A Tribute to Tony Allan

Along with some friends and a boat or two

Produced with Tony in July 2003

Issue: 1 Date: 11th February 2021

'Comet' the Daunt Light Vessel

Built by J Reid, Glasgow in 1904 for the Commissioners of Irish Lights under the name 'Comet'
at 500 tons and 96' x 23' x 12¼' fitted with power only for the lighting of the vessel

Irish Lights Daunt and Arklow

Commissioned 'Comet' was towed to Daunt Rock off Cork Harbour only returning for dry docking

Taken out of service in 1965 she was sold to Shipbroker Turner Hickman in Glasgow, to be fitted out as a floating radio station in Guernsey in the Channel Islands before retuening to Scotland

Tony was originally on Radio Scotland which broadcast from 31st December 1965 - 14th August 1967

Spring 1966 the Comet is towed around the North coast of Scotland in an effort to improve reception a futile attempt

Tony centre throwing records overboard on the last days transmissions of Radio Scotland on 14th August 1967

The 'Comet' arrived at Methil Docks, Scotland on 18th September 1967 where she was stripped of its masts and transmitters, where after she was sold for scrapping

It's thought she might have been used as a houseboat eventualy being scrapped by Ven de Marel Shipyard in Ouwerkerk, Holland

Tony went on to become probably one of the most well known voices of Caroline in the 1970's

He joined the Voice of Peace for a time somewhere in the Mediterranean before returning to Europe on RNI

In the 1980's Tony went home to his native Ireland he was heard on South Coast Radio and Radio Nova

More pictures of Tony navigate from SCR to listen to a selection of jingles go to Radio Nova

Elija Cornelia van Den Berg long time friend of Tony's worked for Caroline's Dutch office in the 70's

She's pictured centre on her own boat coming in for maintenance in 1977

See Elija & Brian Anderson onboard the Mebo 2 towed into Slikkerveer harbour Rotterdam after the final close down in RNI with Robin Banks - Part 2

Who is this pictured down below as you've never seen him before?

Answer towards the end of the page

Entering the dock

Preparing for the lift out

Tony dons overalls & lends a hand

Bottom scrapped sir!

Tony celebrating his birthday on air in 2001 at the Caroline Maidstone studio base of their satellite & worldspace transmissions

Afterwards with Peter Chicago & Dick Palmer in the racks area

See more of Chicago in Radio Caroline 1983-4

& Dick in RNI in 1999

Johnny Walker at Glastonbury 2002

Hear Johnny in the early days of Wiltshire Radio in Radio Clips & for a thumbnail profile see The Pirate Hall of Fame

Robin Banks with Peter Chicago June 2003

Picture taken by Tony preparing the website features RNI with Robin Banks - Part 1 : RNI with Robin Banks Part 2

At Robin's birthday bash in May 2003

The mystery man was Mike Hagler responsible for the Caroline LA jingles of 1978

"Snapped" above whilst visiting Amsterdam in early 2003

Elija above lounging around at home in June 2003

Tony Allan in the 1970's

R.I.P Tony Allan 22nd September 1949 - 9th July 2004

This copy free feature produced with Tony includes pictures from Elija Cornelia van Den Berg & air-checks from Robin Banks

There's a thumbnail profile of Tony Allan in the Pirate Hall of Fame

For all the Radio Caroline features navigate from Caroline Early Days

For all of the RNI features navigate from Robin Banks 1