Brian Davis, 2E0BGD, 15 February 2014
Brian G Davis, 2E0BGD, passed away on 15th of January 2014.
Brian Davis, 2E0BGD (SK) in his shack
Brian fulfilled his ambition to become a radio amateur after retirement from full time work in 1999. A life-long SWL, he had been a wireless operator with the RAF and had worked for Ordnance Survey and then in local government.
Having passed what was then the Novice RAE in March 2000, Brian went on to pass both the 5 and 12wpm Morse tests in April the same year. He called the radio classes his ‘millennium project’. He once showed me one of his old SWL logbooks where he had scribbled ‘G3BGD…one day!’ He never managed the G3 but he did get the BGD part.
When he gained his licence the power limit was 10W for a Novice station and he never used any more than that, working the world in CW and SSB from an FT-840 and a half-sized G5RV. His logbooks and QSL collection were a sight to see.
When the Foundation Licence came along, Brian soon became a regular exam invigilator in Bath. He also gave many a new station their first QSO on 2m FM and was always quick to send them a direct QSL to start them off.
In January 2014 he was diagnosed with untreatable liver cancer and passed away just a few weeks later. I was proud to have helped him to gain his licence and to have counted him as a friend for nearly 15 years. He was a real gentleman and a credit to the hobby.
Tribute by Steve Hartley, G0FUW
Category: Silent Keys
