Charles William John Purnell
Charles William John Purnell (c1880-1945)
1946 Obituary [1]
CHARLES WILLIAM JOHN PURNELL, whose death in his sixty-second year occurred on 6th April 1945, was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1919. He was educated at the Woolwich Polytechnic and also attended classes at the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool. On the conclusion of a five years' apprenticeship at Woolwich Arsenal in 1903 he received his first appointment as assistant engineer in H.M. dockyards. From 1908 to 1917 he found employment successively as production engineer to the Western Telegraph Company, chief progress officer to the Automatic Telephone Company and second in charge of Messrs. Hans Renold's planning department.
He then joined the A.B.C. Coupler Company, Ltd., and after a brief period as assistant works manager was promoted to be works manager; but three years later he transferred his services to Messrs. Daniel Adamson, of Manchester, for whom he was engaged as assistant works manager until 1924. On his return from India in 1929, where he had been employed for five years on public works in the province of the Punjab, he subsequently joined the staff of the Stanton Ironworks Company, Ltd., Nottingham, as works and foundry manager.
After a further two years' experience as works manager to Messrs. J. M. Henderson, Ltd., general engineers, of Aberdeen, he accepted a similar position with Messrs. R. H. Neal and Company, Ltd., of Grantham.
During the 1939-45 war, he joined the General Electric Company, Birmingham, where he took charge of a department producing generators and starters, etc., for aircraft, a position which he held until his death.