William Hammerton
William Hammerton (1912-1945)
1946 Obituary [1]
Major WILLIAM HAMMERTON, R.E.M.E., who was killed in action on 8th February 1945, was born in 1912 and received his technical education (which extended over a period of twelve years), at Hull Technical College, where he graduated B.Sc. in engineering (London) in 1933, when he commenced a year's course in gas engineering at the Manchester College of Technology.
His apprenticeship was served with Messrs. Rose, Downs and Thompson, Ltd., The Old Foundry, Leeds, from 1929 to 1933. In the following year he joined the staff of Messrs. West's Gas Improvement Company, of Manchester, in whose service the remainder of his promising, but abruptly terminated, career was spent. His first appointment was that of draughtsman, which was soon followed by his transference, at an early age, to the post of site engineer, with responsibility for the erection, operation, and testing of vertical retorts.
In addition he was for a year lecturer in mechanics and mathematics at Hull Technical College. In 1936 he was appointed technical assistant to the chief continental engineer, to whom he was responsible for the preparation of estimates, and the purchase of material and machinery from abroad. Furthermore, he was personally in control of the erection and testing of plant at gas-works in several countries on the Continent. From 1938 he was technical assistant (estimating and schemes department) to the chief engineer.
In October 1939 he enlisted in H.M. Forces and was subsequently commissioned in the R.A.O.C., receiving his captaincy in 1942 and his promotion to major in the same year. Major Hammerton was elected a Student of the Institution in 1932, and was transferred to Graduateship in 1934, and to Associate Membership in 1937.