William Herbert Ashley
William Herbert Ashley (c1892-1947)
1949 Obituary [1]
"WILLIAM HERBERT ASHLEY, D.S.M., was associated with electrical and radio engineering during the whole of his career. He served his apprenticeship with Messrs. Fielding and Platt, Ltd., of Gloucester, from 1910 to 1914 and concurrently at tended the technical school in that city. His first employment was that of substation operator to the Underground Electric Supply Company, Ltd., but a few months later he enlisted in the Royal Navy and served as an electrical artificer for four years, being awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.
After his demobilization he continued his education at Finsbury Technical College, where he took a three years' course in electrical and mechanical engineering. He then joined the staff of Messrs. Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Company, Ltd., for whom he was engaged on research until 1926 when he was appointed deputy chief engineer to the Indian Radio and Cable Communications Company, Ltd., at Poona. His promotion to the post of chief engineer followed four years later. In this capacity he was in control of a large technical staff and some 1,300 employees. At the time of his death, which occurred at Cairo on 22nd November 1947, in his fifty-fifth year, Mr. Ashley was associated with the Marconi Radio Telegraph Company of Egypt. He was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1937, and was also a Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers."