Burns Crosbie Sharpe
Burns Crosbie Sharpe (1892-1938)
1938 Obituary [1]
BURNS CROSBIE SHARPE held the position of assistant mechanical superintendent to the Bombay Port Trust, to which he was appointed in 1925. He was born at Millport, Buteshire, Scotland, in 1892, and after receiving his education at Allan Glen's School, Glasgow, and at Greenock Technical College, he commenced his apprenticeship with Messrs. Ferguson Bros., shipbuilders, of Port Glasgow, in 1908.
He had almost completed his term when the War broke out, and he enlisted with the Royal Engineers. During 1917 he was transferred to the Army Reserve and stationed at Messrs. Ferguson's works. He obtained his discharge from the Army in December 1918 and shortly afterwards went to sea, obtaining his second-class Board of Trade engineer's certificate in 1920 and the first-class certificate in 1922, when sailing in a ship belonging to Messrs. G. and W. Harrison and Company, Ltd., Glasgow. In 1922 he went to India as junior assistant mechanical superintendent to Bombay Port Trust, and took charge of the drawing office and workshops. He occupied this position until his promotion three years later.
As assistant mechanical superintendent he was responsible for the repair and maintenance of all vessels belonging to the Port, including a large fleet of dredgers, a rock breaker, a sea-going pilot, and a lightship. He also installed new power units consisting of electrically driven centrifugal pumps, for the hydraulic system at the docks. In addition he drew up a specification for new vessels fabricated in Europe and built in the dry-docks at Bombay.
Mr. Sharpe, who was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1930, died at sea on 25th May 1937.