Charlie wrote:
"
The only one that had some reciprocity was the 2nd Class Commercial
Telegraph Operator and Amatuer Extra which both had a 20WPM test, but code
credit was all that was accepted, the tech part, while similar, was not the
same, mainly due to totally different regulations. "
When I took my Extra test in 1980 the commercial radiotelegraph tests were offered first that day, and I was bored, so I sat down for the commercial test. I recall that it was 25WPM plain text and 20WPM groups. So, they were probably giving commercial operators credit for the ham test but not the other way around.
The written test was a real throwback which included hand-drawing schematics(of vacuum tube circuits) and block diagrams. Luckily at that time it did not include much if anything on solid state as I had learned mostly from reading old books. I already had a First Phone ticket and I think I must have gotten curious about what was on the Radiotelegraph and looked at that some. Otherwise I don't know how I would have managed to invent a block diagram of an Autoalarm Circuit.
That ticket has made a nice wall hanging, but never in a commercial station.
Back to the military ops, I imagine many went in as hams or hobbyists, and some who learned in the service took an interest and got their ham ticket afterwards. I have met many of each, but don't really have a picture of the stats.
73, RF