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William Davies
William Davies, Bill as he was known to family, friends and colleagues was born in Liverpool on August 20 1922.
He left school and was employed as a Laboratory Assistant at Stretford Grammar School. He was evacuated at the start of the war with the school to Macclesfield. He was billeted in a chip shop which meant he eat well!
He got a job as industrial chemist and as this was a reserved occupation he was not required to join the forces in World War 2.
He studied at night school to get his Chemistry qualifications.
He was a keen photographer and took many photos in those earlier days( of his children) which he developed and printed himself. One of his photos of his baby daughter appeared in “Parents” magazine.
In 1952 Bill got a job as an Analytical Chemist at Sellafield in Cumberland with the Ministry of Supply (later to become the UKAEA) in the new exciting Nuclear Industry. The family moved to Seascale near Sellafield.
Bill was interested in electronics and used to repair radios for people. He built a TV using an ex-war radar screen and the family were able to watch the Coronation in 1953 on it. It had a 9 inch screen and was black and green instead of black and white! It could only get BBC.
Bill got his first car here. He paid £10 for and had to push it home. It was a Standard Big Nine and he had to rebuild the engine. It was his pride and joy.
In 1956 Bill was promoted to a Senior Experimental Officer on condition he transferred to Dounreay in Caithness to help start the new laboratories which were to support the Nuclear Test Reactors. His professionalism and dedication during the earlier pioneering days of Dounreay helped him and a colleague to develop the Davies-Gray technique for nuclear accountancy of uranium solutions which was recognised and adopted world wide by the Nuclear Community.
The whole family moved to Thurso in Feb 1957. Petrol rationing had just started because of the Suez crisis, so everything including car and furniture came up by rail! The family thought that they were going to the North Pole!
Bill was very keen on getting into the countryside at the weekends and was involved with both mountain climbing and canoeing. He would take his children for long walks exploring the local beaches and hills.
In 1962 he took the whole family camping ( children ages 16, 14, 11 and 1) for six weeks on the continent with two ridge tents and the family car (an Armstrong Siddley Sapphire). It was well before package holidays and was a great adventure for all.
Later on Bill and Mabel got a caravan and went away for weeks every summer going as far as Berlin one summer.
Bill was interested in anything technical as anyone who visits his home will know.
He always had the latest electronic gear, computers, televisions, etc. It is only since his Altizmers started that he had problems with understanding what he was doing which was sad to see.
Bill epitomized the stereo-type image of the typical British scientist - slightly eccentric in his manner with bags of enthusiasm for his current project, whether it be a home DIY or at his Dounreay work-place, but a more honest and truer gentleman you would have difficulty in finding.
He will be sadly missed by his family.
