Eric Lamb, at the Townsville Museum above, who died on 6th January 2021, was not a Radio Amateur but a Ship’s Radio Officer and later a Radiocommunications Lecturer at Leith Nautical College. Among his students was LRS member Colin Wright GM4HWO who has kindly provided this Silent Key & photos. Click for EEN obituary.
Eric gave a most interesting talk about his career at the LRS meeting on 22nd January 2014 – click for link.
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Colin writes: Eric passed away on 6th January 2021 at age 79. He was recently diagnosed with MND.
Eric qualified as a ship’s radio officer from Leith Nautical College in 1961. He sailed with the New Zealand Shipping Company in the 1960s and 70s. Here is his last ship, the MV Providence Bay:
He returned to Leith Nautical College in 1974 as a lecturer, where among his students over the years were several LRS members including Colin Wright GM4HWO and Andy Steven GM4IPK. Colin recalls:
“ Eric was a very diligent lecturer and always went the extra mile for his students. The pass mark in the SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) exam was 90%; everybody was made to work hard to pass the exams; there was never any nonsense in his classes.“
After LNC closed in about 1987 Eric continued to teach Marine Radiocommunication to the offshore oil and gas industry for the north sea. He then became UK Chief Examiner for GMDSS (Global Marine Distress Safety System) until 2012 and travelled the world in this role.
In January 2014 he talked about his career in a well-remembered lecture to the Lothians Radio Society, as mentioned above. Click for link. There is also a description of Leith Nautical College in LRS Archives (click).
In 2018 while visiting family in Townsville, Queensland, Australia Eric visited the Townsville Museum where they have preserved a radio console from the Australian Coast Station VIT – Townsville Radio. Both Eric and I, as radio officers, had worked that coast station on 500kHz while at sea – see photo at top.
Eric, from Bonnyrigg, Midlothian leaves his wife Sheena, 2 daughters and two grandchildren. One daughter and the grandchildren live in Townsville.
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