1962 LINKED NOTES

Details of the Managing Director, R.E. Burnett, obtained from the Marconi archives at the Bodlean Library in Oxford are:-

Raymond Edward Burnett, born 1st April 1915, graduated in Physics from St. Peter's College, Oxford, and had then taught Physics before joining the RAF in 1940, reaching the rank of Wing Commander. He was a Technical Civil Servant from 1946 to 1950. He then joined Marconi Wireless Telegraph. From 1950 to 1956 he was Manager of Education and Personnel (described as Principal of Marconi College in his obituary). He was then appointed General Manager of Marconi Instruments, becoming Managing Director from 1959.

Asked by a newly-wed to zip up her dress

In evening of 8th January, on going to my room at the Pré Hotel I was stopped by a lady who asked me to zip up her dress. She explained that her husband was rather stupid about these things and asked me if I thought my wife would mind. I assured her that there would be no trouble whereupon she revealed that she was a bride - earlier that day she had married a man of 82, who was three years younger than herself. When she came down to dinner she was bubbling over with happiness, which communicated itself to all the residents. Alas it all proved too much for she died two weeks or so later.

Cambridge Patents

At Cambridge Instruments I had, working closely with a Patent Agent, filed a provisional patent for an 'electronic spring' for use on direct writing recorders. At the Cavendish Laboratory I worked with the National Research & Development Corporation (NRDC) in filing two provisional patents, one for improvements relating to voltage measuring circuits (the nub of which was my divided-tail-pair trigger) and the other for recording time-varying functions (using a recorder fitted with an X-axis delay line). I found that NRDC, which was set up to help inventors bring their ideas to fruition, required me to do much of the work that Patent Agents carry out, while NRDC concentrated on the exploitation side. Consequently, when it came to filing another patent on waveform generation using a sampling method, I decided to do it myself. I think the fee for a provisional patent was about £1 so at the end of the process I had an idea of much greater value which, having ascertained that the Cavendish Laboratory claimed no rights, I was free to market.

Provisional Complete	1965/59	19 Jan 59 19 Jan 60	Improvements relating to voltage measuring circuits. [Uses thermionic valve divided tail pair circuit] Assigned to NRDC.

Provisional	4966/59	12 Feb 59	Improvements in or relating to systems for recording time-varying functions. [Used sampling method. Delay line on X-axis]. Assigned to NRDC.

Provisional	036137		Improved methods of waveform generation. Applied myself using Petition Form 2. Offered to M.I. Bought outright for £500. Original documents no doubt given to M.I.

Agreement Reached with STAL

Around the beginning of February 1962 I received from STAL a draft agreement. I wrote straight away to J. de T. Vischer saying that what he was proposing required me to carry out too much detailed work - I could give only broad and general, not direct and detailed supervision. 62b03 .

A month later we had a meeting in London and in mid-March 1962, just before I departed on a tour of the USA, I signed the agreement, which had been modified in accordance with my wishes. Thus I became Adviser Educational Engineering to STAL for 2 years at £250 p.a. + a 5% Royalty on the CRO & Pulse Generator. The agreement was signed by J. de T. Vischer for STAL on 21st March 1962. 62c16 .

Surprises and Pleasures in New York

What a day! Up at 5.45am. Sheila and les enfants saw me off on the 0740 train from Cambridge thence by taxi to Victoria airways terminal then bus to London Airport to join Arthur Wray. Very smooth flight by Al Italia 707 to New York (7 hours) - wonderful view on landing.

Bus to air terminal then taxi to the Barbizon Plaza, near Central Park. Surprises - yellow grass of cemeteries (so different from Hollywood picture of USA), breezy seaside atmosphere, the number of Irish - the St. Patrick's Day procession was taking place - iced water at dinner - squirrels in Central Park, warmth of sleeping with one sheet and blanket. To bed at 8.45 EDT - 20 hr day.

Club breakfast! What foul water NY has - probably why the coffee is so strong to disguise the taste. Sightseeing - Times Square, Pennsylvania Station, Rockerfeller Centre, lunch in Cafe Francais overlooking skating rink. Concert at Carnegie Hall - William Steinberg and NY Phil - Schubert 3, Mahler 7 (4 concerts with same programme!), sunset from RCA roof, Grand Central Station, supper in drugstore.

Went to Marconi offices and met J.V.S. Walton, Max Impey. To Grand Central for tickets to Boston. Back to the offices - picked up by Bill Bailey. Lunch at The Opera, near Englewood. At the M.I. offices I got the first decent cup of tea in USA (tea at breakfast was terrible).

