FBCS D.Univ (Mddx)
1915–2008
Role: Head of Systems Analysis and Design
Responsibility: Supplied LEO for projects including the Post Office’s telephone billing system
Joining Lyons as a management trainee in 1936, Caminer was seriously wounded in World War II and rejoined the company in 1944. When Lyons started to build the first LEO machine, Caminer was given the task, in his words, of ‘preparing production work for the computer system – everything – coding standards, program construction and systems documentation – had to be created from scratch. The aim was always to be ready to use whatever facility Pinkerton was bringing to fruition.’
His attention to detail helped the early LEO computer programs to succeed and Caminer went on to supply LEO computers for projects including the Post Office’s telephone billing system and Giro. In retirement, Caminer and colleagues founded the LEO Foundation and wrote extensively on the history of LEO.
Biographies – The Guardian, The Centre of Computing History, The New York Times, The Daily Telegraph, BBC Radio 4 ‘Last Word’ broadcast on 4th July 2008