Ted Crichton

Edward Henry Crichton (1920 – 2009)

 

Ted Crichton started with the Company at the age of 14 on 12th August 1934, and retired on 26th August 1984 after 50 years’ service.  Ted started in the Scale Shop, transferring to the Machine Shop in 1937 where he was involved in the manufacture of hand-made tools for our production of vices for the Ministry of Defence and experimental work on aircraft parts.  During WWII, the Company had moved mainly on to war production, making over ¼ million components for a number of aircraft, including the Lancaster and Mosquito.Ted enlisted with the R.A.F. in October 1941 as an Instrument Repairer with special application to auto gyros, automatic pilots, signs, etc.  In 1942 he was attached to 11 Fighter Group, subsequently being transferred to Transport Command.  He saw service in Egypt, Iraq and North Africa, repairing Spitfires, Hurricanes, Mosquitoes, Bostons and Havoc aircraft.

 

On demob in 1946 he rejoined Herbert & Sons in the Machine Shop and undertook installation of our scales in abattoirs, as well as work we were doing on the Comet airliner and experimental work on the UK’s first parking meters.  Ted and Lal moved to Haverhill with the Company in 1968 and Ted was promoted to Works Supervisor.  His daughter Linda and son-in-law Mick Sage also worked for us at that time.

 

Ted was an excellent craftsman with an eye for detail.  He was conversant with all types of plant and machinery and capable of solving nearly any mechanical problem.  He was largely responsible for ensuring the successful production of 13,500 units in the five years’ life of the Lion 2000 electro-mechanical shop scale in the 1970s.

 

Ted Crichton retired in 1984, and died at home in Clare on 3rd August 2009 at the age of 89.