David Donaldson (1874-1950)
1952 Obituary [1]
"DAVID DONALDSON, whose death in his seventy-sixth year occurred in London on 19th May 1950, was elected a Member of the Institution in 1917 and he was also a Member of the Institution of Naval Architects. He was educated at the High School and Technical Institute in Dundee, where he also served his apprenticeship between 1890 and 1896, first with Gourlay Brothers and Company, Ltd., and afterwards with W. B. Thompson and Company, Ltd.
He then went to sea for some years as marine engineer and rose from fourth to second engineer. During this period he obtained an extra first-class Board of Trade Certificate. In 1904 he joined the staff of Hull Blyth and Company, Ltd., London, foreign coaling contractors, being engaged as their resident superintendent engineer at Las Palmas and Port Said. In this capacity he was responsible for the construction and organization of new depots and workshops in addition to the design of tugs and coal-handling appliances. He returned to England in 1912 and for the remainder of his active career was engaged as consulting engineer to Hull Blyth and Co. Since 1919 he had acted as adviser to the Dartmouth Coaling Company, Ltd. He joined the Royal Naval Reserve in 1920.