Mi cr ob iol og ist s' D ea th s
A nd M ur de rs E ch o
Bi za rr e M ar co ni D ea th s
B y Ia n G ur ne y
3- 27 -2
In lig ht of ye t an ot he r de at h of a mi cr ob iol og ist , thi s ti m e D oc to r D av id W yn n- W illi a m s, kil le d w he n he w as st ru ck by a ve hi cl e w hil st ou t jo gg in g thi s w ee k (h tt p: // w w w. t he ti m es .c o. uk /a rti cl e/ 0, ,6 0- 24 87 20 ,0 0. ht ml ) it is int er es tin g to ta ke a lo ok at a si mi lar se t of cir cu m st an ce s th at oc cu rr ed fo ur te en ye ar s ag o in th e U nit ed Ki ng do m an d w as no t wi de ly re po rt ed in th e U nit ed St at es pr es s. O nc e ag ai n it in vo lv es th e de at hs of a nu m be r of sc ie nti st s, so m e in "u nu su al " cir cu m st an ce s. Th e re po rt be lo w w as ta ke n fro m Th e In de pe nd en t ne w sp ap er of A ug us t 26 , 19 88 .. "T he po lic e sa id it w as su ici de , an d no do ub t th ey w er e rig ht . E x- Br ig ad ier P et er F er ry , a m ar ke tin g m an ag er at M ar co ni' s C o m m an d an d C on tr ol S ys te m s ce nt re at Fr im le y, S ur re y, ha d ap pa re ntl y kil le d hi m se lf by in se rti ng po w er m ai n el ec tri c wi re s int o hi s m ou th an d th en tu rni ng on th e po w er . Th e m et ho d ch os en w as pe rh ap s m ar gi na lly m or e gri sl y th an in th e ca se of se ve ral ot he r M ar co ni e m pl oy ee s. In 19 86 , for ex a m pl e, A sh ad S ha rif, a co m pu te r an al ys t w ho w or ke d for M ar co ni D ef en ce S ys te m s in St an m or e, Mi dd le se x, tie d on e en d of a ro pe ar ou nd hi s ne ck , an ot he r to a tr ee , an d pu t hi s ca r int o ge ar . T w o m on th s ea rli er , th e bo dy of Vi m al D aji bh ai, a so ft w ar e en gi ne er re sp on si bl e for ch ec ki ng th e gu id an ce sy st e m s of Ti ge rfi sh to rp ed os for M ar co ni U nd er w at er S ys te m s, w as fo un d un de r Cl ift on su sp en si on bri dg e at Br ist ol. In M ar ch 19 87 , D av id S an ds , a pr oj ec t m an ag er w or ki ng on se cr et sa tel lit e ra da r at M ar co ni' s si st er co m pa ny E as a m s, in C a m be rle y, dr ov e up a sli p ro ad on hi s w ay to w or k an d int o a ca fe at an es ti m at ed 80 m ph . A ye ar lat er , Tr ev or K ni gh t, a co m pu te r en gi ne er at M ar co ni' s sp ac e an d de fe nc e ba se in St an m or e, di ed in hi s fu m e-f ill ed ca r at hi s ho m e in H er tfo rd sh ire . E arl ier , tw o ot he r M ar co ni e m pl oy ee s, Vi ct or M oo re , a de si gn en gi ne er , an d R og er Hi ll, a dr au gh ts m an , ha d kil le d th e m se lv es , bo th se e mi ng ly as a re su lt of w or k pr es su re s. Th er e ha ve be en at le as t ha lf a do ze n m or e un to w ar d de at hs a m on g de fe nc e sc ie nti st s an d ot he rs w or ki ng in th e de fe nc e fie ld. M ar co ni is no t al on e, bu t it is w ell in th e le ad . Th e be st eff or ts of in ve sti ga tiv e jo ur na lis ts ha ve fai le d to es ta bli sh a lin k eit he r be tw ee n th e va rio us de at hs or be tw ee n th e de at hs of th e M ar co ni st aff an d th e Mi ni st ry of D ef en ce in qu iry , no w tw o ye ar s ol d, int o so m e £3 bil lio n w or th of de fe nc e co nt ra ct s a w ar de d to G E C- M ar co ni. " Int er es tin gl y, M ar co ni w as re ce ntl y de cl ar ed vir tu all y ba nk ru pt aft er it' s sh ar es fel l be lo w "j un k" st at us on th e U K st oc k ex ch an ge . B ot h th e ch air m an an d C. E. O. re si gn ed an d a gr ea t m an y e m pl oy ee s ha ve lo st th eir jo bs as th e sh ar e pri ce fel l fro m a tw el ve m on th hi gh of £4 :4 5 ($ 6: 60 ) to on ly 5 pe nc e. M ar co ni ha d, ov er th e la st fe w ye ar s, m ov ed int o th e Te le co m s se ct or an d su ffe re d w he n th e do w nt ur n in T M T st oc ks ca m e al on g la st ye ar . A co m pa ny on ce w or th bil lio ns is no w w or thl es s, so m e w ha t lik e E nr on . W ha t is su rp ris in g in th e lig ht of thi s sc an da l is th at so far it ap pe ar s no bo dy co nn ec te d wi th co m pa ny ha s be en fo un d de ad , alt ho ug h th er e ar e so m e di sg ru ntl e sh ar eh ol de rs w ho m us t wi sh th e co m pa ny 's ex -c ha ir m an , Lo rd Si m ps on of D uc ke nfi el d, w ou ld do th e ho no ur ab le thi ng . __ _ Ia n G ur ne y is th e au th or of Th e C as sa nd ra Pr op he cy w w w. ca sp ro .c o m inf o @ ca sp ro .c o m
