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Pat Hawker | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1922 Minehead, Somerset, England |
| Died | 21 February 2013 |
| Occupation | Electronic Engineer |
| Employer | Independent Broadcasting Authority |
John Patrick Hawker, MBE (1922 – 21 February, 2013), known as Pat Hawker, was a British electronic engineer who worked in clandestine radio during World War II, before being best known for his work at the Independent Broadcasting Authority in the engineering information department[1] and the weekly programme Engineering Announcements. He was awarded an MBE in the Queen's 2006 Birthday Honours list for his "services to radio communications and his wartime contributions” [2]
He was recruited at age 19 during World War II to become a secret radio intercept operator, Hawker went on to operate undercover radio stations with Military intelligence and clandestine special forces in occupied Europe. He worked at Bletchley Park,[3][4] before becoming a technical author writing on broadcast engineering and amateur radio, contributing hundreds of technical articles and books over a career spanning 50 years.[5]
Early Life
editBorn in Minehead, Somerset, in 1922, Hawker’s fascination with radio began as a schoolboy.[6] In the autumn of 1935, he had the experience of listening to his first amateur station on the shortwave 20 meter band. At the age of 14, he received an “artificial aerial” radio transmitting licence with callsign 2BUH before later gaining his full licence and callsign G3VA in October 1938 when he turned 16, the minimum age requirement at the time.
World War II Intelligence Work
editAs World War II began, Hawker's keen interest in radio steered him towards the Radio Security Service (RSS). His duties connected him to notable British intelligence agencies, MI5 and MI6. After the Allies invaded Europe, he dedicated his services to British intelligence and also liaised with Holland’s Bureau of National Security.[4] Hawker began his wartime service in 1941 at Bletchley Park as an intercept operator. Within this role, he was assigned to monitor specific signals using two National HRO receivers. In 1943, he transitioned to the Section VIII unit, where he operated as a two-way radio operator under Captain Robert Henry "Harry" Tricker at Weald Station.
In 1944, Hawker was integrated into the SCU9 unit, which operated in war zones where covert communications were vital. Following the D-Day Allied invasion, he was dispatched to Normandy and subsequently relocated to various European cities, such as Paris, Brussels, and Eindhoven, and further into Germany. His assignments primarily involved reporting on German troop movements and facilitating communications among various Allied intelligence entities.[3]
By the close of October 1944, Hawker was positioned in Nijmegen, Netherlands, where he worked with a double transposition poem cipher. This assignment was notable because it merged the tasks of radio operation and ciphering. Later, in Eindhoven, he took on the role of chief operator in a Dutch cipher decoding network at the Abbe Museum, which served as a British Intelligence hub. With the war's end in Europe, Hawker spent an additional six months in Germany with SCU9, focusing on intelligence operations.
Post-War Contributions to Radio Engineering
editAfter World War II, Hawker transitioned to roles in British radio and television.[5] Between 1968 and 1987, Hawker was associated with the engineering division of Britain’s Independent Broadcasting Authority. In 2006 Hawker was inducted into the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. The Radio Society of Great Britain appointed him as a Life Vice President in 2008.
Works
editFrom half a century from 1958 to 2008, Hawker authored hundreds of "Technical Topics" articles in RadCom, the official publication of the RSGB. Additionally, he served as the editor for Electronics Weekly and the journal of the Royal Television Society. He also authored several books on electronics and radio engineering.
Selected Books
edit- Technical Topics Scrapbook - All 50 Years
- Antenna Topics
- Guide to Amateur Radio
- Electronics Pocket Book
- Outline of Radio and Television
- Amateur Radio Techniques
- Radio and television servicing
- Radio and television reference data
References
edit- ^ Porter, Dave (August 2020). "Tricks of the Trade" (PDF). Signal: 39. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
- ^ "Queen's Birthday Honours 2006 Main List" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-08-03.
- ^ a b Pidgeon, Geoffrey (2008). The Secret Wireless War. Arundel Books. p. 416. ISBN 9780956051523.
- ^ a b "John Patrick Hawker papers". George Mason University. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
- ^ a b White, Steve (2008). A Bit of Controversy: Pat Hawker - A Radio Life. Radio Society of Great Britain. p. 144. ISBN 9781905086405.
- ^ "Pat Hawker, G3VA (SK)". ARRL: the National Association for Amateur Radio. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
External links
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