Donald Frederick Reeves CEng MIET, December 1925 – November 2020
Published: Mon 30 Nov 2020
He was born in 1925 and educated up to the age of fourteen in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.
At the age of fifteen, he started a six-year indentured apprenticeship with Briggs Motor Bodies Ltd Dagenham (now part of the Ford Motor Company) as a tool and die maker.
On completion of his apprenticeship, he worked as a toolmaker for several companies.
He obtained professional qualifications by studying at evening classes and later day release and obtained Ordinary National and Higher National Certificates in Mechanical and Production Engineering.
In 1948 he started work with the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough as a Draughtsman and in 1951 he transferred to the guided-missile range at Aberporth where he was promoted to Senior Draughtsman in charge of the Drawing Office.
He was married and had two children.
In 1966 he was promoted to Engineer 3 and started work at the Royal Small Arms factory at Enfield where he was one of three Engineers engaged in the Design and Development of the 30mm gun known as the Rarden 30, which is still in service with the Army.
In 1972 he was promoted to Engineer 2 and moved to Ministry of Defence Procurement on Project Development until he retired in 1984.
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