Royden "Roy" Thornberg was born October 6, 1891 in San Francisco, Calif. and lived in the city most of his life working as a wireless radio operator and radio electrician machinist. He was employed at San Francisco's Federal Telegraphy Company at least by 1917. The Federal Telegraph Company was created in 1910, the same year it built its pioneering transmission tower on San Francisco's Ocean Beach. During this period, Federal was also pioneering in the manufacturing of electronic equipment for wireless transmitting as well as developing a commercial arm. In 1917, the U.S. Navy acquired Federal and its transmitting facilities for use during World War I. According to his WWI registration card and crew lists, Mr. Thornberg sailed aboard the ships Ventura and Ecuador as a wireless operator. Mr. Thornberg's date of death is unknown but he appears in census and voter registration records up until 1940.
From the description of Roy Thornberg notebook on Pacific wireless radio operations [manuscript], 1918-1935. (San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Library). WorldCat record id: 701109081
