CARS - Silent Key - Harry Heap - G5HF

Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society

Harry Heap, G5HF - Silent Key
16-Jul-1917 - 27-Aug-2012 , Age 95

It is with regret that I have to report that Harry Heap, G5HF, CARS Past President passed away on Monday evening, 27th August, in the Manor House nursing home in Lady Lane, Chelmsford.
Harry was 95 years old on 16th July. CARS sends Ethel and his Family our Sympathy.

Harry Heap, G5HF and Ethel Chinery running a CARS Raffle.
Photograph presented by Trevor, M5AKA but taken by G8JLM.
The Funeral took place on Friday, 14th September at St Mary's Church,
Church Green, Broomfield, Chelmsford, CM1 7BD.
It was a lovely day and the Church was filled with Family and Friends of Harry. The Service was conducted by the Vicar the Rev Carolyn Tibbott who welcomed everyone to the music of Hogay Carmichael.
Two Hyms, a Reading, a Poem by Chris a Grandson and an Eulogy by Peter Heap, Son and a Tribute by Melaine, Granddaughter; the Service ended with "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong.
The Committal was followed by a very nice Wake in the "Kings Arms" nearby.
Donations in Memory of Harry maybe made to "Farleigh Hospice" c/o the Funeral Directors,
Paul J King, 6 Corporation Road, CHELMSFORD, CM1 2AR, by post.

Service:
A pdf copy of the service is below...

January Meeting
Friday 11th January, 7.30pm
Great Baddow Parish Hall "Harry Heap G5HF SK - Reminiscences of Harry"
By Tony Gilbey G4YTG and CARS Members & Friends

Harry at his 90th Birthday in 2007
Photo by Murray G6JYB
Harry Heap, G5HF passed away on 27 August 2012 at a nursing home in Chelmsford, aged 95. He was the very active President of the Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society from October 2000 until October 2010.
He was first licensed as 2BZZ in 1932 at the age of 16 and was issued the call sign G5HF in 1933.
He joined the RSGB in 1938. Harry was especially interested in the then new 56MHz band.
Following the outbreak of World War II he moved to Chelmsford to join Crompton Parkinson, where he worked on devices to neutralise magnetic mines. The evenings he spent as a Voluntary Radio Interceptor. Harry was a great lifelong friend and colleague of Louis Varney, G5RV, famous worldwide for his aerial design. Both Harry and Louis were part of the very elite group of secret listeners providing received 'off-air' coded material to 'Box 25', which we now know was Arkley View near Barnett where it was vetted before being passed to Bletchley Park. Their names are on the Roll of Honour at the site. Harry regularly attended the reunions of the Box 25 RSS group to keep in touch with those still surviving.
Extract of the Obituary from December's RadCom submitted by Trevor, M5AKA.

G5HF Meeting in Great Baddow Parish Hall. Note the Audio and Visual electronics on the tables.
Tony Gilbey G4YTG telling the life story of Harry.
Photos by John G8DET.

(Left) Brian and his wife Pam were on the door while Martyn G1EFL and his wife Val were at the Merchandise Table.
John said that the Meeting was a Tribute to CARS Past President, Harry Heap, G5HF who died in August 2012 aged 95 years. Contributions were acknowledged from Harry's Son, Peter Heap and from Ethel Chinnery; Tony Gilbey G4YTG; Trevor M5AKA; Dr Brian Styles G3NSD; Bob King G3ASE; Colin Page G0TRM; Gwyn Williams G4FKH; Carl Thomson G3PEM; Tony Manson and Peter Foreman both from the Chelmsford Engineering Society. Vice Presidents Geoff Mills G3EDM and Charles Shelton G0GJS, also contributed. His daughter Celia and husband Brian were also present as was Sylvia, YL of Geoff G3EDM and Margaret, widow of Geoff G2AMQ SK who featured on later in Falcon.
Tony told the audience of the life story of Harry up to the creation of CARS with Louis Varney G5RV and Mr Fuller G6LB. At appropriate points Colin played tapes of Harry telling "how he was interviewed by the Chief Constable of Manchester before being enrolled as a Volunteer Interceptor (VI).

