Sir George Cunningham Buchanan (1865-1940), civil engineer
1865 born at Islington on 20 April, the eldest son of George Buchanan, of Westminster, also a civil engineer, and his wife, Emily, youngest daughter of Thomas Boosey.
1882 As a trainee, worked on civil engineering projects along the Tyne until 1886, first under J. Watt Sandeman and then under P. J. Messent, chief engineer to the Tyne Improvement Commission.
From 1886 he was associated with railway and other works in Venezuela, Nova Scotia, Argentina, Spain, and Jamaica.
1894 Married Elizabeth Isabelle Mead, of Plymouth
1895 became resident engineer for the construction of a graving dock at Blyth, and in the following year he was appointed chief engineer to the Dundee harbour trust.
1901 Became chairman and chief engineer of the Rangoon Port Trust
1915 he went to Basrah as adviser to Sir John Nixon, the commander-in-chief of the Mesopotamian campaign,
1915 Knighted
1917 Promoted to brigadier-general.
Post WWI: Buchanan entered into partnership with C. S. Meik in C. S. Meik and Buchanan and was appointed consulting engineer for the Back Bay reclamation scheme at Bombay; unfortunately his estimates proved faulty and his plans miscarried.
1922 K.C., I.E., M.Inst.C.E., Telford Medallist, Civil Engineer (Specialist in Harbours, Docks and River Works ), 16, Victoria Street, Westminster. T. A. "Propulsion, London." T. N.: Victoria 370. b. 1865; s. of late George Buchanan, M.Inst.C.E. Served pupilage on Tyne with J. Watt Sandeman for 2 years, and P. J. Messent, Chief Engineer, Tyne Improvement Commissioners, 1 year. Held positions as Resident Engineer on various harbour, dock and railway works in Venezuela, South America, the Argentine Republic, Spain, Jamaica and England; Chief Engineer, Dundee Harbour, 1896-1901; Chairman and Chief Engineer, Rangoon Port Trust, 1901-15; Member of firm, C. S. Meik Buchanan, 1919. Chief Works: The Rangoon River Training Works; the Rangoon Port Works; Port and River Works at Basra, Mesopotamia. Publications: The Port of Dundee, The Port of Rangoon, The Rangoon River Training Works, The Administration and Development of Indian Ports, Articles on Development of Mesopotamia. Member of the East India United Service Club. War Services.— Mesopotamia, 1915-7; Brig.-General, Administrative Services; in control of Port Administration and River Conservancy; Member Indian Munition Board, 1917-9; in charge of all the ordnance factories in India, and of munition manufacture outside ordnance factories.
1922 Reported on the transport problems of South Africa.
1925 he undertook a similar mission in Australia
1927 Joined the board of B. and L. Powdered Fuels Ltd[1]
1930 Married Joan Haggard
1940 Died at his home in Ditchingham, Norfolk, on 14 April.
1940 Obituary [2]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Times, Nov 14, 1927
- ↑ The Engineer 1940 Jan-Jun: Index
- Biography, ODNB