Category: In Memoriam

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In Memoriam

We regret to report the deaths of the following Veterans and extend our sympathy to the families of those mentioned.

Chris Arnold1956
Roger Ives1964
John (Jim) James1954
Michael Kavanagh1944
Nick Lockett1962
Tony Slocombe1945
Michael Steeds1953
Nick Tovey1957
Derek Weston1951

This list was correct on 23 September 2019 and supersedes the list published on 18 March 2019

We have intentionally kept this page as simple as possible and provide minimal details of the deceased.  However, where we have biographical details of a person and/or funeral details these will be published under the Notices tab above.

At the request of some Veterans we have included given names where these are known to us.

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In Memoriam

We regret to report the deaths of the following Veterans and extend our sympathy to the families of those mentioned.

Robert (Bob) Adams1957
Harold J Barker MBE1936
I W Bendall1964
W E (Bill) Blakemore1960
Robin (Robbie) Boram1948
Derek J L Brown1957
Barry Christopher Bruce1966
John D S Clarke1960
S E Clarke1946
Anthony (Tony) D Condon1956
Peter J Eves1946
E H Gildersleve1949
Geoff Harris1948
Douglas W Hills1939
Dennis B Huber1964
Gerald R (Gerry) Jinman1941
J M (Mike) Leadbeater1968
Michael (Mike) F Macken1968
Albert Victor George (Vic) Martin1943
E D (Ted) Overy1967
Anthony Alan Parks1966
John G Pickering1959
Alfred (Alf) Porter1954
John V Simpson1969
Arthur D Stevens1952
K Watkins1949
Fred Wilde1958

This list was correct on 18 March 2019 and supersedes the list published on 14 January 2019

We have intentionally kept this page as simple as possible and provide minimal details of the deceased. However, where we have biographical details of a person and/or funeral details these will be published under the Notices tab above.

At the request of some Veterans we have included given names where these are known to us.

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In Memoriam

We regret to report the deaths of the following Veterans and extend our sympathy to the families of those mentioned.

Keith Chittenden1955
Mike Field1961
Derek Sizeman1944
Ray Walls1946

This list was correct on 14 January 2019 and supersedes the list published on 5 December 2018

We have intentionally kept this page as simple as possible and provide minimal details of the deceased.  However, where we have biographical details of a person and/or funeral details these will be published under the Notices tab above.

At the request of some Veterans we have included Given names where these are known to us.

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Keith Chittenden

Keith Chittenden, Managing Director of Marconi Radar Systems at the time of his retirement, passed away on Saturday 12th January aged 84.  He is survived by his wife Sylvia, his daughter Sandra and his son Jeremy.

Keith was born at Ipswich in 1934 and was educated at Hymers College Hull, Nottingham High School, and Imperial College, University of London, where he gained a BSc Honours degree.

In 1955 he joined Elliott Bros., Borehamwood, starting as an engineer and progressing to Senior Engineer and Project Leader.  In 1962 he transferred to Elliott Space and Weapon Automation Systems, Frimley, Surrey, which was later absorbed into Marconi Space and Defence Systems, becoming Assistant Chief Engineer and then Project Manager DN181 ‘Blindfire’ Radar development. After several years as Divisional Manager, Radar and Missile Systems Division, he was appointed Deputy General Manager in 1978 and General Manager in 1981.

He was appointed Managing Director at Marconi Radar Systems at Chelmsford from 1982 until his retirement towards the end of the decade in about 1987.

An article written by Keith is included in the MVA Newsletter for 2009 at https://www.marconi-veterans.com/?p=490&page=22

A service commemorating his life will be held at Holy Trinity Church, Minchinhampton at 2pm on Tuesday 29th January.

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In Memoriam

We regret to report the deaths of the following Veterans and extend our sympathy to the families of those mentioned.

D C Bloomfield1967
Alan Camp1959
K F Kippen1950
K W Hawthorne1953
Ron Mills1949

This list was correct on 5 December 2018 and supersedes the list published on 24 September 2018

We have intentionally kept this page as simple as possible and provide minimal details of the deceased.  However, where we have biographical details of a person and/or funeral details these will be published under the Notices tab above.

At the request of some Veterans we have included Given names where these are known to us.