Arkley View was PO Box 25 Barnett where the 1,500 VIs sent their data to be vetted before being
passed to Bletchley Park for Decryption.
Photo and details provided by Bob King G3ASE who actually worked there for 4 years.
Harry then described how "later he had to join the Home Guard and guard their rundown headquarters in Chelmsford with a rifle but no ammunition - this was to be obtained when needed by cycling to the Brigadier's house where three rounds were held."
John read out a tribute by Dr Stephen Castell 'who in 1973 had joined RHP as a Senior Mathematician and Harry assisted him with telling him Chelmsford past illustrious engineering history, its then current scene, and the quirks/nuances of those people and companies in it.' He said 'He was a solid professional, thoroughly nice guy - altogether a fine human'.
Harry was at this time President of the Chelmsford Engineering Society.
Andy Tyler, G1GKN managed to get the computer to show slides of Harry's early life, followed by a selection of the 28 foot sailing boat, Falcon with Gwyn crewing and explained each photograph. Harry sailed to Belgium, France and Holland. On one occasion Harry spotted a dinghy overturn and with great skill manoeuvred his boat so that two men could be rescued; the dinghy sinking - never to be seen again.

Gwyn telling of his crewing experience with Harry on Falcon in 1997

Harry on Falcon in 1997
A series of slides of CARS events starting with Meetings at the Marconi Training College in Arbour Lane in 1995 and 1996.

(Left photo) Geoff Cockerill G2AMQ SK; Geoff Mills G3EDM; Roy Martyr G3PMX SK; Harry Heap G5HF SK;
Louis Varney G5RV SK; Harry Lowe G2GPF SK at Marconi College, Arbour Lane in 1995.
(Right photo, front row) Gwyn Williams G4FKH; Harry Heap G5HF SK; Louis Varney G5RV SK;
Martin Final G4TOO and Tony Gilbey G4YTG standing at a meeting in Marconi College, Arbour Lane in 1996.

(Left photo 2004) Les Sayer, a Telegraphist and rear Gunner (TAG) from a Swordfish whose torpedo struck the Bismarck in WWII.
(Right photo 2004) Harry showing a range of DF Aerials built into loops.

(Left photo 2005) Sandford Mill IMD. Harry G5HF SK; YL of Geoff G7KLV; Sylvia YL of Geoff G3EDM; Tony G4YTG; Ethel; Geoff G3EDM; Denis M0FHA and John G8DET.
(Right photo 2007), Harry's 90th Birthday Party at MASC, Beehive Lane - 400 houses are now built where this photograph was taken.
Right photo taken by Murray G6JYB.
Slides of Harry's 90th Birthday Party in 2007 and passing the badge of the President to the current holder, Carl G3PEM in 2010 were shown and then Colin played a video he took in 2002 of Harry reciting the monologue of 'Three Halfpence a Foot' a story about a modern day Noah at a CARS Christmas Dinner at Pleshey.

The Clock presented to Harry at the 2010 AGM when he retired from being CARS President and passed the Badge to Carl Thomsom G3PEM.
The Badge photo was taken by Murray G6JYB
Tony Manson (CES) told how 'Harry had a number of Riley racing cars which were raced at Silverstone, Boreham and at Prescott Hill Climb near Cheltenham. The tasks of rebuilding the car after racing was helped by Pippa, Harry's Wife who was a trained Engine Fitter. Harry even encouraged me to race in his car.'

Tony Manson (Member of the Chelmsford Engineering Society) telling of his experiences with Harry racing cars in the late 1950s.

Click here to go back to the Top of this Page

To RETURN to the CARS Society Page - Click Here
To RETURN to the CARS Home Web Page - Click Here