Businessman and RAF pilot Bill mourned

Report by Terry Sutton

Managing director dies aged 89

BILL Blackman, managing director of a long-established Dover company, died in a Folkestone nursing home on Wednesday last week, aged 89.

During the early years of the war, while the Battle of Britain was being fought overhead, he served in Dover in the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) at the age of 17 as a despatch rider carrying messages from the main station to outposts.

Arthur Walter William “Bill” Blackman was born in Dover in 1923 and was educated at St Ursula’s convent and Dover County (now grammar) School and was there when the school moved to the new building at Astor Avenue. He was a sergeant in the school’s cadet force.

Then came the war in 1939 and Bill joined the AFS, manning telephones at the Ladywell fire station before taking on the job of despatch rider - on his own 250cc Royal Enfield.

In 1939 he joined the family firm of AT Blackman and Son, established by his father Arthur in 1919, before volunteering for the RAF, which he joined in 1942. He won his pilot’s “wings” after training in Canada and was selected to be a flying instructor until being demobbed in 1945, when he returned to Dover to help to run the family business.

Director

On the death of his father, Bill became managing director of the company, a position he held until his death.

He was chief officer of Dover’s Civil Defence Corps until it was disbanded in 1968, a council member of Dover Chamber of Commerce, an active member of the League of Friends of Dover Hospitals, a member of the social service’s appeals tribunal and a director of the Dover and Folkestone Building Society until it was taken over by Bradford & Bingley.

Bill was a founder member of Dover Round Table and joined Dover Rotary Club in 1966, spending 33 years in the movement and serving in a number of offices, including being the treasurer. When he retired from Rotary in 1999 he joined Dover Past Rotarians. He was also a member of Dover Bowls Club.

Bill, who lived at The Gateway, was twice a widower. He leaves sons David and Richard, daughter Valerie and sister June.

The funeral is at St Paul’s RC Church in Maison Dieu Road on Friday, November 23 (11am).