I wish to inform the members that Peter Whisson of Berkeley Vale Formerly of Cable & Wireless and OTC has passed on last night 17/05/2015. He is survived by his wife Elva, his 4 children, 10 grandchildren and 1 great grand child and his dog, Toby.

Peter spoke to me fondly of his time with C&W/OTC island hopping in the Pacific in places like Guam, Fiji, Papua New Guinea. Ultimately settling into a management position in the head office in Sydney.

His subsequent retirement led him to the peace and quiet of the Central Coast.

Peter was cremated on Wednesday 20th May 2015. A Memorial Service for Peter was held at 11:30am on Friday 22 May 2015 at Palmdale Crematorium (Ourimbah).

I’m his eldest daughter Julie’s other half. Peter and I shared that “Technician” connection, I’m an electronics technian/designer. I’m not directly involved with the arrangements, however I was concerned that his passing may be missed by people whom may want to pay their respects.

I appreciate that many of his contemporaries have already gone, Pete told me so a little while ago. Pete was a thorough gentleman and I certainly enjoyed his company. He will be sorely missed by one and all.

The photos are of Peter with his great grand daughter Aurora at his last birthday in March, One of Pete’s mugshots, and one with some of his grandchildren.

Perry Larsson

It is sad to report that Bruce Collett passed away at 7am this morning after being in poor health for some time. His failing health caused him to move from his unit to a retirement home to be close to his daughter a couple of years ago.

Bruce was born on 24 February 1926.

He joined AWA MOR in April 1942. He graduated as a telegraphist in May 1943. In 1954 he joined the Sydney Cable School before transferring to Cottesloe Cable Station in 1955 for 2 years as a Cable Officer. In 1957 he was back at the Sydney Cable School until he transferred to Suva in 1958 as a Cable Officer. In 1959 he transferred to Fanning Island as a Cable Officer until 1961. In 1962 he went to Norfolk Island as a Cable Officer until his return to Paddington to work in the ISTC later that year. Bruce remained in Paddington ISTC until 1971 when he transferred to the Telegraph & Data Section in Head Office where he remained until he retired in 1986.

Keith McCredden received a phone call from his daughter, Judith Dixon, to let him know of Bruce’s passing and request that his friends and acquaintenances in the Vets be advised.

Funeral Service

Northern Suburbs Crematorium

Wednesday 8th April at 3.30pm.

The below photo of Bruce & Ena Collett was taken at Moree SES in March 1985:

Les Ayers advised 
Alf Cannell passed away during the night.   His wife rang me this morning to advise.  I spoke to his son in law Richard and he advised me that no arrangements had been made as yet.  He will ring me as soon as something is formulated.
Regards to all for now
 
Les….

Robert Hall (VIC OTVA) has provided the following:

JACK BLENKIN WHITE (aged 88) passed away at the Knoxfield Private Hospital at about 8.30pm on Saturday 18^th October 2014

Jack is survived by his three daughters Chris, Jen, Angela and Families

Condolence or sympathy cards can be sent to the family addressed as follows:

Chris Vink

Unit 70, 8 Saffron Drive

Hallam VIC 3803

Our deepest sympathy is extended to Jack’s family on behalf of the members of the OTVA

Eulogy:

JACK BLENKIN WHITE   Aged 88 14.1.1926 – 17.10.2014

Funeral service was attended by about 70 family & friends including 14 OTVA former work colleagues namely:

Geoffrey Whitmore, Charlie Micallef, John Davey, Bob & Sue Beck, John Caulfield, Ashley Foote, Michael Murray, Paul S Murphy, Harold Murphy, Ken McArthur, Tony Mikulic, Robert & Judith Hall.

Jack’s son-in-law Paul Vink gave the eulogy and Grandson Ty aged about 9/10 read a poem, then Geoffrey Whitmore spoke of his memories of Jack at OTC.

Jack was born in UK with 3 sisters and at age 15 was employed at The Press Association/Reuter Worldwide Newsagency England. Working and learning the various positions until becoming Press Telegraphist (Morse Clerk) Senior Clerk Operating Telegraph and Telephoto (Picture Equipment) for the distribution of news and pictures within UK and Overseas. During WW2 he joined the Airforce because of his skills in communications he was wanted more urgently in the British Army and was sent to Germany for a period then back to UK. Jack met his wife Margaret and they had 3 daughters and Jack wanted a better life for them and immigrated to Melbourne Australia in 1965.

