By John Swartz, WA9AQN

Pete Windle, G8VG, FOC 331, passed away 18^th October 2023.

He was born 22^nd February 1928 in Taunton, Somerset, to Bill and Muriel Windle. Several years later they moved to Dartford, Kent, remaining until after the outbreak of the Second World War. Enemy bombing forced them to move three times, one of which had resulted from severe bomb damage to their home and great personal risk, leaving an indelible impression on them. Pete lived temporarily with aunts in Taunton, at times, away from bombing targets.

Pete left school at the age of 14 and began full-time employment as a Boy Messenger with the General Post Office. He worked a 6-day week to which he added a Sunday shift every 3 weeks.

In preparation for a national examination open to Boy Messengers, Pete began a correspondence course and attended night school taking courses in English, Mathematics, Geography, History, Precision Writing and Handwriting. He achieved the top score among all entrants in that exam.

In 1946, Pete joined the Royal Air Force, attaining the rank of Leading Aircraftsman. In 1948 he returned to the Post Office. Further examinations qualified him for a place with the Commonwealth Relations Office, which later merged with the Foreign Office.

British missions to Commonwealth countries are called High Commissions. During Pete’s career in the diplomatic service, he served in High Commissions at Colombo, Ceylon (1951-1954), Karachi, Pakistan (1956-1958), Bombay, India (1959-1961), Kingston, Jamaica (1962-1966), and Islamabad, Pakistan (1969-1971). He served with the British Embassy in Quito, Ecuador (1973-1976) and finally as HM Consul at the British Consulate in Mallorca, Spain (1979-1981).

In her 1981 Birthday Honours List, Queen Elizabeth II named Pete to the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

Pete’s father, the original G8VG, had been one of the pre-war members of the First Class Operators Club. He became member Number 6 when the organization and amateur radio were resurrected after the war. Bill was a Voluntary Interceptor, listening for encrypted enemy signals in his spare time. He then became a full time operator with the Radio Security Service. The accomplishments of the RSS and its VI’s remained secret until 1979 when the veil was lifted and veterans learned that they had discovered the secret wartime networks of enemy intelligence and security services, the Abwehr, Gestapo, and Sicherheitsdienst.

Pete had obviously acquired his interest and love of radio and Morse from his father. In 1950 Pete passed the examinations to qualify for his own amateur radio license, acquiring the call sign G3HVG.

In 1951 Pete’s exemplary operating skill won him an invitation to join FOC; he became member Number 331.

It was an auspicious year for young Pete. He married Helen, his first wife, and began his first diplomatic posting, Ceylon.

During his career with the diplomatic service, he maintained radio activity and membership in FOC. Over the years, he operated as G3HVG, VS7XG, 4S7XG, VU2XG, VP5XG, 6YAXG, 6Y5XG, HC8XG/HC1, EA6BN, VK2IH/2, and VS6DO/2, and later as G8VG, EA7/G8VG, GW8VG and GW8VG/ZL.

Pete became President of FOC in 1978, the year before his posting as Consul in Mallorca.

He and Helen raised a family. They had 2 sons, Bill and Ian, both of whom survive him, together with 5 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. Pete’s only sibling, his sister Joy, predeceased him.

Sadly, five years after his investiture in the Order of the British Empire, Helen passed away. In 1991 he married again. His second wife, also named Helen, passed away in 2008.

Pete’s father, who played a pivotal role in the early life of our club, passed away in 1984. Today, one of the club’s principal operating activities is named for Bill.

In a letter to the membership appearing in the club News Sheet in May 1984, Pete explained his intention to assume his late father’s call sign. In July, the News Sheet carried a notice of the official change to G8VG.

More recently, Pete devoted several decades to the discovery of the identities of as many former Voluntary Interceptors as possible, honoring the memory of his father and his father’s compatriots in the RSS. Records of VI service had been destroyed or lost after the war, and those that survive in the archives of MI6 and GCHQ remain sealed from public view. Pete’s efforts to locate and identify unlisted veterans sought information from quite a number of sources including surviving RSS veterans – whose numbers had significantly dwindled – families of those who had passed, and the efforts of others interested in signals intelligence history.

Pete’s work culminated in the development and installation of an exhibit which contains Roll of Honour, the list of known VI’s and RSS Veterans. The exhibit is located at the National Radio Centre, the Bletchley Park site of the museum of the Radio Society of Great Britain.

Visitors to the NRC frequently inquire about possible listing for departed relatives who may have been interceptors but whose names do not yet appear. Pete’s work is, and will be carried on.

A picture of Pete with two great-grandsons graced the cover of FOCUS #131. The smiles tell all.

Donations in Pete’s memory are welcomed and accepted by the Radio Society of Great Britain and will be used to maintain and enhance the VI exhibit at the NRC. The exhibit evidences a history worthy of further examination and support. Please address donations via PayPal to: jackie.tite@rsgb.org.uk.

And, please specify that the donation is in memory of Peter and for the benefit of the National Radio Centre VI display. Should you wish to make a donation and prefer not to use PayPal, please contact the NRC for information and assistance via this email address: nrc_support@rsgb.org.uk.

(Please note the underscore in the address: nrc_support) and insert G8VG SK Memorial in the re: section of the email.)