Raymond William Bowen Billinghurst
Raymond William Bowen Billinghurst (1885-1942)
1943 Obituary [1]
RAYMOND WILLIAM BOWEN BILLINGHURST had an extensive experience as a technical engineer, specializing in the investigation of inventions and their practical application. At the time of his death, which occurred on 4th September 1942, in New York, while on war service, he was serving on the Interservices Research Council, after having been director and chief engineer of the Engineering Corporation, Ltd., an organization formed for the interchange, between Great Britain and the U.S.A., of proven inventions and processes.
He was born in 1885 and educated at Dulwich College and also privately in Hanover. On the termination of a four years' apprenticeship with Messrs. Vickers, Sons and Maxim at their Erith works, in 1906, he continued with that firm as draughtsman until 1908 when, for brief periods, during the next three years he gained experience with various firms as technical representative, designer, and improver. He was then appointed mechanical assistant to Messrs. Thomas Firth and Sons, Sheffield, and, later, acted as London representative of the firm.
In 1916 he joined H.M. Forces and served in the R.N.F. as technical officer, engaged on design and experimental work. After being demobilized with the rank of captain he returned to Messrs. Thomas Firth as their London manager, but in 1923 he became a technical publicity consultant on his own account and two years later was appointed technical manager in London for the Forestal, Land, Timber and Railways Company with control over the purchase of all technical equipment and rolling stock. An appointment as sales manager with Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth and Company, Scotswood, Newcastle upon Tyne, which lasted for five years, followed in 1930; Mr. Billinghurst was also responsible for the technical investigation of all proposed new engineering products. After a brief period of employment in a similar capacity with Messrs. Andrews Toledo and Company, Sheffield, Mr. Billinghurst went into practice as a consulting engineer, specializing in the investigation of patents and new processes. In 1939 he joined the board of the Engineering Corporation.
He was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1912 and was transferred to Membership in 1932.