October 1965 Jack was employed by Overseas Telecommunications Commission (Australia) Melbourne Office. Positions held until retirement when MOR was closed down : Telegraphist, ITO, SITO, Area Controller – Melbourne Operating Room. All Communications for Receiving and Distribution of Telegrams and Phototelegrams (press pictures etc)

Jack and his late wife Margaret loved life in Melbourne and Australia travelling around yearly on holidays, the beach, family BBQ’s, swimming, woodworking, tai chi, his family and grandchildren.

Jack for the last 15 months was living at ARCARE 478 Burwood Highway Wantirna South and another colleague Geoff Day moved in recently and they spent many hours chin wagging.

Mick Wood’s family has asked Deane Laws to alert the Vets to the fact that Mick was admitted to John Flynn Hospital (Tugun Qld) 5th October 2014 in a serious condition. Mick was well attended by family and close friends during his hospitalisation but unfortunately Mick’s son, Michael, advised Deane Laws at 9.10pm (Qld Time) on Sunday 12th October 2014 that Mick had passed away about 15 mins earlier.

FAREWELL SERVICE:

WHERE:  “Braeside Chapel”

                    251 Gooding Drive

                    Merrimac QLD

WHEN:      11am (Qld time)

                     Monday 20th October

WAKE:

Mick’s residence at 6/6 Burrabee St Burleigh Heads.

CONTACT:

(07)  5535 2417 for a family member or email Deane Laws (deanel@qld.chariot.net.au) who will forward any emails to the family.

Attached are a couple of photos containing Mick from Guam in 1975 provided by Bruce Mayberry.

• BBQ – BBQ at Guam Cable Station early in the TASI-A installation trip – L-R Mick Wood, Jim Pickworth, Don Hacker, Bill Kay, Laci Csont

• MYC – OTC Team in the Marianas Yacht Club Half Ton Challenge – L-R Charlie Hale, Mick Wood, Bob Heron, Bill Kay, Bruce Mayberry, John Vossen.

From Jim Keenan – the Opening of Seacom – Mick is absent from the photo as he may have been pouring drinks with Charlie Hale.

  Can you name the engineer from Head Office?

James BAIRSTOW

Obituary

BAIRSTOW

James Percy (Jim):

25.5.1927 – 9.9.2014 Much loved husband of Patricia (dec) and father of Penny, Ian and Peter; grandfather of Tamara, Daniel, Patrick, James, Andrew, Kieran, Melissa, Cameron, Jarrad, Stephanie, Daniel and Sean; also father-in-law of Ed, Penny and Suzanne.

A gentle and gracious man.

He will be deeply missed.

From Kevan Bourke:

It is with sadness that I pass on the news from Des Kinnersley that Jim Bairstow passed away recently. Jim was one of the older vets from the Cable and Wireless era who trained and worked with Ron Cocker. I didn’t know him personally but had heard of him. I’ve attached some info written by Derek and Des at the time of Ron Cocker’s passing which gives some background on both Ron and Jim. Apparently Jim was one of the ones who opted not to return to WA after the war.

From Derek Walker:

Very sad to read about Ron Cocker’s death. Following is from my files

Ron was born 18 September 1926, joined Cable and Wireless in Perth 1944 and went to Adelaide for 14 months training as a cable operator, joining a group known as Telcom, whose purpose was to staff Far East cable stations decimated by the Japanese. After training Ron sailed from Fremantle in June 1945 for Colombo. After four months in Colombo his group left for Penang and Singapore. He came back to Perth in November 1946 and after leave went to OTC in Spring Street, Sydney for a year. leaving there for the Cottesloe cable station. He stayed there, apart from a two year stint on Cocos Island from 1962 to 1964, until Cottesloe closed in 1965, when he transferred to Applecross radio station. When Applecross closed in 1967 he transferred to Gnangara. He retired from Gnangara as a TO2 in 1986.

From Des Kinnersley:

Here is some further information on the “TELCOM” group mentioned in Derek Walker’s comments above.

The group was formed in 1944 to provide operators for the Cable & Wireless Far East stations, Banjoewangi (Indonesia), Saigon, Singapore, HongKong, Penang and Rangoon after they were retaken from the Japanese.  This TELCOM group was given quasi-military status and they wore khaki uniforms. The groups consisted of young Australians, New Zealanders and others from Great Britain numbering about 150 operators in total.

The Australian group consisted of South and West Australians. Some of the West Australian were: Ron Cocker, Brian Morell, Ken Clark, Jim Bairstow, Heb Farrar and George Scurry.

Some of the South Australians were : Randy Payne, Ken Banks, Ted Gunning (I think), Sherry Sherwood.

After the war most of the WA staff returned to WA although a couple opted to stay when Cable & Wireless and AWA were merged and nationalised to form OTCA. The SA staff were not so lucky as the Adelaide station was closed around 1947 and they wound up in SOR. Some like Randy Payne worked their way up into very prestigious positions.

