Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The Radio Amateurs Emergency Network, also known as RAYNET, is a British national voluntary communications service provided by amateur radio operators. It was formed in 1953 and exists to supplement national communication channels in the event of an emergency. The idea of RAYNET came into being in the aftermath of the North Sea flood of 1953, a natural disaster that damaged the communication cables along the east coast of England on the night of 31 January 1953. With communication lines crippled, the police authorities, in desperation, sought help from the few amateur radio operators then licensed, and, although illegal at that time, the Home Office permitted the use of amateur radios to direct and co-ordinate the rescue teams. The following year, an infant network first known as RA-EN was formed.