Phoned Alan & Julia in Ontario - only 30 seconds to be put through! Wonderful to be speaking to them.

Shown by General Radio where British 'aggressors' were repulsed

By train (Pennsylvania) to Boston. Parlour. Swivel seats. No amenities on station except for very hot waiting room. No ventilation in carriage. Shoe polishing, hat brushing. Snow and ice increasing to North. 75 mph average.

Was taken by General Radio executives to visit spot where British 'aggressors' were repulsed in 1775. Stayed at the Colonial Inn, Concord. Beautifully appointed, good food.

Getting to know M.I., Marconi and RCA people and operations in USA

Taken to the M.I. Sales & Service offices. Made travel arrangements. In the afternoon I went to see Hasbrouch about ferroxcube cutting.

Was taken to drive-in store. Bought Honnegger's Joan of Arc (unobtainable in Britain) and Britten's Young Persons' Guide to the Orchestra as well as Elgar's Cockaigne. Also some Easter eggs made in Merthyr Tydvil! To Wally Oliver's home - what a nice fellow.

Dinner with Wally, Keith & Texas Rep + Arthur Wray at Mamma Leonies. Very good except for clams.

In accordance with the long-standing technical information exchange agreement between RCA and Marconi, deriving from when Sarnoff worked for Marconi, I went by coach to the RCA plant at Sommerville. A very interesting day. Movement everywhere - helicopter, train, plane, streams of cars. Green tinted windows. Buses rushing out of station.

Dinner at the English Grill - looking at skaters. Vin d'Alsace should be young. [After a wine tour of Alsace in 1988 I am confident I can say "it all depends"!]

Sightseeing. By train to Brooklyn. Wall Street. New Street. Very dark between buildings. Staten Island ferry. Cars waiting to drive on as other drive off.

Boat to Statue of Liberty. Climb by spiral staircase to inside head. Unusual muscle action. Down climbers shouting to up climbers "its not worth it". They were wrong.

Club sandwich lunch. Up Empire State, perfect visibility. Altimeter in upper elevator! To Viennese Lantern E 79th St. for dinner and show. Very expensive - better for romance than 2 tired businessmen.

Breakfast with Brian Morris and John Robinson (ex Canadian in Texas). Collected by Bill Bailey for lunch in his house at Spring Valley. I drove about 20 miles - found the power-assisted steering a little difficult - too light and too many turns for full lock. What low speed limits the main roads have!

After lunch, back to Barbizon - M.I. Sales meeting at 6 p.m. then dinner. Those Martinis are far too strong. I flopped into bed.

First day of Technical Congress and Exhibition (Electronics). In the morning I covered the third floor - a very tiring business. Lunch at Barbican. Afternoon ditto.

In the evening we were taken by Wally Oliver, Keith Elkin and two others to O'Henry's steak house - sawdust on floor, open charcoal fire, waiters in white coats and straw hats. My first whopper steak! Then to a 'dive' called Phase 2, with rather amateurish entertainment in which we played as large a part as the 'comedians'.

Morning at exhibition. Hank Gribben, a development engineer at M.I., St. Albans, attended the Exhibition - he expressed great surprise that he had been asked to go. [Years after his death I discovered he was a member of a St. Albans Lodge - probably a bit of bonding had been intended].

In the evening Marty Silvers and Len Blakeney (L & M) with Mr. & Mrs. Bailey took us to Giovanni's (66E55 or 55E66). Hors D'oeuvres, specially prepared pigeon on rice and strawberry flambeau and a liqueur on the house. Magnificent. Then to Upstairs at the Downstairs - Bill bought us a record of the show [have still got it]. And finally a drink opposite the Barbizon.

Morning at Exhibition, afternoon at lectures at the Waldorf Astoria. To record the material being presented by slides I took photos of the screen. A man came over, sat next to me and asked if I could send him copies of the photographs. I agreed and he gave me his details. His name was Beck. What a coincidence!

1330 phoned Sheila - wonderful to hear her voice. Got through in about 5 minutes, $13.50

Afternoon embarking for St. Louis. Double room on train a little cramped but very quiet and smooth. Top bunk very comfortable but kept waking up. Had heating turned off.

Arrived St. Louis at about 1230. Walked into town (strong German influence) - very impressive buildings and setting. Caught 1430 Missouri Pacific to Kansas City. Stayed the night at Continental (Travellers Aid booth at station). Early to bed to make up for loss of sleep in train.

