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Alan Butt

Page history last edited by Ian Gillis 3 years, 3 months ago

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Biography

Brief Bio(graphical) ~ A.G.Butt (AGB) 22 June 2011
Prior to joining the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company Limited I was employed from the age of 16 as a DCO (Departmental Clerical Officer) by H.M. Customs & Excise.


Oct 1962 ~ at the age of 23 I joined the Marconi Radar Installation Design Office (managed by Ken Knowles and Bernard Watkinson) located at Church Green, Chelmsford as a Trainee Installation Draughtsman. Produced drawings for Clee Hill Repeater Site and Consoles for Farnborough Air Show. Firstly, on Bernard “Bonk” Barrel’s section for trainees, then in Tony Fewell’s section and finally in Ron Larner’s section.


Late 1964 ~ moved with IDO (Installation Design Office) section (under Ron Larner) to Baddow.


1965/66 ~ secondment to TID (Technical Information Department) Drawing Office (managed by Ken Hughes) in Hut 18, Baddow Field. Worked as Circuit Delineator.

 

1967 ~ transferred to Naval & Military Systems {later to become Systems ‘B’} managed by John Sutherland prior to my transfer, managed by Max. Stothard when I joined, later by Ian Whitlock) in ‘D’ Block, Baddow. I worked on several projects under Alan Bradley Greaves (ABG) including:- RO-108 aka “Shahabad” ~ this comprised an S244 (Nodding Heightfinder (‘S’ Band) and S266 (‘S’ and ‘L’ Band Back to Back Surveillance) aerials together with Mk10 IFF (Secondary Radar) plus relevant Transmitters and Receivers (SR1000 for ‘S’ Band and SR1030 for ‘L’ band) together with Signal Processing equipment which included MTI (Moving Target Indication), and Video Map (all thermionic). The system also included six S3001 Displays plus Display Back-up Rack utilizing ‘R-unit’ logic (transistorized). Facilities provided, included Inter-Console Marking. I worked on the system design of Display Back-up equipment with ABG plus interfacing with ‘Alf’ Barwell who was responsible for remainder of the system/ equipment.


1969 ~ 6 months secondment to Field Services and sent to Shahabad, Iran for installation and commissioning of system. System handed-over to RAF in Sept 1969, with hand-over from RAF to Imperial Iranian Air Force some months later. ‘Charlie’ Capon was Site Manager and John Crabbe supervised system testing and flight trials. John Lawrence headed the Handover on behalf of Marconi Radar. On return to UK in Oct’69 I was tasked with writing/completing handbooks for RO-108 system and related work (“putting RO-108 to bed”) for next 6 months.


Late 1969 to 1971, worked on SLEWC (Standby Local Early Warning & Control) system involving design aspects plus supply and commissioning of S3002 and S3008 Displays and Consoles at RAF Neatishead and RAF Boulmer. SLEWC provided a local control facility in case the Linesman/Mediator system failed.


1971 ~ started getting involved with visits to Elliott Bros. at Borehamwood, Marconi Radar had bought the Airspace Control Division of Elliott Bros involving the transfer of staff, equipment and ‘know-how’ to Chelmsford. At about this time I was tasked with completing a long-outstanding contract inherited from Elliott involving a SALT (Semi-Automatic Logic Tester) which enabled units on the NIMROD AEW (Airborne Early Warning Aircraft {a converted Comet 4}) to be ‘automatically’ tested. Customer was the MOD (Ministry of Defence) based at 14MU near Chester. Task involved writing test code resulting in a punched test tape for each unit and making periodic visits to 14MU on the Wirral Peninsula to prove the tapes.


1972 onwards the Systems work ‘dried-up’ and I was assigned (volunteered) to become a computer programmer. Initial task was to write test software for the GL161 project to run on Elliott 920C computer (under direction of Dave Green).


1973 to 1974 employed as part of the hardware and software commissioning team at RAF Wattisham working on the support system for GL161. This involved co-operating with Plessey engineers who were also working on the system. I believe that Plessey heightfinders and displays were used on the system which was destined for Cyprus and (somewhere else)?


1974 ~ January to March was the period of the ‘3 Day Week’, I was employed in the “black-hole” of E Block, WRW where I worked on ScATCC (Scottish Air Traffic Control Centre) system involved in writing real-time ‘library’routines for Locus 16 using DataCode1 programming language. System employed distributive processing which required a Locus 16 and Marconi Display at each Console position. System comprised 5 Radar Processors, each able to process input from 2 radar signal sources, thus giving an ability to select from 10 radar sources by the 29 Display Processors. In addition there was a Support Cell to enable software changes to be made and tested before going online.


1979 ~ after ScATCC went ‘live’ I stayed on at Prestwick for 6 months as ‘Resident Software Engineer’. A few years later (1983 to 1986) a derivative of ScATCC was provided to Jordan (located at/near the Queen Alia airport) [I did not work on this system apart from an advisory capacity].


