, as a trade and duty for R Sigs.

Gary

 

OWL ? operator wireless and line