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In Memoriam

We regret to report the deaths of the following Veterans and extend our sympathy to the families of those mentioned.

Stan Atkins1967
Paul Baird1964
Peter Chapman1953
Arnold Clegg1953
Prof. Bernard de Neumann1961
Basil Francis1939
John Marrs1973
D K Marshall1954
Miss Pam Reynolds1960
Graham Sefton1959
R Sleet1942

This list was correct on  24 September 2018 and supersedes the list published on 19 March 2018

We have intentionally kept this page as simple as possible and provide minimal details of the deceased.  However, where we have biographical details of a person and/or funeral details these will be published under the Notices tab above.

At the request of some Veterans we have included Given names where these are known to us.

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Basil Francis – Veteran and past President

We regret to announce that Basil Francis, who was our president in 2015, died on 2 May.

Basil joined what was then Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company  in 1939 just after war had been declared and worked in the Installation Design Division that had recently been transferred from London to the research centre at Great Baddow.  Here he started a Mechanical Engineering course at Mid Essex Technical College but this was interrupted in 1941 when he volunteered for the RAF.  Here he gained his wings and flew various aircraft ending up in Burma before being demobbed in 1946.

He returned to MWT in the drawing office and completed his college training.  In the DO he moved up eventually becoming head on the Installation Drawing Office at New Street before retiring in 1989.

His funeral was at Chelmsford Crematorium on Wednesday 30th May and afterwards there was a wake at Little Channels Golf Club.

 

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In Memoriam

We regret to report the deaths of the following Veterans and extend our sympathy to the families of those mentioned.

Mrs Freda Amos1940
Mrs Hilda Barwick1961
Phillip Brogden1965
Mike Butcher1956
Roger Farrow1952
Ivor Harrrison1952
Kenneth Hutley1939
Ian MacNee1973
David Mainhood1952
A D Marley (Tony)1969
Ken May1959
R W Pendlebury1959
Robert Scorey1947
Alan Smith1966
Geoffrey Stocks1951
D W Varney1948
Mrs Kath Weaver1941

This list was correct on 19 March 2018 and supersedes the list published on 15 January 2018

We have intentionally kept this page as simple as possible and provide minimal details of the deceased.  However, where we have biographical details of a person and/or funeral details these will be published under the Notices tab above.

At the request of some Veterans we have included Given names where these are known to us.

Posted on

In Memoriam

We regret to report the deaths of the following Veterans and extend our sympathy to the families of those mentioned.

Mike Butcher1956
Norman Cryer1958
Peter Frost1952
Steve Gratze1966
Jimmy Hegarty1955
Mark Oliver1955
Jack Parker1939
Derek Pope1947
David SamwaysFriend
Graham Smith1970
Michael Stears1963

This list was correct on 15 January 2018 and supersedes the list published on 5 December 2017

We have intentionally kept this page as simple as possible and provide minimal details of the deceased.  However, where we have biographical details of a person and/or funeral details these will be published under the Notices tab above.

At the request of some Veterans we have included Given names where these are known to us.

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Marconi Old FellowS

We regret to announce the death of David Samways on December 28.  He joined Marconi’s in 1957 on an HND Thin Sandwich course, completing the course in 1961.  David left the Company in 1968 and joined Honeywell Computers eventually settling in Australia in 1979 where he remained until his death

He is not, therefore, a Marconi Veteran but because of the intensive work he has done over the years, as described below, he has made a very significant contribution to the recording of the history and raising awareness of The Marconi Companies and their employees and is thus remembered on this site.

David started the site MOFS in 2011 as a place to list the names of the apprentices from the mid nineteen fifties, David having joined Marconi’s at that time.  Over the years the project expanded so that now it covers all engineering apprentices from 1941 to 1989.  The list is far from complete but to date the list holds around 1000 names.

In 2012 he started a collection of Wikis covering the various areas of the Marconi business and these have proved an invaluable repository of Marconi documents both formal and those written by Marconi employees.  He was helped in this by veterans in the UK who still had access to some of the Marconi publications, which have been scanned and added to the Wiki.

Luckily, the Wikis remain accessible so all the data is not lost but the search is now on to find a new moderator for the archive so that it continues to be a Marconi resource.

Further tributes to David from friends and work colleagues can be read Here