Roland Hunter Briggs (1887-1946)
1946 Obituary [1]
"ROLAND HUNTER BRIGGS, M.B.E., whose death occurred at Coulsdon, Surrey, on 3rd January 1946, was the editor of The Overseas Engineer and managing director of Overseas Publications, Ltd.
During the war of 1939-45 he held the post of Assistant Director, Censorship Division, in the Ministry of Information, and was in charge of the scientific, technical, and trade press section from September 1939 to the close of hostilities. Mr. Briggs was well known to Members of the Institution and his valuable assistance when he was in charge of the censorship of the Trade and Technical Section will be remembered with deep gratitude. He was awarded the M.B.E. in 1944 in recognition of his services. It was, indeed, entirely due to his tact, patience, and sympathetic treatment of a necessarily difficult situation that enabled publication of certain papers of the Institution to be made without undue delay.
From his early days Mr. Briggs was a keen supporter of the Institution and when he was only twenty-six had already become Vice-Chairman of the Graduates' Committee and subsequently acted as honorary secretary and finally as chairman.
He was born at Otley, Yorkshire, in 1887 and received his general education at Harrogate College. After a short session at the University of Leeds, he served his apprenticeship with Messrs. Waite and Saville, Ltd., printers' engineers, of Otley, from 1907 to 1910 and during this period attended classes at the Leeds Central Technical School and at the University. He was then appointed engineering assistant and repair workshop manager for Messrs. Oscar Friedheim, Ltd., printers' engineers, of London. In 1914 he became works manager, and subsequently a director of Grant Legros and Company, Ltd., Willesden. In this capacity he was responsible for the conversion and adaptation of a printer's plant to the manufacture of a varied assortment of munitions of war. Three years later he accepted an appointment as manager of the air-pump department of the Globe Pneumatic Engineering Company, Ltd., and in 1919 he was made editor of the engineering supplement to the Daily Mail weekly overseas edition.
His final appointment as editor of The Overseas Engineer and as managing director of Overseas Publications, Ltd., dated from 1927. Other of his many-sided activities included the managing directorship of O.H., Ltd., ventilating engineers, and the chairmanships of Constructive Publications, Ltd., and of Science Services, Ltd. In recognition of the skilful and understanding conduct of his official duties, Mr. Briggs, shortly after his retirement from the Ministry of Information, was entertained to a complimentary dinner by a number of editors of leading technical journals. He had been a member of the Institution since 1911, when he was elected a Graduate. He was transferred to Associate Membership in 1915, and to Membership in 1944."
1946 Obituary [2]
1946 Obituary [3]