Page 8 - Leonard Tebbenham

GOONHILLY 2

This earth station was built in 1968 and became operational in 1969. The Marconi Company
entered the space age and provided the radio expertise and equipment to make the antenna and
associated equipment, using this experience to enter the Satellite Communications field. The 90
foot diameter dish weighed 955 tons and rotated on a small track powered by two 15 horsepower
DC motors.

It had a claim to fame when a satellite over the Atlantic Ocean failed prior to the investiture of
Charles, Prince of Wales at Caernarvon Castle in June 1969. A new satellite over the Indian
Ocean was rushed into service to route signals east via Japan and another Pacific Ocean satellite
to reach the west coast of the USA for American audiences to enjoy the event. Leonard was one
of the six Marconi engineers who realigned the complex microwave radio equipment to make the
alternative transmission route possible.

THE FINAL CHAPTER

Leonard continued at Marconi, Stanmore. He also delivered lectures as part of the Postgraduate
Course in Microwave Engineering at the Northern Polytechnic, Holloway, London with Marconi
colleagues as well as others from Decca, STL and Texas Instruments. This reflected his practical
skills as a microwave engineer as well as his abilities as an effective instructor.
The last photographs I have of my dad were taken at home in 1968 and at his brother Jack’s home
in 1969. Unfortunately Leonard’s life was cut short on March 1 1970: he sat down with his wife to
st
watch University Challenge after eating Sunday lunch and he complained of slight indigestion.
Shortly afterwards Leonard died at home with his wife beside him following a myocardial
infarction.

The obituary printed in his local Church magazine sums him up well, he was a very good engineer
and a fine father. Blodwen survived him for nearly four decades, unfortunately suffering from
dementia in her later years; she died in August 2008 aged 93.

I offer my generous thanks to David Briggs, Ed Norman and John Ward, who helped with various
details and exhorted me to write this biography in memory of my Dad and his many brave RAF
colleagues. I also acknowledge Reuben Goossens for his permission to use the image of the ship
‘Nieuw Holland’.

© Roland Tebbenham 2015