Ron David Guthrie1
#15903, (9 February 1924-30 October 2016)
| Father | David James Francis Guthrie2 (20 Oct 1898-) |
| Mother | Violet Annie Oaten2 (25 Oct 1898-) |
| Charts | Oaten Family - descendants |
| Last Edited | 19 Dec 2021 |
NOTE: The information on this page is my research to date and is subject to change as I become better informed. I very much welcome any corrections or additional info you might have - my email address is at the bottom of this page. Whilst historical facts are not copyright, my writing about these facts are. If you wish to use any text from this site on Ancestry or on any other website, please ask me first - Tim Hill.
Ron David Guthrie was also known as Ronald David Guthrie.2 He was born on 9 February 1924 at Birmingham.1 He was the son of David James Francis Guthrie and Violet Annie Oaten.2
In later life his she told her son Ron that he was the only one his had wanted; she'd wished her other children were daughters but she had another five sons.1 He was a student at at King Edward VI Grammar School for Boys, Aston, Birmingham. He was Dux, as was his brother Alan..1 Ron David Guthrie began military service in October 1942 with Royal Air Force 115 Squadron Bomber Command Volunteer Reserve at age 18 Ron was specially selected as a radio direction finding (RADAR) mechanic.1
His younger brother Alan related an incident from his life:
Ron played a crucial role in WWII developing airborne RADAR for RAF bombers, specifically Lancasters, and was mentioned in despatches.1
He married Winifred Darnton, an Aircraftswoman., at Studham Parish Church in February 1945 at Studham, Bedfordshire. Winifred met Ron in the NAAFI..2
Ron returned to GEC after the war.1
In late 1955 Ron was offered a management role with Radiation New Zealand in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Ron and family made the journey to New Zealand on the RMS Rangitiki on June the 8th 1956. They travelled First Class, and one of their children says it was the most amazing holiday you could have. You could order whatever you wanted, so one son had hot chips for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day.1
Their first house was in Musselburgh Rise, but shortly afterwards, they bought a house in Greenock St. The children were a bit surprised as it was an old wooden villa with a wooden outdoor toilet. From there they walked to Wakari school.
During his time at Radiation, Ron helped to launch 3 new models of electric range, which proved very popular. By the mid 60s they were producing 15,000 units per year. Every time a new range model was released, one would be sent home for
Winifred to test.1
Ron left Radiation, and for a brief time worked as a production consultant for a woollen textile mill in Christchurch and another in Lower Hutt, which involved twice-weekly plane flights.1
They bought 6 Centennial Ave when their children were still young. One son says it was a great time to be a kid. Weekend trips to Outram Glen, Flagstaff, swimming at Bucklands Crossing on a Sunday afternoon. Summers back then seem to be better than they are now. His daughter says ‘We could go out on our bikes, and were expected to be home when the streetlights came on’. She also remembers digging underground huts in the unused property across the road, where they cooked hot chips.1
Ron used to go to Australia frequently on business. During one of those trips in 1964, he met the Beatles, as they wanted his First Class seat on the aeroplane they all happened to be on. In exchange for his seat, the Beatles signed his menu for the flight.
From ’66 to ’77 Ron was CEO of New Zealand Insulators Ltd in Temuka. He was very proud of the innovative products he helped to create, which included fuses and circuit breakers. The other major success was the rebirth of Temuka Pottery as a premium stoneware manufacturer.1
From 1977 to 1980 Ron was CEO of McSkimming’s in Dunedin, making roof tiles, bricks and sewage pipes.
