Apart from GSL (below) his son Jerome played a large part
in the development of the radio business from early thirties to 1965.
In the early days two radio enthusiasts joined the compan
y.
y.
Harold
Cox the technical expert and Arthur Edwards G6KJ the commercial expert.
These guys will influence the company for the next 40 years
Harold Cox joined Stratton’s in the twenties as a
young man and he was almost certainly their first “brought in” radio
man. He rose to become General Manager and he designed the first
“tropicalised” radio in the form of the diecast aluminium All World
Four of 1930. It was completely bug and rot-proof.
In spite of employing a team of licensed hams he had very little
time for amateurs and always said their was no money in it. Harold
left the company after Marconi bought it in 1965. He lived to a good
old age and only died relatively recently. Old hands remember a
cigarette permanently hanging from his lips and dribbling ash in to
the radio gear. He was much feared! 
Arthur
Edwards G6XJ also joined the company in the twenties and was
the Sales Manager. He was away during the war where he rose
to the rank of Commander in the Fleet Air Arm working on top
secret radar. He was a life long batchelor and had a shack
at his parents house in Solihull. All Eddystone equipment of
course. He was keen on sailing and instigated the
Yachtsman in the 1950’s.
Arthur
Edwards G6XJ also joined the company in the twenties and was
the Sales Manager. He was away during the war where he rose
to the rank of Commander in the Fleet Air Arm working on top
secret radar. He was a life long batchelor and had a shack
at his parents house in Solihull. All Eddystone equipment of
course. He was keen on sailing and instigated the
Yachtsman in the 1950’s.
Someone else who
was to have a great influence on the company from 1935 until
1985 was Bill Cooke GW0ION. Bill was chief engineer from
1947 until 1976 and then Managing Director until 1984 and
Chairman from 1984 to 1985.
Bill
Cooke was a schoolboy radio fan and joined Stratton's as an
apprentice in 1935. He must have been a winner because he
was picked to construct the first model ERA 7 in 1938; the
company's 'flagship'. In Sept 1939 he was called up to the
RAF where he worked on the new generation of 'Air Ministry
Experimental Stations' (AMES) which was the code name for
RDF or radar stations. After square-bashing he was posted to
RAF Rame Head where the radar gave an excellent permanent
echo from the Eddystone Lighthouse at 11.5 miles and 198.5
degrees. In 1941 he sailed for Egypt, travelling across
North Africa with the Desert Air Force and the 8th Army,
arriving back in England just in time for VE-Day.
Back
at Eddystone at the end of 1945 his first job was
developing a 50MHz welding machine for babies' plastic
pants! Three machines were shipped to the Australian
subsidiary of Jarrett and Laughtons and gave many years
service. In 1947, just after his 28th birthday he was
promoted chief engineer. He had worked with Marconi's
since the early fifties so when the take-over came in
1965 he wasn't upset. When Dick Carroll (an ex-Marconi
man and by then Managing Director) moved on in 1976 Bill
succeeded him as MD until his retirement in 1984. It
wasn't until after his retirement that he finally got
round to taking out his ticket, GW0ION. He celebrates
his 87th birthday this year and is in touch with most of
the world!!
Bill
Cooke was a schoolboy radio fan and joined Stratton's as an
apprentice in 1935. He must have been a winner because he
was picked to construct the first model ERA 7 in 1938; the
company's 'flagship'. In Sept 1939 he was called up to the
RAF where he worked on the new generation of 'Air Ministry
Experimental Stations' (AMES) which was the code name for
RDF or radar stations. After square-bashing he was posted to
RAF Rame Head where the radar gave an excellent permanent
echo from the Eddystone Lighthouse at 11.5 miles and 198.5
degrees. In 1941 he sailed for Egypt, travelling across
North Africa with the Desert Air Force and the 8th Army,
arriving back in England just in time for VE-Day.
Back
at Eddystone at the end of 1945 his first job was
developing a 50MHz welding machine for babies' plastic
pants! Three machines were shipped to the Australian
subsidiary of Jarrett and Laughtons and gave many years
service. In 1947, just after his 28th birthday he was
promoted chief engineer. He had worked with Marconi's
since the early fifties so when the take-over came in
1965 he wasn't upset. When Dick Carroll (an ex-Marconi
man and by then Managing Director) moved on in 1976 Bill
succeeded him as MD until his retirement in 1984. It
wasn't until after his retirement that he finally got
round to taking out his ticket, GW0ION. He celebrates
his 87th birthday this year and is in touch with most of
the world!!