Alfred James Thomas Watson
Alfred James Thomas Watson (1910-1951)
1952 Obituary [1]
"ALFRED JAMES THOMAS WATKINS, whose death occurred on 12th February 1951 at the early age of forty-one, had considerable experience as designer to firms engaged in the electrical and automobile industries during the course of his brief career. His technical training, which extended from 1923 to 1935, was obtained at Wolverhampton and Staffordshire Technical College. After serving his time in the chief mechanical engineer's department of the Great Western Railway at Swindon, from 1925 to 1930, he found employment as a jig and tool designer to the Austin Motor Company, Ltd., Birmingham, for two years. He then held short appointments in a similar capacity with several firms, including the English Electric Company, Ltd., Stafford, and the Sunbeam Motor Car Company, Ltd., Wolverhampton. In 1935 he joined Wilmot-Breedon, Ltd., Birmingham, and was engaged on the design of automobile accessories for four years. After acting as senior draughtsman on traction control gear for the General Electric Company, Ltd., Witton, Mr. Watkins took up his final appointment in 1945 as lecturer at the College of Technology, Suffolk Street, Birmingham. He was elected a Graduate of the Institution in 1935 and transferred to Associate Membership four years later."