Conversations Over the Airwaves … and the deception transmissions that hoodwinked the enemy

The extraordinary life of Major Rowland ‘Rowley’ Shears, BEM, TD, G8KW

by Richard Shears

Major Rowland ‘Rowley’ Shears was no ordinary signaller. From clandestine deception operations in wartime Cairo to pioneering amateur radio equipment, his life story—told with care by his son Richard—deserves far more than a brief review. This remarkable biography offers a rare glimpse into the ingenuity, courage, and technical brilliance of a Royal Signals legend whose contributions spanned both military intelligence and civilian innovation.

This newly released biography on Rowley Shears, is written by his elder son, Richard, and is based on a collection of personal accounts and letters collated by Rowley during his lifetime.

Rowley, more formally known as Rowland George Shears (1919–2009), was probably best known for his radio communications work, particularly in the amateur radio world for which he developed and manufactured the KW Electronics brand of equipment. However, it is the stories of his early life in the UK and then in Egypt, where he was posted during World War II as part of the Royal Corps of Signals contingent, which make up the major part of this book. His remarkable experiences during World War II, which came about because of his expertise in radio communications, were documented in detail by Rowley in his later life when he thought about writing his autobiography. In common with so many World War II (WW II) military personnel Rowley had never previously talked in much detail about his war exploits.

Rowley’s early hobby, fascination and commitment to radio communications shaped his wartime military service. He was proficient in Morse by the age of 16 and passed all of the required tests and exams to enable him to get an amateur radio license at that very young age. By the time he was 18 his normal Morse speed was 25 wpm.

Before the start of WW II Rowley had enlisted with his local Territorial Army, Royal Corps of Signals group, which he hoped would ensure he stayed with the Signals once he was “called up” for military service. Rowley’s skills were originally in demand as a Morse trainer, then in 1940 he was posted to Egypt. It was here, that from 1941, he also started to work for the British Intelligence services in Cairo (SIME - Security Intelligence Middle East) and, under the watchful eye of Colonel Dudley Clarke, entered a world of deception which saw him posing as a German agent and being awarded the Iron Cross for his efforts. Rowley was a very young and non-commissioned junior rank when he started working with SIME at the age of 22, in early 1941, he was later commissioned in 1943.

His competence and skills in radio communications were also well utilised by the Royal Corps of Signals during the 4 years he worked at Polygon Wireless Station within the 3GHQ compound outside of Cairo. Here, he worked on major upgrades to the various transmitters and aerials including No.5 HP sets, which were providing the vital communication links back to the UK and other parts of the Commonwealth as well as the whole of the Middle East.  Additionally, he modified several No.3 sets to increase their top end frequency (to provide for  greater transmission distance) for the trucks used by the mobile Long Range Desert Group (LRDG), as well as obtaining approval to utilise a spare transmitter on the base to start a local Forces Broadcasting service in a newly created studio.

The book covers Rowley’s early days as an amateur radio enthusiast, his military career from 1939 to 1947 (Middle East, Crete, Athens and post-World War II Germany) and subsequent civilian work for the Foreign Office, in Germany, until 1950. It provides an insight into the world of the Intelligence Services in the Middle East during WW II and includes the tale of the unique circumstances which lead to that Iron cross award. To complete his life story, a short summary of his life post-1950 has also been included.

This book will be of interest to those wanting to know more about the work of the Royal Signals in the Middle East during WW II, the use of Morse Code during those times, and military intelligence services deception plots.

 Released 1^st July 2025

Available now from Waterstones, Amazon and other online booksellers worldwide.

https://www.richardshears.net