A Cable & Wireless publication ‘ The Thin Red Lines’ has a photograph of the WA TELCOM contingent. (Page 113). Sadly, Ron Cocker was missing from the photograph as he became ill on the troopship taking the group to Colombo via Calcutta. He had to stay in Calcutta until he recovered and subsequently rejoined the rest of the group in Colombo. In the below photo Jim is the Third from the Left in the Back Row.

Jann Kohlman, OTC Direct Connect Manager (Strategy) in 1992, passed away on the weekend from cancer. For those who know her, she is a great loss. She was a wonderful marketing professional and taken rather young in her fifties.

RIP Jann Kohlman

Jann is on the left side of the picture

Details for Jann’s funeral are:

1:30pm this Friday 1/8/14.

EASTERN SUBURBS MEMORIAL PARK, 12 Military Rd Matraville.

Please note that in lieu of sending flowers Jann’s express wishes are that you will make a donation to the NELUNE FOUNDATION. There will be envelopes at the chapel to do so as well as information about this wonderful charity which helps patients fight cancer with dignity. Jann had an active part in this charity.

Regarding speeches, please let me know the day before if you’re intending to speak. The numbers will need to be limited as we are expecting a large number of Jann’s friends on the day.
There will be a gathering after the ceremony for the CELEBRATION OF LIFE. The location TBC ASAP

I have just received the sad news of the passing of “Bill” Blemings who passed away peacefully on 6th July 2014. I was advised, tonight, by his wife, Wendy.

Bill will be remembered by those of us who worked at Central Operating Room, 47 York St., and at Sydney Operating Room, Spring St. during the 1947-Mid 50’s era as a telegraphist.

Bill, who became a very successful businessman after departing the “old Salt Mines” in the 50’s, would have been 89 years of age on 29th July. There will be, no doubt, some of us still around who knew Bill  and his dad before him, Jim.

Sorry to be the bearer of this sad news.

Trevor Thatcher

From Rob McAulay:

It is my sad duty to advise that Darrel Savage passed away last night, 16th June 2014.

Darrel was a Professional Engineer with OTC before moving on to chase sheep around on a small farm near Mudgee. When that got too difficult for him, he returned to the Central Coast of NSW where a number of his family had moved. Only a few years ago I learned that he had been moved from his lovely home to a Nursing Home as he was not well. It was there that he passed away. Robyn and I spent many lovely mornings having “naughty” cakes and coffee in the garden adjoining his humble abode. We are deeply saddened at losing him as, we are sure, will be his scattered family.

It is very saddening that such a lovely man left us so lonely.

The Funeral Service will be this Friday 19th June in the Rose Room at Palmdale Crematorium (near Ourimbah) at 9AM. Afterwards arrangements are not finalised but most likely at Ourimbah RSL.

There will be a formal advice of the Funeral in Daily Telegraph dated 18 June 2014.

This is a photo of Darrel Savage taken on 3rd July 2013 – almost 12 month before his death.

I think the OTC info regarding his service and its conclusion in 1987 is valuable. We were always uncertain about his age as he had given another age a little while ago but 82 is consistent with more recent discussions. I hope at least a small few of his former colleagues are able to attend his service.

Rob.

From Bob Emanuel:

Few would remember Jane Hodson, former OTC tech and TO who spent her two-three years with OTC mainly in Perth.

Her passing was noted in a large but warm obituary in today’s Sydney Morning Herald print edition and online.

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/obituaries/jane-hodson-helped-guide-the-voice-of-central-australian-aborigines-20140516-zreqw.html

The SMH obit mentioned her time in Telecom, where she did her training but not that she joined OTC with another 24 qualified techs in a large batch of recruitment into OTC in the late 1980s when expansion was the name of the game. Wally Sakaluk was in the same intake.

Hoddy and I got on like a house on fire. I’d just been dumped after a long term relationship and wasn’t into another one quickly so we had a ball together. Both of us moved to Perth for the first DMS300 installation in Australia and didn’t we have a ball. She came from Perth, had two girlfriends living there and family and so I got to see a side of WA that few OTC folks would have – some of the best music I’ve ever heard, great bushwalks and picnic spots and a great array of people. I was the only straight guy in that group.

Jane, ever the restless soul, quit and went to Europe and came back after 6 months – we offered her old  job back but she wanted to work in television and moved to Darwin, which led to her joining the CLC as described in the obituary. I wrote her only reference for the Darwin job, was contacted by them and helped kick off her media career. I moved back to Paddo and that’s when we lost contact.

I am so glad to see she did so well.

Cheers,

Bob E