From 1981 to 1992 he was CEO of Atlas, a company which manufactured wood furniture mostly for export. Unfortunately Atlas failed to become the success people wanted for it, and it was placed in receivership.1
Ron held a number of community posts during his long career in New Zealand, including a period of 6 years on the New Zealand Planning Council, where he developed his interest in Quality systems. It was during this time that Ron’s influence led to the inception of the New Zealand Organisation for Quality. This contribution was recognised when Ron was awarded an honorary lifetime membership of the organisation – one of only two lifetime members.1
Ron died on 30 October 2016 at Dunedin, Otago, at age 92.3
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Ron David Guthrie was also known as Ronald David Guthrie.2 He was born on 9 February 1924 at Birmingham.1 He was the son of David James Francis Guthrie and Violet Annie Oaten.2
In later life his she told her son Ron that he was the only one his had wanted; she'd wished her other children were daughters but she had another five sons.1 He was a student at at King Edward VI Grammar School for Boys, Aston, Birmingham. He was Dux, as was his brother Alan..1 Ron David Guthrie began military service in October 1942 with Royal Air Force 115 Squadron Bomber Command Volunteer Reserve at age 18 Ron was specially selected as a radio direction finding (RADAR) mechanic.1
His younger brother Alan related an incident from his life:
Ronald spoke with great pride about this time in his life. As a main force radar mechanic based in Witchford, he and his fellow men dropped more bombs and flew more missions than any other squadron. During this time, Ron had a very serious accident. He was sitting on the side of a truck, but then, somehow, ended up between the wheel and the body of the vehicle. He suffered a damaged kidney, three broken ribs and a fractured skull. Taken to the RAF hospital in Burnley, he was unconscious for 6 weeks. He told the story of coming out of his coma: He woke up and said ‘Hello’ to the nurse, who screamed and ran out of the room to get a doctor. The doctor had already been called for, to certify Ron as insane; you see, while Ron has no memory of this, he had been swearing and screaming and generally being unpleasant the whole time. However the consultant doctor said firmly to the nurse, ‘You’re wasting my time bringing me up from London, this man’s as sane as I am’.
Ron played a crucial role in WWII developing airborne RADAR for RAF bombers, specifically Lancasters, and was mentioned in despatches.1
He married Winifred Darnton, an Aircraftswoman., at Studham Parish Church in February 1945 at Studham, Bedfordshire. Winifred met Ron in the NAAFI..2
Ron returned to GEC after the war.1
In late 1955 Ron was offered a management role with Radiation New Zealand in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Ron and family made the journey to New Zealand on the RMS Rangitiki on June the 8th 1956. They travelled First Class, and one of their children says it was the most amazing holiday you could have. You could order whatever you wanted, so one son had hot chips for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day.1
Their first house was in Musselburgh Rise, but shortly afterwards, they bought a house in Greenock St. The children were a bit surprised as it was an old wooden villa with a wooden outdoor toilet. From there they walked to Wakari school.
During his time at Radiation, Ron helped to launch 3 new models of electric range, which proved very popular. By the mid 60s they were producing 15,000 units per year. Every time a new range model was released, one would be sent home for
Winifred to test.1
Ron left Radiation, and for a brief time worked as a production consultant for a woollen textile mill in Christchurch and another in Lower Hutt, which involved twice-weekly plane flights.1
They bought 6 Centennial Ave when their children were still young. One son says it was a great time to be a kid. Weekend trips to Outram Glen, Flagstaff, swimming at Bucklands Crossing on a Sunday afternoon. Summers back then seem to be better than they are now. His daughter says ‘We could go out on our bikes, and were expected to be home when the streetlights came on’. She also remembers digging underground huts in the unused property across the road, where they cooked hot chips.1
Ron used to go to Australia frequently on business. During one of those trips in 1964, he met the Beatles, as they wanted his First Class seat on the aeroplane they all happened to be on. In exchange for his seat, the Beatles signed his menu for the flight.
From ’66 to ’77 Ron was CEO of New Zealand Insulators Ltd in Temuka. He was very proud of the innovative products he helped to create, which included fuses and circuit breakers. The other major success was the rebirth of Temuka Pottery as a premium stoneware manufacturer.1
From 1977 to 1980 Ron was CEO of McSkimming’s in Dunedin, making roof tiles, bricks and sewage pipes.
From 1981 to 1992 he was CEO of Atlas, a company which manufactured wood furniture mostly for export. Unfortunately Atlas failed to become the success people wanted for it, and it was placed in receivership.1
Ron held a number of community posts during his long career in New Zealand, including a period of 6 years on the New Zealand Planning Council, where he developed his interest in Quality systems. It was during this time that Ron’s influence led to the inception of the New Zealand Organisation for Quality. This contribution was recognised when Ron was awarded an honorary lifetime membership of the organisation – one of only two lifetime members.1
Ron died on 30 October 2016 at Dunedin, Otago, at age 92.3
Family | Winifred Darnton (26 Oct 1924-1971) |