Ron Williams recalls his early career at Hawkers…
In 1948 I fell out with Sir Sydney Camm when I managed to get a
Surrey County Council grant, of £110 with £90 course fees, to finish my
degree course full time. I had already completed four years night
school at Kingston Polytechnic and spent the previous year cycling
after work from Kingston across London to Northampton Polytechnic in
Clerkenwell, now City University, five nights a week, and I don't think
either of us was benefiting. Sir Sydney reckoned that his people could
teach me all I should know and saw no need for my course. I went,
anyway.
Next Summer, 1949, I applied to him for vacation employment in the
Project Office thinking my five years experience would be useful. I
also needed use of a drawing board to catch up on my course work having
fallen behind the all-fulltime students. Sir Sydney refused and I ended
up doing semi-skilled fitters' work, albeit with better pay, at Canbury
Park road. However, he did take another student from my degree course
into the Project Office, so security couldn't have been the issue.
I attained my degree in 1950 but when I applied to return to the
Project Office I was only offered a Stress Office post, and again
someone from my degree course went into the Project Office instead of
me. A year later that person left and I was back in the Project Office
at last.
Sir Sydney and I were later friends again through
our mutual interest in photography. I was secretary of the Hawker
Photographic Club and published the Club magazine. We had an annual
exhibition and a competition judged by Cyril Peckham, our renowned
Company photographer. Sir Sydney arranged for the Club to have a dark
room converted from our Sports Club's old boiler room and supplied his
old Leitz enlargers. I repaired the first one and he took it back.
I admired the way he kept the Ministries off our
backs. Because he was trusted by them to do the best job possible we
had the minimum of interference. Members of the Project Office - Ralph
Hooper, John Fozard, Robin Balmer, Trevor Jordan and I - were
considered to be his "young men" and would be paraded before visiting
VIPs. I like to think he was proud of us
Updated on 30Oct2010