Leonard Roy Kerridge
Leonard Roy Kerridge (1890-1946)
1946 Obituary [1]
LEONARD ROY KERRIDGE, whose death occurred on 16th September 1945, spent the long period of fifteen years, from 1927 to 1942, in the service of the Sungei Way Tin Company, Ltd., in Malaya, as head resident mine manager.
Born in 1890, he received his technical training at West Ham Technical Institute, and the Northern Polytechnic Institute, Holloway, serving his apprenticeship from 1907 to 1911 with the [[Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Co|Thames Iron Works Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Ltd.], at Canning Town. During 1911-12 he was engaged as a draughtsman to Messrs. Trollope and Colls, Ltd., London, and in the latter year he went to Malaya to take up the appointment of resident engineer to the Sembilan Estate Company, Ltd., London.
His war service extended from 1915 to 1919; he served first as a 2nd Lieutenant in the R.F.C., and was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant. He became a pilot, and was later made a Captain in the Royal Air Force, in which capacity he served as equipment officer and chief technical officer at the Aircraft Acceptance Park, Filton, near Bristol. In connection with the latter appointment he was mentioned in Dispatches.
On relinquishing his military duties in 1919, he was appointed manager of the engineering branch, in Madras, of Messrs. Douglas and Grant, engineers, of Kirkcaldy, and relinquished this post two years later. He was then appointed engineer and manager to Messrs. Barber and Pascoe, agents in India for the English and Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society, Ltd., and held this position until 1927. He then entered upon his long term of service in Malaya. War conditions necessitated his evacuation in 1942 to Australia, where he remained until 1944.
During those two years he was engaged as executive officer in charge of castings, forgings, and aircraft for the De Havilland Aircraft Company, Ltd., Sydney, and subsequently as assistant depot manager to the United States Army Engineer Depot, Sydney. Mr. Kerridge returned to this country only a few months before his death, which occurred in London.
He had been an Associate Member of the Institution since 1927.