Barnard Humphrey
Barnard Humphrey (1875-1948)
1949 Obituary [1]
"BARNARD HUMPHREY was identified with the Great Western Railway for the whole of his professional career.
He was born at Stewkhey in 1875 and educated at Rossall School and at the Yorkshire College, Leeds, where he took an engineering course. After serving an apprenticeship in the locomotive works of Messrs. Kitson and Company, Ltd., Leeds, from 1895 to 1898, he continued his practical training at the Swindon works of the Great Western Railway, passing through the locomotive shops and the drawing office. In 1904 he entered the company's road transport department as an assistant, being first in charge of a district with responsibility for developing bus services in the west of England. Later he was transferred to headquarters, Slough, as assistant to the engineer. He was appointed engineer in charge of the motor department in 1913 with responsibility to the superintendent of road transport, but two years later he was commissioned in the Royal Army Service Corps with the rank of lieutenant and subsequently served in France as workshop officer. On demobilization in 1919 he resumed his road transport department duties, which he continued to perform until his retirement in 1937.
During his long connection with that department the fleet, from small beginnings, had increased in size until of recent years he had been responsible for the maintenance of some 2,500 vehicles. Mr. Humphrey, whose death occurred on 16th November 1948, was elected a Member of the Institution of Automobile Engineers in 1914 and served on the Council from 1934 to 1937. He was also an Associate Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers."