William Robert Steele
William Robert Steele (1885-1952)
1953 Obituary [1]
WILLIAM ROBERT STEELE received his general education at the Hamilton Academy and Allan Glen's School, after which he attended classes in mechanical and electrical engineering for nine years at the latter school and The Royal Technical College, Glasgow.
He served an apprenticeship with George Russell and Company, Ltd., Motherwell, engineers and crane builders, from 1902 to 1907, in the employment of which he continued as draughtsman and foreman with the charge of outside erection for a further two years.
He then took up an appointment as designer and estimator in the crane department of Sir William Arrol and Company, Ltd., Parkhead Works, Glasgow, and two years later was promoted to be chief draughtsman in charge of the mechanical department at the firm's Bridgeton works.
In 1914 he was appointed manager of the plant and erection department of Armstrong, Main and Company, Ltd., Glasgow. In this capacity he was responsible for the outside erection of extensive munition works as well as large airship sheds.
The remainder of his active career, from 1917, was spent at Portsmouth, where he was attached to the mining and torpedo school, H.M.S. Vernon. At first he was chiefly concerned with the design of special appliances and equipment until 1925, when he was given the appointment of senior and principal technical officer, in which capacity the range of his duties was greatly extended. They included experimental and development work, trials and the solution of all technical engineering problems, arising, more particularly, from the manufacture of special naval appliances and equipment. In addition he was manager of the mining department's extensive workshops for fifteen years.
He retired in 1945 after twenty-eight years' service with the Admiralty.
Mr. Steele, whose death occurred at Lee-on-the-Solent on 1st April 1952, at the age of sixty-seven, was elected a Member of the Institution in 1945.