1980 ~ worked on TOR-H as Team Leader of Project Library & Support Team for several years under Colin McRae.


1983 ~ worked on ‘Blue-Book’ standards along with lots of other people.


1984 ~ Assigned at short-notice to UKADGE (United Kingdom Air Defence Ground Environment) {Marconi partnered with Hughes in the USA} project as Team Leader under Phil Prowse working on part of the UC (Universal Console). Team of about 4 members writing codesoftware in Coral66.


1986 ~ Assigned to Software Quality Assurance Engineering (SQAE) duties working in ‘E’ Block WRW under Peter Matthews. Section comprised approx. 4 to 5 SQAE’s. After about a year I moved to Central Quality in ‘J’ Block. There, QA was headed by Fred Robertson at time of move but within weeks Fred died and Dick Safe was appointed as QA Manager. After about a year, staffing levels were being reduced and I was advised by DS to find myself another job within Marconi Radar or risk being made redundant.


1987 ~ in July the “Big Flood” happened in E Block, WRW followed by the country-wide hurricane in October. I was appointed Support Team Leader/Section Leader on Bacchus Project (an Air Defence system) for Yugoslavia. Worked on project in ‘E’Block WRW initially under Bill White and then under Peter Bain for about 2years.


1989 ~ Worked for approx. 6 months as SQAE on Project KAWAL (destined for Malaysia) which was a successor project to Bacchus.


1989 ~ Back to general SQA duties under Peter Matthews. During this time PM became Head of Quality for Marconi Radar. Also, at about this time I believe that Barry Pettican was Quality Director and Derek Watkins had been Manager, Data Systems Division for several years. DW was succeeded by ABG. During this period I was co-opted to Data Systems ‘in-house’ Software Sub-Contractor function under Pat Pettit and sub-contracted to work at Cossors at Harlow on a part-time basis (2 days a week) over a period of several months to write a SQPP (Software Quality Programme Plan). PM retired early, and was succeeded as Quality Manager firstly by Don Halstead, and after that by Owen Hawkes.


1991 ~ I started working as SQAE on JORN (Jindalee Over the Horizon Radar Network) for Australia. Went to Australia Aug 1992 to work on producing a JORN SQPP. Resumed SQA duties on JORN on return to UK in Sept’92.


1994 ~ moved from Writtle Road to Eastwood House.


1996 ~ Maurice Barwick was appointed QA Manager and Roger Baker made responsible for the SQA function which was subsequently headed by Bob Pollard. Projects included GWS25.


1998 ~ software development on JORN ceased in the UK and remaining work was transitioned to Australia for completion.


1999 ~ took early retirement in April ~ went to work part-time (3 days per week) for Raytheon (formerly Cossors) at Harlow.


2003 ~ made redundant by Raytheon in May ’03 at age 64, now fully retired.

 

Further Reminiscences

I joined Marconi in Oct 1962 as a result of a recruiting campaign by Ken Knowles and Bernard Watkinson who trawled the South Coast (and possibly other parts of the country) for staff to work in the Marconi Radar Installation Design Drawing Office at Church Green. Church Green was a large country house situated opposite the church at Church Green at the north end of Broomfield Road. In addition to the Installation Design Drawing Office there were also other parts of Marconi Radar housed at Church Green including Systems Engineers, Installation Design Planning Engineers, and also I think that Field Services were based there. The Drawing Office housing the draughtsmen appeared to be a purpose-built annex to the main house. I was informed by Vi Taylor that the extension/annex was added during the war as an aircraft plotting room. It was ideal as Drawing Office due to its large high windows; it was capable of housing 24 to 30 drawing boards.

 

The Installation Design Drawing Office staff, in addition to draughtsmen, included the tracers (an all 
female team). The D.O. personnel were as follows:- Ken Knowles (Chief Draughtsman) {Ken, I 
understand, was preceded by Geoff Chapman}, Bernard Watkinson (Assistant Chief Draughtsman),
Ken had a secretary ~ Pat ?. In the outer office there was Ken’s wife Winifred and Beryl Allerton 
(performing clerical/admin. tasks). The tracers were located in a separate part of the building and 
included the following ladies: - Violet Taylor (Chief Tracer), married to Cyril Taylor (lecturer at Marconi
College) ~ Vi apparently spent most of her time drawing/compiling Video Maps. The tracers included 
Beryl Snelling, Valerie Hibble (married to John Hibble), Audrey Turner, Muriel Boorer, Sue Browning 
(married to Alan Browning), Sue Fagg (married to Mike Fagg), Ann Brown, Ann Ratcliff, Sandra Livings,
Sue Brimley (married to Vic Brimley).According to Vi Taylor, she had about a dozen tracers at 
maximum in her team.
 
