Whilst female operators had long been welcomed on the telephone, a woman in command of radio communications was an entirely different matter… The appointment of Elisabeth Rait as P&O’s first woman assistant radio officer in 1973, set a few 'sparks' flying in radio rooms at sea.
Hot on her heels, assistant radio officers Deborah Rex and Waleria Kosarew joined P&O’s Bulk Shipping Division for their practical training afloat.
It was a promising start for all three. But, within a decade, the increased use of satellite communications and the establishment of a global distress system, cut short the sea careers of radio officers of all genders.
