Joshua Parsons
Joshua Parsons (1884-1936)
1936 Obituary [1]
JOSHUA PARSONS was telegraph and signals superintendent of the Central Argentine Railway.
He was born at Wimbledon in 1884 and educated at Haileybury.
In 1901 he became a pupil of the Rhymney Iron Company, and after a year's work in the pattern and repair shops he commenced a four years' pupilage with Messrs. Saxby and Farmer, Ltd., at Chippenham. In 1906 he became chief draughtsman, and designed numerous signalling appliances for the firm.
He joined the Midland Railway as assistant to the signal superintendent in 1909, and carried out the installation of the electrical interlocking system on the Barrow line.
He was appointed assistant telegraph and signals engineer to the Federated Malay States Railways in 1912.
When the War broke out he enlisted in Singapore, and subsequently held a commission in the Infantry. He served in France and was later transferred to the Royal Engineers, and became locomotive superintendent at Salonika, with the rank of captain.
After being demobilized in 1919 he joined the Central Argentine Railway as telegraph and signals assistant to the chief engineer, and three years later he was made telegraph and signals superintendent, a position which he held until his death in Buenos Aires on 18th January 1936.
Mr. Parsons was elected a Graduate of the Institution in 1906, and was transferred to Associate Membership in 1912.