Reginald John Wallis-Jones
Captain Reginald John Wallis-Jones (1863-1927)
1927 Obituary [1]
CAPTAIN REGINALD JOHN WALLIS-JONES, O.B.E., T.D., was born at Liverpool in 1863 and died in London on the 16th April, 1927.
He was educated at Christ College, Brecon, and received his engineering training at the works of the Anglo-American Brush Co., the School of Submarine Engineering, the Finsbury College of the City and Guilds London Institute, and King's College, London.
After completing his training he was appointed superintending engineer for the North of England for Mr. Robert Hammond, afterwards becoming central station engineer for the Metropolitan Brush Co., Ltd., and subsequently engineer and manager of the contract department of Messrs. Woodhouse and Rawson, Ltd.
He left them to become chief electrical assistant to Messrs. Kincaid, Waller and Manville, and in 1898 commenced practising as consulting engineer in partnership with the late Mr. Montagu C. Dent, under the name of Messrs. Wallis-Jones and Dent.
He carried out a large number of installations, including those at the Cardiff Town Hall and Law Courts, the Newport and Monmouthshire County Infirmary, Savoy Hotel W. Block, and Messrs. Selfridges, etc.
He was for many years engineer and manager of the Electric Welding Co., Ltd., and visited the United States on their behalf.
He joined the Institution in 1882 as an Associate, was elected a Member in 1889, and served on the Council from 1914 to 1916. He was a keen soldier and joined what is now the l/4th Welsh Royal Field Artillery Territorial Division in 1898, retiring with the rank of Major.
Upon the outbreak of the Great War in 1914 he rejoined his brigade, then the 53rd Welsh Division of the Royal Field Artillery, as Officer Commanding the ammunition column with the rank of Captain, and served with his unit in Great Britain and France. He was later appointed Officer Commanding 5th West Lancashire Batteries Brigade, R.F.A. (T.), and was subsequently transferred to the Ministry of Munitions as Section Director of the Foreign Iron Ore Department, and from thence went to the Disposals Board.
He was a keen sportsman and had a wide circle of friends in the electrical industry. He underwent a severe operation early in 1925, from which, though he rallied from time to time, he never recovered, and it was only his indomitable will which kept him alive. The brave and cheerful manner in which he carried on for the last 18 months of his life on a sick bed will always be remembered by the many friends who had the privilege of visiting him and helping in some slight measure to brighten the closing hours of his life and alleviate the burden of pain. He faced the situation as a true soldier and passed away peacefully at the last.