Members of the main D.O. included the following:-

 

Section Leaders: - Gordon Watts, Ron Larner, Vic Myall, Bernard Barrell, Bill Raistrick, Tony Fewell. 
Checkers: - Alan Thorogood, Eric Mooses, Vic Hales

Draughtsmen:- Tony Desmond (went to Canada), Roger Hill, Bernie Lingwood, Dave Anstee (left and started his own business), Roy Beckwith, Jim Henson, Roy Lye, Vic Brimley, Ken Alderman, Alan Thompson, George Bassoon, Brian ? (from Portsmouth), Mike Fagg, Alan Butt (yours truly), Len Wilkinson (ended-up at New Street), Mike Delf, Alan Browning, Norman ?, Tony Bowers, Des Edgington (went to Fords), Peter Foulds, and quite a few more ???

 

Other people at Church Green but outside the D.O. included:-

 

Systems Engineers ~ Peter Max (General Manager), John Lawrence, Les Peddy, Cyril Newland, Ken 
Knight, ? Ellis-Robinson, Roland Crompton, Dennis Caunter, John Crispin, Frank Martyr, Dennis Miller  

 

Installation Design/Planning Engineers ~ Ron Saunders, Tom Bainbridge, Bill Mackenzie, Stan Baynes,
Tony ? (went off to Cossers at Harlow), Ray ? (came from Littlehampton) Print Room ~ John Newland, 
followed by Sam ?
 
Cashier ~ Joe Bardell
 
Catering ~ Mrs Hume (renowned for her dripping toast)
 
Misc ~ Olive Leeds
In compiling the above lists of names I am grateful to Violet Taylor, Dave Anstee and Tony Fewell for 
their very useful input. No doubt Bernie Lingwood and Alan Browning could correct/add to the above. 
I have probably got some of the Systems and Installation Design/Planning Engineers muddled-up.
 

Initially, I was in a training section with three or four others under the watchful eyes of Bernard Barrell. During our period of training we made a visit during the winter of 1962/63 for two/three days to RAF Sopley (near Bournemouth). All I can remember of that trip was how cold it was standing on the Radar gantries ~ I pleased to get back to Church Green. During my trainee period I was involved with drawing some wooden consoles to house display equipment for the Farnborough Air Show. Another job I did at Church Green was to produce the drawings for the waveguide run for the Clee Hill Repeater site. After about a year I ‘graduated’ from a trainee to a fully-fledged Installation Draughtsman and worked briefly on Tony Fewell’s section. Later I was transferred to Ron Larner’s section when RL’s section was moved to Baddow (I think it was to ‘D’ Block). Soon after arriving at Baddow I was loaned for about a year to Ken Hughes’s Circuit Delineation Section located in Hut 18 in the field at Baddow - see continuation.

 

My memories of Church Green days were mainly good ones. There was good camaraderie and fellowship amongst the draughtsmen. During a large part of the winter of 1962 I used to travel to/from Brighton by motorcycle (Ariel Red Hunter 500cc Single Cylinder) at the weekends. Returning from Brighton on Monday at 5 a.m. on a winter's morning was no joke. Despite wearing `leathers' and stuffing old newspapers down the front of the leggings I was almost frozen to the bike by the time I reached Church Green and virtually needed to be lifted off the bike and carried into the office to thaw out. Some time later when I had acquired a car (a 1939 Series `M' Morris 10) the starter- motor packed up, the lads from the office kindly push-started the car on a Friday night and I hoped not to stop again before I had reached my parents home in Brighton (fortunately they lived on a hill so I could bump-start again on the Sunday evening or Monday morning for the return journey to Church Green). The summer months were pleasant, in that several of my colleagues were interested in playing tennis. We used to play sometimes at the Marconi Sports Ground at Beehive Lane and sometimes at Oaklands Park (at the top of Moulsham Street). As I recall, Alan Thorogood was the star tennis player. The tennis evenings usually concluded with a few beers in the pub opposite (The Rising Sun). Xmas time at Church Green was celebrated by the D.O. with food and drink at the pub on the corner of the green (The King's Arms) paid for with money we had collected over the previous few months. It was a requirement in those days for the D.O. staff to clock in and out and work a 37.5 hour week and to arrive punctually by 8.30 a.m. Should one's accrued lateness in a week exceed a total of 5 minutes then you were called to the office to explain why you had been late to Ken Knowles. It was not that easy to think of a good excuse, especially if you were late several weeks running. One other memory from Church Green days was the fact that tea ladies brought a tea-trolley round the D.O. in the mornings and in the afternoons. In the morning as well as the tea, one could purchase filled rolls and sometimes sausage rolls; in the afternoon cakes were available  ~ it all seemed very civilized.

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Ian Gillis said

at 3:53 pm on Feb 10, 2016

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