Here is a very short CV written by John himself in 2019:

"Worked for Marconi 1957-1998

Recruited By Maurice Burrage into Field Services

Worked On East Coast Rotor Sites, including Neatishead (I was there when it caught fire). NADGE, Norway to Crete. Queen Alia Airport Jordan, Lanza Radars for Spain.

Retired from contracts dept."

Tributes

From John's daughter:

I am writing to let you know of my dad’s (Robert) John Masters passing.

He passed away on 1st Dec 2025 after a fight with cancer. He was 91 and had lived a full life.

Philip B

I remember John with real affection as he was not only very good at his job but prepared to spend time helping me do mine though I wasn’t his direct responsibility.

After I finished my student apprenticeship I went in to Systems ‘A’ as a young and rather naive systems engineer. I worked on the NADGE programme (NATO Air Defence Ground Environment) for a senior engineer, Joe Oates, on the upgrades of the Norwegian radar stations and some new ones.

After a relatively short time Joe suddenly decided to emigrate to Australia and the boss Reg Harmer asked me to 'hold the fort' until a replacement was found (it never happened!).

I was struggling to understand how all the various groups worked together and during my first visit to a Norwegian site had a major roasting by the Field Services quality engineer about a huge back log of observations from all the NATO sites. John spent time explaining how the observation system worked and using that information I managed to discover that a clerk ‘coordinating' all the observations was the ‘black hole’! John and I then sat down for about two days to prioritise the observations and I used some new folk who had just joined us from Elliot Automation to form a team to clear all but a few of the 800+ issues. John was always willing to help the new engineers from Elliot’s as they were mainly software and the problems were hardware! 

Another tip he gave me was always use battered looking suitcases for travel as they were less likely to be stolen - I still have the shop soiled Samsonite suitcase I bought as a result of his advice.

John was unflappable - we had a classic case of miscommunication that he sorted. 

One of the stations in Turkey was off the air and there was a major panic in Brussels to get it sorted out. Marconi had field engineers who were on 24/7 standby with the 'wherewithal’ to get air tickets quickly to get out to territory ASAP. John’s assistant rang an engineer based in Scotland & left a message with the engineer’s wife to tell him get out to Turkey straight away. The following day the engineer rang in to tell the office he has arrived in Torquay and which ROTOR site needed his services. As a back up John had sent me a telex in the NADGE Ankara office about the problem, he phoned me and with a Hughes engineer we got to the site the following day. The Hughes engineer went to the main computer and simply switched the system from ‘off line’ to ‘on line’; apart from a height finder with cables in the servo cabinet damaged by rats we were back on the air. 

I left the field engineer to sort the rats out — John saw the funny side as it was not the first time!

Barry F

Very sorry to hear about John Masters. I was site engineer for Tønsberg and Nord Kap in 1972/73.

John was Field Services project manager for Norway and we travelled together on the original Hurtigruten post ship to Nord Kap in 1972. I also worked with him in Sitia, Crete for six months and knew his (then) baby daughter. 

Chrissie M

So sorry for your loss - I had a 6 week attachment to Contracts working for John when I was an Electronics Apprentice in the late 80s, he was a total joy despite the spreadsheets.

Richard W

Sorry to hear this. John was a great guy, I used to call him "my pillar of sanity". When I was on the Lanza project I used to go to him stressed out, and he would give me a wise smile and tell me not to fuss so much about it. He was right, these days when I have young project managers coming to me stressed out I give them the same wise smile and tell them not to fuss so much about it....

Penny S

I worked with John in Field Services in the early 1970s such a lovely man such sad news.

Ken W

Sorry to hear the sad news, never a good time but at Christmas far worse.

Jason Firth

Wow, some faces here from my relatively short time at Marconi and bring back some good memories, sorry about the sad news.

Jeremy T

I remember John in his later career when he worked in what was then called Contracts Department, more recognisable as Projects or Business Groups, as the APM and PM on LANZA, the S763 Martello Radar for Spain. 

John went on to support me and other PMs as the contract ground on through to the last ATRG delivery. He was always thoughtful and considerate of those who had less knowledge and experience than him.

My condolences to his family.

John W

 I didn't know John to speak to, but I do remember him. I visited the factory at Great Baddow many times while involved with the T91.

Trish S

I worked with John for many years on Lanza and remember he always seemed lighthearted and a joy to work with, such a sad loss.

Kevin A

I worked at Radar for many years so John and I had many conversations. RIP John.