Alfred Herbert Wright
Alfred Herbert Wright (c1903-1945)
1946 Obituary [1]
ALFRED HERBERT WRIGHT received his general education at King Edward VII Grammar School, Chelmsford, and at Allen Glen School, Glasgow, and his technical training at the Royal Technical College, Glasgow. His apprenticeship (which was interrupted by a year's service in the R.A.F.), was served between 1917 and 1922 with Sir William Beardmore and Company, and Messrs. Wallace, Ltd.
He continued in the employment of the latter firm for a brief period as shops inspector and assistant to the chief engineer. After acting as assistant engineer and later as manager of the engineering department of the Transporting Machinery and Engineering Company, Ltd., Westminster, for four years, he secured an appointment as chief mechanical engineer to the Tilmanstone Collieries, Ltd., Kent, and was responsible for the erection and operation of an aerial ropeway, eight miles long, from the colliery to Dover Harbour.
He proceeded to Malaya in 1932 to take up the duties of chief engineer to Messrs. Oil Palms of Malaya, Ltd., with whom he was associated for the remainder of his brief professional career. Taken prisoner of war by the Japanese, he will always be remembered by his fellow prisoners for his indomitable spirit in maintaining the morale of his unfortunate companions by the happy conception of forming an Engineering Society, for which he himself wrote the "proceedings".
The Institution suffered a sad loss by his untimely death, which occurred in the prison camp on 9th February 1945, at the age of forty-four. Mr. Wright was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1935.