What was the first year that radio/teletype operators used Phonetic code letters Able .Baker .Cable.
The site I have says approx 1940-42 and lists lots of different Names for these
Europe uses the Nato version these days Alpha,Bravo,Charlie,Delta...
My AP name in Europe will be "called" differently in some parts of the worlds due to local standards
Some examples:
Europe from 1955
Bravo.Echo,Delta,Sierra,Tango,Oscar,Romeo
The American Military version is the same but with some odd spellings such a A-Alfa .Is a Vehicle maker in Europe(Alfa-Romeo)
LAPD version from 1941
Boy,Edward,David,Sam,Tom,Ocean,Robert
www.bckelk.uklinux.net/menu.html (top of page)Phonetic alphabets section (Able Baker story is an old forum(Usenet?)thread from 1993-94(thats really old!) has lots of oddities within it. Might still be available on Google Groups? (Usenet postings where deposited here some years ago)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bedstor,

From Wikipedia: NATO Phonetic Alphabet

From the History section:

"The first internationally recognized alphabet was adopted by the ITU [International Telecommunication Union] in 1927."

Older phonetic alphabets are suggested from World War I.

A source lacking credentials suggests that radio alphabets have been around as long as...the radio! This makes a great deal of sense, even if unconfirmed.

Thanks for that Fuse
every time I read through these links I've seen another variation I missed
Not even touched on Radio teletype yet with its control codes I remember these were on early Home computers as well for some reason the word Hyperterminal(in Communications Folder) rings a bell (Used for Telnet service(almost obsolete!)) perhaps they doubled up as an RTTY terminals using baudot code from 1870 ,earlier than Morse code? But as you can see far more complex

Alfa is A and Romeo is R. So Alfa-Romeo is in there, Bedstor . Some cunning plan by the car makers ?

Pip pip !

Don't forget the Golf, Sierra and Victor, Fred.