Bill Busby

Return to Deaths page

Obituary written by Norman Shacklady

A.W. Busby (Bill) died earlier this year at the age of 96 following a long illness with prostate cancer, and will be best remembered as Engineer-in-Charge of the Crystal Palace Transmitting Station. He joined the BBC in 1939 following an apprenticeship with Ellison (switch gear manufacturers), serving at both the Daventry and Droitwich transmitting stations. He later saw wartime service with the RAF in Africa and Italy before rejoining the BBC at the Bartley transmitter. Following a period as Assistant E.i.C. at the Sutton Coldfield Television Station, he took up a post in Ghana, West Africa, where he supervised the setting up of a local radio service. It was on his return to the UK in 1958 that he was appointed E.i.C. Crystal Palace. His time there covered numerous technological advancements in television transmission, of which many were trialled at Crystal Palace. As well as being a first class engineer, he was also of that breed who can only be described as gentlemen, was scrupulously fair in his treatment of the staff who worked for him, and was much respected. He retired in 1978.