Background information on John Olszewski

I am John Olszewski, John Dallas Sydney in full. I was born in Malvern, Worcestershire, England on 30th June 1931. From Hillside Preparatory school in Malvern Link, I went Hanley Castle Grammar School, near Upton-on-Severn. There I completed the Cambridge School certificate, gaining a distinction in Geography and a credit in History. Although there was a school bus, I preferred to cycle. This episode taught me to look at “weather”. The Sutton brothers ran a butchery and their sheep ran on the Malvern Hills. On occasion, the one brother would off rounding up the flock and, with their two sheep dogs, bring them into their meadow, just down the road from our house in King Edward’s road, Malvern Wells. The reason was the clouds “were making”. So that’s where weather comes from!

W H Smith had two weather books in stock. The “Weather Map” was very informative. Elementary Meteorology was equally so, but went into a considerable amount of theory and detail. This was the time of the 2nd World 1939-1945 War. Public Weather forecasts were not available: (They might be listening!). So it was a lot of looking and learning (even so today!)

Peace broke out. Playing around on Long Wave radio, I came across Dunstable Radio: 12 hours of weather broadcasts with station detail, updated three-hourly. The various stations were found. Their detail was plotted and a map drawn, twice daily: before school and after in the evening.

From school it was National Service. My time in the Royal Air Force (RAF) took me to Gloucester Air Traffic Control Centre, thence to No. 5 Flying Training School. RAF Thornhill, near the present-day Gweru, in what is now Zimbabwe. Weather is rather different in this part of the world.

After the war, we had more “rationing” imposed by the Labour government than ever there was during the war years. I was not impressed. To return to such a potential world was not for me. I took local demobilization and have been “south of the line” ever since. My first job was Time and Wages clerk, Modderfontein Dynamite Factory, near Johannesburg and playing cricket on weekends. March 1954 stuck in mind for the numerous occasions when we had to leave the field because of rain and go and drink beer to while away the time.

As pleasant as that life was, Africa was calling and I gained a post in the Underground Water Development programme in what is now Botswana. It was realized that this was fossil water that was to be tapped. This did not seem the right course. Botswana was a large blank area on the southern African weather map. The South African Weather Bureau was keen to amend this. Rex (Andy) Andersson was to train personnel and establish some half dozen weather stations, where feasible, across Botswana. I was introduced to him and I was recruited and put into immediate practical service, this was September 1958.

Tristan da Cunha was Andy’s previous station. He recommended. And I was booked for Tristan. Back to mainland meant Kimberley. I had developed an interest in pilot balloons, long ascents, and these clear skies enabled me to fulfil this interest. The duties involved the full range of work required, daily, to keep the hourly observations, twice-daily ascents, six times daily synoptic reports entered and transmitted for the regional/international communication network and broadcast times. The autographic charts had to be reduced and entered daily. This detail is added up, to balance, across and down, the resultant means comprise the Climat report, transmitted by 14 hours on day 2 of the new month. Other maintenance duties are performed with regularity. The outside work meant talking to pilots, gaining their view and experience of the weather.

Jan Smuts Weather Office came next. Insight into international air routes and weather encountered as well as the normal round fulfilled that mission with the weather-wise Alexander (Teg) Anteglivich from whom to gain further.

Eventually, a transfer to Weather Bureau, Forum Building, Pretoria, opened the doors to further ranges of work and thus experience. The introduction to El Nino was made, for instance. However, there was not personal scope; the suggestion was made to try Windhoek, with the newly separated nascent Namibia Weather service.
Since October 1988, this has been my home.

Please click on below links for more information:

Weather Information 2006

Weather Information 2007

 

The opinions expressed in the articles are not DRFN’s but John Olszewski's

John’s email address: weatherman@economist.com.na

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