XN000022-1980-02-22 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1980

+DURING THESE YEARS HE FLEW BOTH AS A PILOT AND AS A FLIGHT ENGINEER. AFTER DEMOBILISATION HE RETURNED TO WORK IN DUNBARTON AND IN 1951 WAS ELECTED A.M. I.C.E.+

IN 1953, MR BELL JOINED THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND WAS POSTED TO THE PORT WORKS OFFICE.

AFTER A TOUR IN PORT WORKS, HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE THEN ROADS OFFICE AND THERE HE REMAINED IN VARIOUS POSTS CULMINATING IN HIS APPOINTMENT AS PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT HIGHWAY ENGINEER IN 1971.

MR BELL LEFT THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE IN 1973 TO ASSUME THE POST OF DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT.

IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, HE WAS APPOINTED TO THE SPECIALLY CREATED POST OF DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS (MASS TRANSIT).

IN THIS CAPACITY, HE LIAISED WITH THE NEW MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION ON EVALUATION OF TENDERS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE RAILWAY AND WAS INVOLVED IN THE RE-EXAMINATION OF GOVERNMENT'S FUTURE ROLE IN RELATION TO THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY.

IT WAS IN AUGUST 1975 WHEN MR BELL WAS PROMOTED TO DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AND TOOK OVER THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DAY-TO-DAY RUNNING OF THE DEPARTMENT. HE HAS, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, ACTED AS DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS DURING MR MCDONALD'S ABSENCE.

IN RECOGNITION OF HIS YEARS OF STEADY HARD WORK AND READY ACCEPTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY, HE WAS AWARDED THE O.B.E. IN 1977.

MR BELL REACHED THE AGE OF NORMAL RETIREMENT IN 1978, MR MCDONALD SAID, BUT WAS INVITED AND CONSENTED TO STAY ON FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS FOR THE FURTHER BENEFIT OF THE DEPARTMENT.

AFTER HIS RETIREMENT, MR BELL AND HIS WIFE GWEN WILL SETTLE DOWN IN ALFRISTON, A SMALL VILLAGE NEAR THE SUSSEX COAST.

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MR JACK STEAN, DIRECTOR OF BUILDING DEVELOPMENT. HAS BEEN APPOINTED TO ACT AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS.

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