0730 Union Pacific to Denver. Ran alongside the Missouri River? for some miles, 80/90mph in complete comfort. Very gradual climb to 5000ft. Very dry soil for a good part of way. Snow, fields. Single track. Cattle grids. Increasing snow for the last 100 miles. Snowy in Denver. Stayed at Albany (picked out of phone directory). Mountain scenery. Walk around town. Hand-played piano!

A beautiful morning. Snow on ground and icicles hanging from vehicles and buildings. To St. John's Cathedral for Communion Service. Quite crowded - a thrill to find words etc. the same. Coffee afterwards. Arthur Wray went to a Methodist Church.

Coach trip to the mountains - Pikes Peak, Cody's grave, Redstone Theatre - all very beautiful in snow. Pushed the coach!

Bus to Boulder - stayed at Harvest House Hotel - very comfortable but not too happy a spirit.

A day at NBS (National Bureau of Standards) - too much to see and hear! Taken to University Campus for lunch by Snyder, the Assistant Chief of Electrical Standards Service.

Open air Shakespeare theatre. Modern housing estate. A walk round Campus before dinner. Very attractive gardens - really green grass. Couldn't get any children's cards or tube of detergents.

Flew over Rockies to San Francisco. Stayed at Sir Francis Drake Hotel. During a stroll with Arthur Wray along the undulating roads of SF we came across a striking recently-built white edifice, which turned out to be a Masonic Hall.

Visited Hewlett Packard at Palo Alto with Arthur Wray. Received by Dr. Gage? (No.2). Shown over and had a good discussion. He took us to lunch - only 1 dining room for all levels - very different to the arrangement in U.K. industry. Brief visit to Stanford University afterwards?

I visited Berkeley (Physics) campus, University of California at San Francisco. Good discussion. Flew to Portland.

Howard Vollum, President of Tektronix, collected me from my hotel in Portland and took me to the plant at Beaverton. When we entered his quite modest office there was one letter for his attention on his desk - that was black-edged and was no doubt personal. Howard said he delegated the opening and dealing with all mail to his staff.

Howard Vollum showed me over the factory, greeting everyone we met by their first names - there were about 400 employees (productivity was many times greater than U.K. instrument firms) and he said he knew the first names of all of them. [From website information on Tektronix it is clear that in 1962 there were over 3000 employees; the 400 he mentioned must have applied to a particular section or category of employee or perhaps he had said that it was when the company had only 400 employees that he knew the first name of every employee].

One point he made was of particular interest, namely that the company designed and manufactured its own cathode ray tubes. The cathode ray tube suppliers (generally the thermionic valve manufacturers) could not produce tubes with the quality and features required for this key component in a CRO so Tektronix designed and made its own tubes, which had a moulded ceramic case and a flat screen on which there was etched a graticule to facilitate measurement.

After the tour Howard Vollum took me to lunch and I think it was at this time he told me that he owed his success to one person, namely A.E. Kempton, who I knew at the Cavendish. Apparently A.E. Kempton had been Howard Vollum's mentor when they had been together at the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) at Malvern during the war.

Howard Vollum, the highly successful entrepreneur and businessman, had retained an intense interest in technical developments. Indeed we were so absorbed in a technical discussion about a new gadget for use on cars (I think it was a device which automatically dipped the headlamps when it detected oncoming lights) that he missed the airport turning on the Freeway and had to go on for miles before he could turn back. However he got me to the airport just in time to catch my flight to Vancouver.

Stayed with Mary, Michael & family in British Columbia. Introduced to a Pinkerton man?

Flew to Philadelphia to visit RCA. Called in at Cleveland on the way, to be shown or advise on something.

On my return to M.I. I discovered I had a reputation for liking alcohol - and so I did, but only in moderation.

M.I. had its origins in a section of E.K. Cole, predominantly a manufacturer of domestic radios. The section produced instruments for the production testing of radios. Marconi Company bought an interest in the section which was set up as a separate Marconi-Ekco enterprise, servicing the production side of both Marconi and Ekco but gradually widening its area of sales to other telecommunication organisations. In due course Marconi bought full control and set it up as a separate company, Marconi Instruments.

The skills of the Engineering Department lay mostly in circuit design and a detailed knowledge over a long period of the telecommunications measurements field. The foremost need in serving a general purpose instrument market was an approach to design which had the specialist but non-electronic user in mind - making instruments easy to use, knowing when to use a plug-in or modular construction, striking a satisfactory balance between performance, cost, ease of use, development time, etc.

