Mr Harry E. Threlfall (Electrical Engineering 1944)

Provided by Mr Michael Gourd

I first met Harry Threlfall in the Autumn of 1966 when I joined the staff of the Langley Alloys Ltd's. German subsidiary - Deutsche Langley Alloys GmbH in Frankfurt - as Assistant General Manager.  Harry was at that time Sales Director of Langley Alloys Ltd. at their foundry and works in Langley, Slough and was responsible on the main Langley Board for the operation in Germany.  As part of a restructuring operation at the end of 1968 Harry and I became joint General Managers of the GmbH with Harry as Senior General Manager based in Langley and I, as Junior General Manager, running the day to day operation in Germany.  The fact that the GmbH survived the difficult year 1968 was entirely due to the persuasive powers of Harry on the main Langley Board to keep the operation going. Harry and I were, therefore, working as a team and we were by necessity working closely together. I can say, without reservation, that I found his leadership inspiring. Indeed, our relationship developed far beyond a purely commercial one as we discovered that we shared a passionate interest in music (Jazz) and in the realms of humour and motor cars.  Most people, whose normal contact with Harry would have led them to believe that he was at all times a very serious person, would not have believed their eyes and ears had they been privileged, as I was, to witnessing an adlib "performance" by Harry as Quasimodo - The Hunchback of Notre Dame. This occurred at a reception given by the company for clients on the occasion of the Achema Exhibition in Frankfurt, who looked on in both disbelief and admiration and so tremendous was his effect that it probably led to more future orders being received than if we had entertained the clients a half a dozen times individually . Regrettably it was before the days of Handy cams otherwise it would have been a gem for saving for posterity.  
 
In 1982 the ownership of Langley Alloys Ltd. passed to the Scottish company Low and Bonar. The original factory premises in Langley,  including the foundry, were sold for business development and new premises were rented in Slough where the rolling mill was relocated. The foundry operation was transferred to a Langley subsidiary - Westcroft Castings - in Bradford and the manufacture of valves was discontinued and transferred to Yorkshire Pipeline Services. For reasons of "Corporate Identity" the company name was changed to Bonar Langley Alloys (in Germany Deutsche Bonar Langley Alloys). There followed a number of years of consolidation whereby Harry spearheaded the introduction of Langley's "FERRALIUM Alloy 255" which was so successful that it was used in the 100 year refurbishment of the structure of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbour.  
 
By virtue of the divergence of interest - Low and Bonar having been primarily involved in packaging and textiles (carpets) - and Langley's need to expand the operation, a management buy-out was agreed whereby Langley reverted to its original name of Langley Alloys Ltd.  At this time - 1985 - Harry ceased to be one of the Joint General Managers of DLA on becoming Joint Managing Director of Langley Alloys Ltd. and Chairman of the DLA Supervisory Board.  He remained in this capacity until his retirement which he elected to take somewhat earlier than necessary in order to look after his wife, Doreen, who had for sometime been suffering ill health.
 
My association with Harry spanned some 43 years and in all this time I can honestly say that I have seldom come across a more honest, and upright man who I found to be at all times and under differing circumstances a man of principle. He was by nature, as in calling, a "Mechanical Man" who had the ability to analyse complex commercial problems in such a way that the way forward appeared to be the most logical of all solutions and readily understood by all involved. I found him at all times to be fair and just and, although, there were occasions where we had differing views on a specific approach to a situation, I found him always ready to listen, discuss and even revise his own position when the facts had been laid before him.  Harry's formal "shell" I found to harbour a compassionate disposition. The story was related to me of an occasion when, in the light of the necessary redundancies by virtue of moving from the Langley site, an outside representative who had seen the writing on the wall, entered Harry's office one Friday afternoon to tender his resignation. Harry's reaction was to hand it back to the representative with the words - I want you to think about this over the week-end and if, on Monday, you still feel the same way you can resubmit it and I will accept it on the basis of the date on your letter.  The representative left for the weekend somewhat puzzled.  On the Monday morning the representative was handed a letter terminating his employment but containing details of a redundancy payment he would not have received if he had insisted on submitting his notice on the Friday.  This typifies the sort of person that Harry Threlfall was. He was worshipped by his staff for, among other things, his ability to reassure his employees that no matter how gloomy the outlook appeared to be they would surmount the problems and come out stronger than before. And I can't recall an occasion when this didn't happen.
 
Harry has been an inspiration to me and I owe him a great deal in my own personal life for the advice and friendship which he has given me over the years.  To me he was one of the "all time greats" in our industry. I found him to be always a very modest man which is probably why his passing may not have received the attention it deserved.  But that was Harry. If he were to be able to read this he would probably say that his passing, in his opinion, doesn't warrant all the fuss!