Gordon Richards
Gordon Richards (1885-1956) of S. R. O. Ball Bearing Co and Solex
1885 Born in Feltham[1] son of Charles and Anne Richards.
His first job was with Thomas Crapper and Co where he worked on the water syphon flush.
Another job was as a gas meter engineer. His hobby was motorcycle racing. He spoke German and knew sign language.
1911 Annie Taylor Richards 66, widow, Florence Louise Richards 34, Gordon Richards 25, engineer, Harry Richards 21, electrician.[2]
1915 Commercial Motor reported that "Gordon Richards of S.R.O. ball-bearing fame, has been close up to the trenches on business, and goes to Switzerland on the same mission. In spite of a passport viséd in every clear space, being on the young side, he is always detained for hours on the Swiss frontier until his peaceful character is personally vouched for."[3]
1916 Married Juliet Ann Brooks in Lancaster Gate, London
1919 Commercial Motor's New Year's message to Gordon Richards was " May you be able to persuade everyone that there's only one carburetter and that the new one."[4]
1920 Proprietor of the English branch of S. R. O. Ball Bearing Co
1922 Birth of son John Douglas Richards in Hackney[5]
Became MD of the British arm of Solex
1939 Gordon Richards, director of engineering company, lived in Amersham with Juliet A Richards, Daphne Richards, Charles G Richards[6]
WWII As the foreign-owned business (Solex) was nationalised, he acquired 51% of the stock which kept it in business.
The Solex research shop did special projects: his son Douglas worked there on various project - a recoil cradle for the 57mm anti tank gun, the radar control and mechanical slaving of 90mm anti aircraft guns, micro switches for conventional detonators used at Los Alamos which needed very accurate timing.
1956 of Baker Street, London, died in Tenerife[7]
See Also
Sources of Information
- Extracts from public story on Ancestry [1]