This was particularly important in the case of oscilloscopes, for example, where firmly established competition catered for all types of engineers, scientists and other professionals - my misgivings on these points were based quite simply on a comparison between what I had been offered at the Cavendish three or so years before, with what was being designed at M.I. for production three years hence.

Engineers at M.I. would start a general purpose instrument project on the "we could design and produce this instrument which we are at present buying from other companies" - and of course they could. What they had not got were the market insights which the "other companies" had, which were very different from those gained in designing and producing for specialised fields with which they could keep in close contact.

Another problem - perhaps the most important - was that there was not sufficient electronic instrument expertise in the product policy committee. For telecommunications instruments it was passable but needed improvement since the advent of transistors reduced the value of previous electronics experience. For the newer fields, e.g. oscilloscopes, the expertise was much below that required for only modest success. With a development cycle of 2 to 3 years this meant looking ahead and exercising considerable skill in specifying what was wanted at an early stage. This was not happening.

The lack of instrument expertise led to an undue emphasis on financial returns on model numbers.

On entering the night club, 'Gung Ho' went to the bar to order drinks and came back with a beautiful young girl of Caribbean appearance, introducing her with "I've got a sizzler for you". There was another girl, a Belgian, clinging to him and saying "He's my type". 'Sizzler' sat down next to me and we conversed as best we could in her poor English and my poor French, in the course of which she said if I went back with her I could stay until 11 o'clock in the morning. She got up and did a short floor show and when she came back I pressed two or three small notes in her hand (which she immediately tucked in her cleavage), made my excuses and went alone back to my hotel. It didn't help that I had difficulty getting to sleep because of a couple loud in voice and movement in the room next door. The next day "Gung Ho" told me he had enjoyed the night with the Belgian girl.

[In view of later events it is reasonable to wonder if the visit to the Night Club was a set-up].

My approach to Temptation derived from a conversation with Frank Winfield of the Gt. Ouse River Board and Treasurer of Holy Trinity Cambridge Parochial Church Council. I asked, in connection with a minor security matter, "shouldn't Christians trust one another". Frank replied that it was a Christian's duty to keep others from temptation. The same applies to ourselves. Not that it has been easy to "keep down all vain and unbecoming thoughts which might obtrude" as we say in Freemasonry.

On Saturday 14 July 1962 sweeping Cabinet changes were announced - out went Selwyn Lloyd and Charles Hill. Butler was appointed Deputy Prime Minister.

Arthur Wray and I flew to Munich. I was surprised to see sheep on the airfield, not all that far from the runway. The following day, after a fascinating visit to a Siemens factory, we flew to West Berlin where we were shown over the Rohde & Schwarz factory.

Arthur Wray and I went on a coach tour of East Berlin. Going through Check Point Charlie, the underside of the coach was examined with mirrors. We were taken to many places of interest - the one I particularly remember was the newly-built round Cathedral, with the altar in the centre and with beautiful stained glass windows.

I have an idea that on our return to the West zone we visited another Siemens factory.

Arthur Wray was a great train enthusiast and wanted us to use that mode of transport, travelling through East Germany to get back to the West. This required a special permit which had to be obtained from an office in East Berlin. So in late afternoon we crossed the border to East Berlin on foot and got to the office just as it was closing. However, the officials were open to a bit of persuasion (without any money changing hands) and so we got the necessary permits. On the way back I tried to get a German Edition of a book I had read as a child, Emil and the Detectives, in an East Berlin bookshop. I was informed that the book was verboten!

We travelled by train from the Zoological Gardens station, through East Germany to Frankfurt. Several security checks were carried out but there were no problems. Arthur Wray went back to the U.K. and I went on and stayed the night in Stuttgart.

I thought I would contact Dr. Hecht of Leybold while I was in Stuttgart but did not succeed.

I was not at a loss that evening for I discovered from a "What's On In Stuttgart" publication in my hotel room that there was a meeting of an American Lodge (Solomon No.822) taking place. I telephoned the number given and was asked to come along. My credentials as a Freemason were proved by a Deputy Judge Advocate-General (or some such title) and I was invited to take part in the meeting. I was made very welcome - indeed I was asked to act as Treasurer, not for any financial duties which might arise but rather because the Treasurer takes part in the particular Masonic Ceremony being performed. The Worshipful Master wore a top hat and what with the highly polished wooden floor, the black and white clothing and the popularity of Fred Astaire at that time, I though at any moment we might be treated to a tap-dance.

I was afterwards entertained to a beer and sausage supper and presented with a lapel Fleur de Lis emblem, which was what German Freemasons (banned by Hitler) displayed in the Nazi era.

