St Ives-a new millennium4/10/023:52 pmPage 71Top right: Richard Stenton and IsabellaPhoto: Stuart Littlewood/Pentax MXLeft: Bob KingPhoto: Stuart Littlewood/Pentax MXBob was only 17 when drafted into thewartime Radio Security Service run by MI6 atArkley, Barnet. His job was to intercept Germansecret service messages, some of which wereEnigma coded, and forward them to BletchleyPark. He was one of hundreds of ‘voluntaryinterceptors’ (VIs) monitoring the airwaves forenemy transmissions and eavesdropping onGerman intelligence.Although a teenager at the time Bob wasalready a radio amateur and constructor with agood Morse reading speed, and he’s been aradio ‘ham’ ever since. Pictured here in theradio shack in his garden, he still uses his oldcall sign - G3ASE - and operates an EddystoneAll-World 2 dating from 1935 and an HRO builtin America in 1938, which in some respects,he says, have still not been bettered.Bob was head of Science at St Ivo Schoolwhere he taught for 27 years. In a life packedwith interest he was a gliding instructor in theATC and ran the Citizens Advice Bureau in StIves for 9 years. He began bell-ringing at AllSaints in 1955 and still rings at HemingfordGrey.Metalworking became a hobby in the 1960sand he has made a number of model steamand traction engines. He is probably bestknown in the town as a leading member of theCivic Society of St Ives, which he chaired for 6years. He also organises the annual reunion ofhis old wartime ‘VI’ colleagues held atBletchley Park.Richard lied about his age to join the RAF in 1943,and at only 18 was flying as an air-gunner inWellingtons. He survived 30 trips as a Lancastertail-gunner, an occupation with a very short lifeexpectancy, and flew on operations nearly everynight at the time of the D-Day landings. In 1944 hebecame an air-gunnery instructor.He continued flying until 1958, in B29s at Marhamand Lincolns at Upwood, and retired in 1982 whilestationed at Wyton. He still has his flying logbooks,the proudest possession of many wartime air-crew.Richard hails from New Abbey near Dumfries. Hemet and married Isabella, also from Dumfries, in1948 after a whirlwind 7-day romance. They havelived in St Ives since 1976 and are pictured here atthe Remembrance Day parade in 2000.Bottom right: Wally Newbound, MacebearerPhoto: Stuart Littlewood/Pentax MXIn 1965 Wally answered an advertisement for amacebearer and caretaker of the Town Hall andCorn Exchange, and got the job. This enabled him,with wife Ivy and daughter Elaine, to move toSt Ives and join other members of the family whohad been here since before the war.Wally was taught macebearing by Alderman BertBurgess of the old Borough Council and Ben Quickswho was Sergeant of the Mace at Cambridge CityCouncil. He also acted as Master of Ceremonies forHuntingdonshire District Council.He enjoys telling how, on a twinning visit toStadtallendorf, he had to take the mace with himand was ‘held on suspicion’ by the Germanauthorities for being in possession of an offensiveweapon. Wally continued as macebearer until 1997and is pictured here reunited with his staff of officein 2001.Page 71
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