Part 2 (Obituaries) - King's College - University of Cambridge

Building with a fellow student, John Prest, in F4.The building was about to
be refurbished and the Fellows had evacuated it. In 1950 Jim gained his BA,
but already the following year a more momentous event changed his life.
He married ‘B,’ or Barbara Wallis, with whom he remained for the rest of
his life.
Jim joined the aeronautical industry after graduating. His first post was with
de Havilland, the company that had made his beloved Mosquitos. At the
company’s premises at Hatfield Jim developed a wing de-icing device for the
first commercial jet liner, the Comet, amongst other things. After four years
at de Havilland Jim went to Marshall Ltd in Cambridge in 1954 as a Senior
Technician. He advanced rapidly in the company and became, 10 years later,
the Design Office Manager. At Marshall Jim worked on converting the Comet
for the RAF as well as designing the droop-nose and the flight deck
for Concorde.
During Jim’s time at Marshall in Cambridge he joined the Royal
Aeronautical Society (RAeS) and served in various capacities in the society’s
local branch. From 1970 he was Deputy Secretary at the national level and
then in 1973 he became the RAeS Secretary.The new job in London entailed
a move from St Albans to Chiswick for Jim, Barbara and their three
daughters, Ann, Jane and Peggy. Jim remained Secretary until his retirement
in 1982, and served the RAeS with dedication and diplomatic skill.With his
level-headed and even-tempered character and his affability and integrity, he
was the perfect man for the job.
Life in retirement was difficult for periods, with one of Jim’s daughters being
diagnosed with ME and Jim himself eventually losing his memory. Jim is
remembered with warmth and affection by his family and friends. He died on
22 April 2004.
CHARLES WILLIAM SCHANDL (1936) was born in Budapest on 20 July
1912 and attended the University of Budapest and the École Libre des
Sciences Politiques in Paris. He came to King’s as a research student in
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OBITUARIES