I received a Telex at my hotel concerning deadlines for the filing of my patent application in the USA.

I found my way by train to Reutlingen to visit the Wandel and Golterman instrument company. I first called in at the gramophone record shop where W & G, the instrument company, started - I thought that a more upmarket origin than Hewlett Packard's back-yard shed. I bought a record of Beethoven Sonatas as a memento.

I continued on to the company itself for a tour and discussions on possible cooperation between the two companies. I stayed in Reutinglen overnight [Das Gasthaus der Vierteilerkreis?].

I travelled by train to Wiesbaden where I stayed overnight in a very traditional hotel. I discovered there was a performance of Ariadne Auf Naxos nearby and managed to get a seat. My German was not good enough to understand what was going on but the music was very enjoyable.

I continued my journey by taking a Rhine cruise from Wiesbaden to Cologne. The weather was fine and the scenery wonderful. The commentary was in German but an English edition of a long folding map of the Rhine explained the features as we went along.

I was taken by M.I.'s representative in Amsterdam to a Philips outpost in or near Amsterdam.

I was taken by the M.I. representative to an excellent restaurant on the pier in The Hague and then I think I returned to the U.K. by the Hook to Harwich route.

By the time I returned from the USA STAL had drawn up a programme of work on what they called the Beck oscilloscope as well as the pulse generator. 62c29 .

I then met for the first time John de T. Vischer's brother Peter, who was charged with implementing the programme. I advised STAL on how they could get the work carried out and visited Westminster School on behalf of the company. I attended other meetings with one or other of the brothers and then in early December 1962 I had a dreadful journey to Edinburgh with Peter Vischer to attend an educational meeting in which STAL was interested. Fog led to the cancellation of the flight on we were booked so we went by train instead - but the trains were so delayed that we arrived at the meeting in Edinburgh just as it was ending.

Meanwhile STAL had concluded that the oscilloscope could not be produced for the target price it had set, which did not take account of the CRO's unique educational features. At the end of December 1962 I wrote on that topic to John de T. Vischer. 62l24 .

Since joining Marconi Instruments I had not been particularly active in the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE). However some consequences of proposals I had made at Savoy Place, the London H.Q. of the IEE, while I was at the Cavendish Laboratory were working their way through the system. As a result I was appointed, from 1st October 1962, Chairman of a new Electronics Division Professional Group, namely E1 on Electronic Measuring Instruments and Techniques. I had a brief to set it up and make itself felt.

From time to time former colleagues at the Cavendish Laboratory - e.g. Dr. Graham Smith, Prof. Sir Nevill Mott, Prof. Otto Frisch, and Prof. Martin Ryle delivered lectures at the IEE. I noted details in my diary but I cannot remember going to any of them - their topics were not in my new fields of interest so it would be difficult to justify attendance. Jack Ratcliffe, formerly of the Cavendish, I did see regularly at the IEE for he became Chairman of the Electronics Division on the day I was appointed Chairman of E1.

I was as active in Freemasonry as circumstances allowed. After the move to Harpenden I travelled to Cambridge for masonic meetings - I did not join Lodges etc. elsewhere. My Craft lodge met on Saturdays so there was little problem in attending. In November 1962 I was elected Worshipful Master for the ensuing year and two weeks later I attended a Luncheon as Guest of Honour to inform Past Masters of the list of Officers I was proposing for my year. It was customary at that time for the Luncheon for Past Masters and the Master-Elect to be paid for by the current Master, in whose College it was held. In that way the current Master in effect paid a life subscription to a Lunch Club meeting once a year. The Luncheons were delightfully civilised occasions.

On 1st December 1962 I was installed as Worshipful Master by Dr. George Walker, an Australian resident of Cambridge who was later instrumental in my becoming involved in the United Nations Association.

As is customary in the small Province of Cambridgeshire, the Provincial Grand Master (PGM), Sir Henry Thirkill, sat next to me at the celebratory dinner after my Installation on 1st December. I was very intrigued when Sir Henry expressed regret that I had left Cambridge and then pointedly said that he himself had gone away from Cambridge for some years and when he returned he had only a short spell as Master of a Cambridge Lodge before being appointed PGM. He added that one did not have to practice one's Masonry in Cambridgeshire in order to become its PGM. Sir Henry went on to say that someone like Dr. George Walker was needed in Isaac Newton, the other University Lodge. He was quick in putting me off my offer to pass on to George Walker his thoughts on the matter.