Radio Interference


I had heard this story before somewhere, and had looked for some documentary evidence.
Finding none, I forgot about it. One day, I was looking through a file folder, which was
crammed with notes, photos, and letters that I've collected. Lo and behold, there was a
newpaper clipping.


I have no idea where or when the article appeared. There are only a couple of clues.
I obtained this clipping in some papers furnished by Lou Washburn, widow of Jack Washburn,
who was a Motor Machinists Mate during WWII. Jack had saved a lot of memorabilia
and Lou transferred many items to me when Jack passed. She knew I would make good use of them.

One clue is that Jack was from Pasadena, California. Perhaps the article was in the local
paper. Another clue is that the Police Chief mentioned in the article was in that position
from 1941 to around 1949. This Chief was embroiled in an internal scandal and was demoted
before retiring. I do not know exactly when he was demoted from Chief of Police to Deputy
Chief, but he was gone by sometime in 1949 anyway. Jack was aboard Sarsi from 1944
to 1946, so that just about nails it down to those years.

The phenomenon that would make this even possible is atmospheric radio wave propagation.
During different parts of the solar cycle, different times of the day, and during different seasons,
layers in the atmosphere form that are reflective to radio signals. They bounce one or more times
to achieve a great distance from where they originated. In those days, the Los Angeles Police
Department was possibly using frequencies in the AM broadcast band, in between commercial
entertainment stations.

Perhaps women with a "loud husky voice"?

    

Return to Tales of the Sarsi Page

Copyright © 2018, Tom Wilbeck