George Ernest Bennett
George Ernest Bennett (1884-1971) of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway
1971 Obituary.[1]
George Ernest Bennett, MSc who was born on 25 December, 1884,died on 13 August, 1971. Educated at Stockport Grammar School, he studied engineering at the University of Manchester, taking an Honours BSc(Eng) degree in 1904. Two years later he received his MSc, by which time he had completed his practical training under J. J. Webster.
His first job was on setting out foundations for the Franco-British Exhibition, held in Shepherds Bush in 1908. There followed a year as Resident Engineer on pier repair works at Llandudno, after which he became a partner in a structural steelworks concern in Manchester. But his future lay in India. In 1910 he became assistant engineer (bridges) on the Great Indian Peninsular Railway - one of a team of engineers replacing all weak steel bridges on 3000 miles of track. This continued until in 1916 he was appointed Port Engineer, Chittagong (Bengal), engaged on river surveys and schemes for improvement of the Port approaches.
In 1919 he became Executive Engineer to the Calcutta Port Commissioners and a year later Senior Executive Engineer on the construction of King George’s Dock - a project comprising a wet dock for 34 berths, a dry dock 1190 ft X 80 ft, and import jetties on the banks of the River Karmaphuli (comprising four berths aggregating 2550 ft in length: total cost, about £6M). Of this vast undertaking, Bennett was for a year in complete charge. He next became Deputy Chief Engineer to the Bombay Port Trust (1927), rising to Chief Engineer in 1930 - a position he held for ten years, acting from time to time as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. During World War I1 he was for two strenuous years Controller of Supplies in the Government of India’s War Supplies Department (Bombay Circle),with territory covering the Bombay Presidency, Baroda State, Central Provinces, Hyderabad State and Kathiawar State (194042). Starting with a small office for himself, a deputy and two clerks, his organization expanded to a full five-floor building, with 70 officers and 500 clerks. But by this time he had already spent 32 years in India and found the pace ‘too killing’. On medical advice he was forced to give up.
The rest of his career was devoted to consultancy work. From 1942-46 he was engaged as consulting engineer to the Maharaja of Nowanagar, with the object of finding a site for a deep water port and working out a scheme for its construction. Next, he reported to Sir William Halcrow and Partners, West-minster, on the possibilities of expansion of the Port of Kandla, India, then to Messrs Coode, Vaughan-Lee, Frank and Gwyther on two river-dredging schemes and two canal schemes for the Colonial Office (1949). A year later he became a freelance consulting engineer to the Frederick Snare Corporation, New York, in connexion with an expansion scheme for the port of Zonguldak, Turkey.
Despite his heavy responsibilities, Bennett found time for other commitments. He represented India on the Council of the Institution from 1932-35 and 1938-40, and was chairman of the Advisory Committee for India for some eight years. In 1938 he was President of the Bombay Engineering Congress. He was a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and for seven years their Advisor in India, and a member of the Institution of Engineers (India). Colleagues spoke of their confidence, esteem and affection for Bennett, the energy with which he tackled heavy problems and his unfailing courtesy and efficiency. After his return from India he became a J.P. He was for 61 years on the Roll. Elected to corporate membership in 1910, he was transferred to the senior grade in 1926.He is survived by his widow, a daughter, and a son, O. B. Bennett, CBE.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ Institution of Civil Engineers