Newsletter 2012

36 years with Marconi and AWA NZ

Henry (Herbert) Hall, 5 September 2011

I have only recently come across mention of your Association on the Internet and found what I read of considerable interest. I wonder why after all these years this is the first mention of your existence. I would have thought that someone who knew me would have been in touch many years ago. (Henry was not on the register of Veterans so not known to us – another case of information not always being passed on by personnel departments when an employee attained 25 years of service. This situation has now been remedied; Henry appears in the register as Revd HP Hall and knows where to find us on the web. Ed.)

I worked for Marconi at Chelmsford for 20 years until I resigned in 1970 (see photo above) to join AWA New Zealand. I first worked in the Radar Division, then in the Export Department later renamed the International Division and served as the company representative in Pakistan for six years from 1957. I also served for a while as Managing Director of Marconi South Africa before returning to Chelmsford to join the Radio Communications Division. For them I travelled the world but mainly in the Far East and eventually arrived in New Zealand in 1968. I was successful in securing large contracts for radio communications equipment for the New Zealand Civil Aviation Department and the military. It was then that AWA offered me a post as manager of their Broadcasting and Radio Communications Division, and as I liked the country and its people decided to accept and emigrated.

I worked for AWA until I retired in 1986 and after enjoying some years playing golf, became very interested in religious affairs, left the Anglican Church and became a priest with the New Zealand groups of the Free Church of England. After my wife Irene died of Alzheimer’s disease I finally gave up working and retired to a very lonely and peaceful life on my own here at Waianae, about 60km north of Wellington – the best place in the world!

I keep myself amused with my computer and have written my memoirs and many other stories of my life. I visit my daughter in Wellington every Sunday and keep in touch with my son by Skype who lives in Sudbury, Suffolk. Sadly I have few friends now as most have passed on and I officiated at their funerals.

I am sure Peter Turrall and perhaps some others still remember me and I would love to hear from them when convenient.