Thomas Harold Wright
Thomas Harold Wright (c1888-1948)
1949 Obituary [1]
THOMAS HAROLD WRIGHT, whose death in his sixtieth year occurred on 29th April 1948, was elected a Graduate of the Institution in 1909 and was transferred to Associate Membership in 1913.
He received his technical instruction at the Goldsmiths' and Birkbeck Colleges and served his apprenticeship with Messrs. Thomas Middleton and Company, Ltd., London, from 1902 to 1907. After gaining some experience in the drawing office of Messrs. Dewrance and Company he joined the staff of the India Rubber, Gutta Percha and Telegraph Works Company, Ltd., as a draughtsman, and began a connection which lasted for twenty-five years.
By successive stages he rose to be chief draughtsman, becoming works engineer in 1926. In this capacity he was responsible for the conception and carrying out of a complete scheme of reconstruction of the steam and power plant and for the installation of the largest belt vulcanizing press in the world. He was appointed chief engineer in 1931 and under his direction the whole of the plant was removed from the works at Burton-on-Trent and reinstalled at Silvertown.
Two years later, however, he left the Company and took up an appointment as works manager and director to Messrs. S. Hathway, Ltd., woodwork manufacturers, of Mottingham, Kent. In 1939 he joined the Ministry of Supply as an inspecting engineer, and after being associated with the Bailey Bridge and other such equipment, he was amongst the first engineers to become associated with the present atomic energy projects. At the time of his death he was in charge of the inspection of all mechanical equipment purchased by the Ministry of Supply in connection with atomic energy.