Microbiologists' Deaths
And Murders Echo
Bizarre Marconi Deaths
By Ian Gurney
3-27-2
In light of yet another death of a microbiologist, this time Doctor David Wynn-Williams, killed when he was struck by a vehicle whilst out jogging this week (http://www.t hetimes.co.uk/article/0,,60-248720,00.html) it is interesting to take a look at a similar set of circumstances that occurred fourteen years ago in the United Kingdom and was not widely reported in the United States press. Once again it involves the deaths of a number of scientists, some in "unusual" circumstances. The report below was taken from The Independent newspaper of August 26, 1988.. "The police said it was suicide, and no doubt they were right. Ex-Brigadier Peter Ferry, a marketing manager at Marconi's Command and Control Systems centre at Frimley, Surrey, had apparently killed himself by inserting power main electric wires into his mouth and then turning on the power. The method chosen was perhaps marginally more grisly than in the case of several other Marconi employees. In 1986, for example, Ashad Sharif, a computer analyst who worked for Marconi Defence Systems in Stanmore, Middlesex, tied one end of a rope around his neck, another to a tree, and put his car into gear. Two months earlier, the body of Vimal Dajibhai, a software engineer responsible for checking the guidance systems of Tigerfish torpedos for Marconi Underwater Systems, was found under Clifton suspension bridge at Bristol. In March 1987, David Sands, a project manager working on secret satellite radar at Marconi's sister company Easams, in Camberley, drove up a slip road on his way to work and into a cafe at an estimated 80 mph. A year later, Trevor Knight, a computer engineer at Marconi's space and defence base in Stanmore, died in his fume-filled car at his home in Hertfordshire. Earlier, two other Marconi employees, Victor Moore, a design engineer, and Roger Hill, a draughtsman, had killed themselves, both seemingly as a result of work pressures. There have been at least half a dozen more untoward deaths among defence scientists and others working in the defence field. Marconi is not alone, but it is well in the lead. The best efforts of investigative journalists have failed to establish a link either between the various deaths or between the deaths of the Marconi staff and the Ministry of Defence inquiry, now two years old, into some £3billion worth of defence contracts awarded to GEC-Marconi. " Interestingly, Marconi was recently declared virtually bankrupt after it's shares fell below "junk" status on the UK stock exchange. Both the chairman and C.E.O. resigned and a great many employees have lost their jobs as the share price fell from a twelve month high of £4:45 ($6:60) to only 5 pence. Marconi had, over the last few years, moved into the Telecoms sector and suffered when the downturn in TMT stocks came along last year. A company once worth billions is now worthless, somewhat like Enron. What is surprising in the light of this scandal is that so far it appears nobody connected with company has been found dead, although there are some disgruntle shareholders who must wish the company's ex-chairman, Lord Simpson of Duckenfield, would do the honourable thing. ___ Ian Gurney is the author of The Cassandra Prophecy www.caspro.com info@caspro.com