Tribute to David 'Sinkers' Sinclair aka David Vincent

who passed away on 13th March 2018 in St Albert, Alberta, Canada

Issue: 2 Dated: 20 January 2020

Knock John Fort 1966

The 4,500 ton Naval Fort Knock John (1966)

Having had jobs in Printing, Accounts, Shipping, a Building Society, a Security Firm and an Entertainment Agency ...

David Sinclair on Knock John Fort 1966 David Sinclair below on Knock John Fort 1966
David on a 3.7" Gun on the Knock John Fort David's berth down below level 2 on Knock John

... David Vincent was attracted to the Offshore Radio scene and joined Radio Essex in 1966

Radio Essex Car Sticker

Radio Essex Car Sticker

Radio Essex 222 Car Stickers

Always a fan of Big Bands he slotted into presenting that genre of music under that name David Sinclair given by Roy Bates, David remembered that Roy always wanted his DJ's to be synonymous with former stars of the Big Screen (Cinema)

David Sinclair in Radio Essex Studio

David Sinclair on Radio Essex 222

Life wasn't easy on the Knock John supplies were always short and the quality of supplies often suspect

David Sinclair Radio Essex Studio David Sinclair in Radio Essex Studio

David Sinclair cueing up the Harry James Orchestra on the Big Band Show in the selubrious Radio Essex 222 studio

David Sinclair Knock John

'Fag Break' for David Sinclair on the Main Deck of Knock John


Audio

Listen to clips of David Sinclair on Radio Essex, Radio 270 and Radio 390

Hardly surprising when word reached the ears of the DJ's on Radio Essex, that an onboard mutiny on the Radio Ship 'Oceaan 7' off Scarborough had left them short of DJ's

Radio 270 Car Sticker

Radio 270 Car Sticker

Broadcasting from the 'Oceaan 7' moored of Scarborough, Radio 270 had a semi-mutiny which saw many of their DJ's leave

Engineer Keith Robinson had already left Radio Essex for 270, with spasmodic supplies and at times without pay the Radio Essex (BBMS) DJ's weren't a happy lot

Keith Robinson suggested they join him on Radio 270 which saw an exodus of Radio Essex with David Sinclair, Roger Scott and Guy Hamilton depating in September 1966

Radio 270 Ship Oceaan 7

'Oceaan 7' moored of the Yorkshire Coast

Life onboard the 'Oceaan 7' proved considerably more comfortable, but David thought it odd that the ship would up anchor and sail into port under her own steam for fuel and provisions

David on deck of Oceaan 7

David Sinclair on the deck of 'Oceaan 7'

When Radio Essex broadcasting under the illustrious name of BBMS (Britain's Better Music Station) was forced to close at Christmas 1966 Mark West joined his former Fort friends at Radio 270

David at Whitstable Harbour

David Sinclair at Whitstable Harbour* waits on the Tender 'Mullard' F19

* Today the area is gated by the Lifeboat Station at the top of the Harbour Ramp, in the 60's it wasn't a problem parking David left his Ford Anglia whilst on the Fort

Radio 390 Buoy

The old Redsand Towers North Buoy

David's final Offshore Radio Station saw him to return to the Sea Forts on the sweet music station Radio 390

Radio 390 Sticker

Radio 390 Stciker

Radio 390 Antenna

Radio 390's 150' Antenna from Gun Tower 3 Catwalk (Martin Stevens)

Slotting into the schedule at home once again presenting the Big Band Show

The later days of Radio 390 saw programmes recorded on shore, thus cutting down the running costs of the Fort, essentially it was a return to the early days of skeleton crews with just three aboard

David Sinclair on Radio 390

David Sinclair on Radio 390 (Coloured by Harm Koenders)

When legislation finally closed the Offshore Radio Stations David emigrated to Canada, once settled David worked at a number of Canadian stations and ended his career making commercial voice-overs

David Sinclair on Radio 390

David had made notes for a book he intended to write, chatting together we compiled the first edition of 'Making Waves' in 2005 marking the 40th anniversary of the launch of Radio Essex, Britain's smallest Offshore Pirate Radio Station in October 1965


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