Thanks to all who responded to my query re. Non-CMS list ownership.
 
Eric pointed me in the right direction by pointing out that VMS clusters
using JNET send out MAIL from the cluster id (in my case UBVMS) and
interactive messages from the node id (imc UBVMSB).  This I knew and had
both GERLAND@UBVMS and GERLAND@UBVMSB as owners thinking this was all that
was necessary, but it turns out that when I did an interactive GET, LISTSERV
locked the list from UBVMSB and the subsequent PUT from the UBVMSB SEND /FILE
was not allowed.  When I did the GET from a MAIL message and the PUT via a
SEND /FILE it worked. Thanks again.
 
Jim...