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Chelmsford Science & Engineering Society

Birth of the Signalling War: The Marconi Company’s key role in WW1

by Dr Elizabeth Bruton

Marconi signalling

Members and Visitors are invited by the Chelmsford Science and Engineering Society to a talk on Monday 2nd March at 19:30 at Anglia Ruskin University’s Chelmsford campus.  The talk is in the Marconi Building, Room MAR 001.  Booking for this lecture is not necessary.

Dr Bruton is going to talk about the vital wartime contribution made by the Marconi Company and Marconi Company engineers and staff employed by the British military during World War One.  The focus of the paper will be important developments in wireless communications including radio telephony, wireless interception, and wireless direction-finding and their impact upon the war in land, on air, and at sea.  This talk will also include a local element: the establishment of a signals interception station located in the Hall St. works in Chelmsford.

Further details at http://chelmsfordses.org.uk/events/67-birth-of-the-signalling-war-the-marconi-company-s-key-role-in-ww1

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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.

S C Beedie
G S Dunne
T H Kendall
C G Marshall
E T Perkins
J E Viles

This list was correct on 19 January 2015  and supersedes the list published on 10 December 2014.

We have intentionally kept this page as simple as possible and provide no 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.

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In memoriam – Reg Awcock

Many of you will be sad to learn of the death of veteran Reg Awcock on 29 December.

The funeral will be held at:

The church of St. John the Baptist, Danbury

on Thursday 22nd January at 1.00 pm.

The church is in the middle of the village and is signposted off the A414 to the south of this road,

 

 

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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.

R G Greygoose
D M Griffiths
Lady E Telford

This list was correct on  10 December 2014 and supersedes the list published on 29 September 2014.

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Lady Telford

Marconi Veterans Association is sad to announce the death on 24th November of Lady Telford, wife of the late Sir Robert Telford who was until his retirement Life President of The Marconi Company.

“Betty Telford” as she preferred to be known had been unwell for several months following a fall in which she broke her leg.  She was at one time an employee of the old MWTCo and was active in sport playing Tennis and Netball for the Company Teams.  She was also an excellent Bridge Player representing the County on many occasions.

The funeral service will be held at All Saints Church, Rettendon on Monday 15th December at 2-30pm and  afterwards at Rettendon House.

Funeral arrangements are being made by Pennack and Sons, Great Baddow.

If anyone wishes to make a donation in Lady Telford’s memory monies should be sent to Pennack and Sons will be distributed to three charities that she supported.

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Chelmsford Ideas Festival 2014

This festival runs in Chelmsford from 20 October to 2 November.

As part of the festival, on 29 October there is a talk by Professor Francesco Parasce Marconi, grandson of Guglielmo Marconi, at Anglia Ruskin University.  More details including a link to book tickets can be found at  http://www.changingchelmsford.org/ai1ec_event/space-final-frontier-marconis-creative-legacy-wireless-technology-pushes-us-ever-onwards/?instance_id=915

 

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David Griffiths

david_griffithIt is with great sadness that we have to report the death of David Griffiths on 26 September. David spent most of his working life with Marconi Command and Control and latterly BAE Systems.

He was a member of the Marconi Veterans Association Committee from May 2007 until ill health forced his resignation in March 2011.

One of his great loves was sailing, in later years sailing out of Tollesbury Marina.  If you would like to make a donation in David’s memory or send a message then the family have established a memorial fund at the RNLI, a charity David keenly supported throughout his life. The link is here:

http://rnli.tributefunds.com/fund/David+Michael+Griffiths

 

 

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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.

F H Austin
J Bradley
S C Church MBE
M J Coombe
R E Cornhill
A V Forwood
P E Foulds
J K Gregory
D E Hart
T F Heaton
P J Humphrey
R E King
A W Lamb
Mrs F A Marshall
Mrs J R Mason
J W Milligan
J R Moody
P B Moore
E Pearson
Mrs C Pye
A Rayner
J C Ryley
G Stevens
R F Taylor
T N Tisdal
R H Vanstone
R C Willis
R A Wood

This list was correct on 29 September 2014 and supersedes the list published on 10 March 2014.

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Basildon 60th anniversary open day

Post updated and pictures added 28 September

Selex ES Limited at Basildon are staging an open day on Sunday 21 September.  The event runs from 11:00 – 15:30 at:

Sigma House
Christopher Martin Road
Basildon
SS14 3EL

The event is by ticket only.  Tickets are free and there will be many exhibits and activities for children of all ages.  It goes without saying there’ll be food and drink too.  Those with memories that go back further than 2001 will better remember the location as ‘K’ Building.  The ground floor of the building will be accessible and in the main reception area there will be a timeline of products and programmes from both the Electro-Optical and Airadio divisions spanning the 60 years.

For tickets please apply at  basildon.60@selex-es.com  advising how many tickets you need and if there are any under 18’s among your party.   As this email address is also being used for other planning purposes would you please write TICKETS in the email subject box.

The Marconi Veterans Association will be having a stand at the event.

The pictures below were taken around the Marconi Veterans Stand on 21 September.

Click on the images for a full-sized version

DSCN1740ADSCN1742ADSCN1741ADSCN1739ADSCN1738A

 

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Past President Stanley Church

StanChurchMBE2_rgbAWe are sad to report the death of our Past President Stan Church at the age of 96; he was our oldest veteran. He was president of the Marconi Veterans Association in 2003

Stan Church was a member of the Church family with many relatives who joined the Company when it was known as Marconis Wireless and Telegraph Company Limited.  Stan completed fifty years of Service and ended up as Manager Spares Department of Central Division of Marconi Communication Systems Limited.  When he joined Central Division it was under the Divisional Manager P.J. Donelly and later Gordon Williams who was then Divisional Manager Broadcasting Division of MCSL.

Stan lived in Well Lane Galleywood and as a very keen cyclist he cycled to work each day, first to Central Division at the HQ in Westway and latterly in Waterhouse Lane where the MCSL Company Development Labs were situated.  He was a member of the Chelmsford Cycling Action Group and also a member of the Essex Wildlife Trust.  He was a founder member of the local Group who opened the ponds between EEV and the railway embankment in Central Park Chelmsford naming them “The Marconi Ponds” where he spent a lot of time clearing the vegetation and making the ponds an ideal place for visitors to find wildlife and peace and quiet.

There will be a funeral service at Galleywood Parish Church on Wednesday, 23 July commencing at 1.30 pm followed by cremation at Chelmsford Crematorium at 2.30 pm.