Frank Wyer, G8RY, 27 April 2014

Frank Wyer, G8RY,  has died at Littleport, near Ely in the county of Cambridge, UK at the age of 96 years.

An intensely avid amateur radio enthusiast first licensed in 1937, at his death on 27 April, 2014 Frank was the longest living licensed amateur radio operator in UK.

A leading light both pre and post WW2 in the Wolverhampton Amateur Radio Society, he was a member of the Pre WW2 Civilian Wireless Reserve. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force in September 1939 and served as a SNCO  prior to being commissioned and training as a Technical Signals Officer at Cranwell prior to going to N Africa and Italy in 1943.

He was engaged in the installation and provision of HF transmission facilities for the entire war time period and served in all aspects with the exception of Aerial Rigger.

Post war service in the RAF VR was followed by service as a Captain in the Royal Signals, TA for which he was awarded a Territorial Decoration (TD) in the 2003 Honours List.

His activities were curtailed in later years because of his profound deafness, but at the age of 83 he bought himself a PC, learned how to use it and launched himself upon the digital airwaves with great success both in number and types of DX worked.

His last contact in January of this year was with a 93 year old ex USAAC B24 Liberator front gunner, the last QSL card received.

He was well known for his very high standard of build quality of his own transmitters and prided himself upon outstanding speech transmission quality.

He was an avid reader of QST and had a tremendous admiration for the American way of life and their liberated approach to Amateur radio in all aspects.

Tribute by Bob Wyer (son)

Category: Silent Keys