David Dorrell – In Memoriam
Jan 31, 2021 14:49:52 GMT
Post by Paul Jackson on Jan 31, 2021 14:49:52 GMT
David Dorrell — An appreciation by Vic Flintham
The world of aviation has lost one of its most influential yet unassuming contributors with the passing of David Dorrell. He was one of the longest serving editors of serious journals, having been at the helm of Air Pictorial from 1961 to 1988. During that time he transformed the monthly magazine and in the process the viability of the Air League.
Air Pictorial had a history going back to 1939 when it was first published by the Air League of the British Empire as the Air Defence Corps Gazette, eventually morphing into Air Pictorial in 1951. By the late 1950s the Air League was in some difficulty financially when its General Manager, Air Commodore Christopher Paul, recognised that in the rather staid Air Pictorial it had “an unexploited asset”. He recruited David Dorrell to turn it round and according to Paul, “As Air Pictorial sales improved, so did its revenue and after five years the entire running costs of the Air League were covered with a little in hand.”
Dorrell had for ten years edited transport-related journals, including Ship and Boat Builder. By developing further his knowledge of, and interest in, aviation he soon created a group of aviation writers and historians, encouraging them to become regular contributors to Air Pictorial. He was also adept at building contacts in the aviation industry and the military, securing unprecedented access for his team of writers.
What was truly remarkable was the manner in which Dorrell worked. With just a secretary he took original drafts, many of which were handwritten, edited them, marked up the photographs, laid the whole lot out and got it off to the printers. If he took holidays there is little evidence in terms of interruption and in his 27 years an edition was never missed through sickness.He found the time to commission articles to coincide with special events, send out books for review and answered every letter in full.
Visits to the office, first at Sloane Street and latterly Windsor, were challenging, since the visitor first had to find the esteemed editor through a fog of cigarette smoke. These visits were invariably stimulating, with discussion of the latest news; he was always patient, courteous and generous with his time. How he found the time to have six daughters is one of life’s mysteries!
David Dorrell was born on 22 May 1929 in Croydon, but very soon travelled to Egypt with his parents – his father was a research chemist for Shell. Dorrell was educated at King’s Wimbledon School, leaving in 1946 with his Higher School Certificate to start an engineering apprenticeship with Vickers-Armstrongs at Weybridge. This was interrupted by National Service in the RAF that included a spell in Cyprus, his editorial career beginning after demobilisation. While sailing in the Kaag Lakes in Holland he met the remarkable Joep Ruijgrok, the first female Link Trainer instructor in the world, an employee of KLM. They married in 1956 and their daughters were born between 1957 and 1967.
In 1988 Air Pictorial changed hands, the new proprietors wanting a fresh look. The consequence was that after 27 years of outstanding service Dorrell was disgracefully eased out. In that time he had worked with two generations of historians and journalists, including established scribes like Maurice Allward, Mike Bowyer, Jack Bruce, Norman Franks, John Rawlings, Bruce Robertson and Ray Sturtivant, followed by the likes of Peter Bish, Philip Birtles, Mike Draper, Malcolm English, Roger Lindsay and Chris Shores. He gave many of those writers the thrill and first opportunity of seeing their work in print, having gently pointed out errors and omissions along the way.
While Air Pictorial slid downhill for a few years, having lost many of its loyal contributors, Dorrell became a freelance editor before retirement to East Sussex. Around 1990, he was made an honorary member of Air-Britain. After Joep died in 2015 he became increasingly infirm, moving latterly to a nursing home in Hastings. He died in hospital of Covid-19 on 11 January 2021.
David Dorrell’s legacy will be the vast array of authoritative aviation books and journals written or edited by the people that he encouraged by his taking their work, however basic, and making it presentable. We will remember him with affection, forgiving his one idiosyncrasy – his dogmatic assertions as to the ‘correct’ spelling of Egyptian airfields.
Photographs attached show the young David astride an Armstrong Whitworth Atlas and, then, in more recent years.
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The world of aviation has lost one of its most influential yet unassuming contributors with the passing of David Dorrell. He was one of the longest serving editors of serious journals, having been at the helm of Air Pictorial from 1961 to 1988. During that time he transformed the monthly magazine and in the process the viability of the Air League.
Air Pictorial had a history going back to 1939 when it was first published by the Air League of the British Empire as the Air Defence Corps Gazette, eventually morphing into Air Pictorial in 1951. By the late 1950s the Air League was in some difficulty financially when its General Manager, Air Commodore Christopher Paul, recognised that in the rather staid Air Pictorial it had “an unexploited asset”. He recruited David Dorrell to turn it round and according to Paul, “As Air Pictorial sales improved, so did its revenue and after five years the entire running costs of the Air League were covered with a little in hand.”
Dorrell had for ten years edited transport-related journals, including Ship and Boat Builder. By developing further his knowledge of, and interest in, aviation he soon created a group of aviation writers and historians, encouraging them to become regular contributors to Air Pictorial. He was also adept at building contacts in the aviation industry and the military, securing unprecedented access for his team of writers.
What was truly remarkable was the manner in which Dorrell worked. With just a secretary he took original drafts, many of which were handwritten, edited them, marked up the photographs, laid the whole lot out and got it off to the printers. If he took holidays there is little evidence in terms of interruption and in his 27 years an edition was never missed through sickness.He found the time to commission articles to coincide with special events, send out books for review and answered every letter in full.
Visits to the office, first at Sloane Street and latterly Windsor, were challenging, since the visitor first had to find the esteemed editor through a fog of cigarette smoke. These visits were invariably stimulating, with discussion of the latest news; he was always patient, courteous and generous with his time. How he found the time to have six daughters is one of life’s mysteries!
David Dorrell was born on 22 May 1929 in Croydon, but very soon travelled to Egypt with his parents – his father was a research chemist for Shell. Dorrell was educated at King’s Wimbledon School, leaving in 1946 with his Higher School Certificate to start an engineering apprenticeship with Vickers-Armstrongs at Weybridge. This was interrupted by National Service in the RAF that included a spell in Cyprus, his editorial career beginning after demobilisation. While sailing in the Kaag Lakes in Holland he met the remarkable Joep Ruijgrok, the first female Link Trainer instructor in the world, an employee of KLM. They married in 1956 and their daughters were born between 1957 and 1967.
In 1988 Air Pictorial changed hands, the new proprietors wanting a fresh look. The consequence was that after 27 years of outstanding service Dorrell was disgracefully eased out. In that time he had worked with two generations of historians and journalists, including established scribes like Maurice Allward, Mike Bowyer, Jack Bruce, Norman Franks, John Rawlings, Bruce Robertson and Ray Sturtivant, followed by the likes of Peter Bish, Philip Birtles, Mike Draper, Malcolm English, Roger Lindsay and Chris Shores. He gave many of those writers the thrill and first opportunity of seeing their work in print, having gently pointed out errors and omissions along the way.
While Air Pictorial slid downhill for a few years, having lost many of its loyal contributors, Dorrell became a freelance editor before retirement to East Sussex. Around 1990, he was made an honorary member of Air-Britain. After Joep died in 2015 he became increasingly infirm, moving latterly to a nursing home in Hastings. He died in hospital of Covid-19 on 11 January 2021.
David Dorrell’s legacy will be the vast array of authoritative aviation books and journals written or edited by the people that he encouraged by his taking their work, however basic, and making it presentable. We will remember him with affection, forgiving his one idiosyncrasy – his dogmatic assertions as to the ‘correct’ spelling of Egyptian airfields.
Photographs attached show the young David astride an Armstrong Whitworth Atlas and, then, in more recent years.
