Reg Turnill

Perhaps not known to a younger generation Reg Turnill (97) has passed away.  He was BBC Radio’s aviation and space correspondent during some tumultuous years from the late fifties to a time when Concorde (of which he was a great supporter) was well into service.  A quiet, unassuming and affable man he always found time to help young entries into the profession.

Reg Turnill, in his slightly country voice, covered such epics as Yuri Gagarin’s trip into space, Apollo 11 and the first moon landing, and was actually at Space Control when Jack Swigert came through with the words “Houston, we had a problem here”.  Hollywood changed the words slightly and the speaker.

He started his working life at the Press Association and saw war service.  A fine journalist Turnhill wrote and contributed to a whole series of aerospace books. He was a great chronicler of the race to the moon.

Our condolences to his wife of 64 years, Margaret, often his companion at aviation gatherings, and their two sons.

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