Walter Pollock
Walter Pollock (1873-1947)
1947 Obituary [1]
"The marine engineering profession has been deprived of one of its prominent members by the death of Mr. Walter Pollock, which occurred after a long illness at his home at Tunbridge Wells on Friday last, August 22nd.
He was born in 1873 and was the son of Mr. James Pollock, who founded the shipbuilding and marine engineering firm of James Pollock, Sons and Co., Ltd. In 1910, Walter Pollock succeeded to the chairmanship of the firm, and it is said that he was personally responsible during his career for the design and construction of some 3000 vessels of varying types. In 1917, he founded the firm's Faversham shipyard at the request of the late Lord Fisher, who was then First Sea Lord.
During the 1914-18 war, Mr. Pollock designed and had constructed under his jurisdiction, in co-operation with Lord Fisher, numerous X lighters which were the forerunners of the tank landing craft employed in the recent World War. Mr. Pollock was a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Institution of Naval Architects, and the Institute of Marine Engineers, to the proceedings of which societies he contributed several papers.
He was also very well known for his activities in the London Livery Companies, being a Past-Master of the Worshipful Company of Plasterers, and a member of the Court of Assistants of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights. In this last office he served as chairman of the committee which was responsible for the organisation of the Shipwrights Exhibition held in London in the early part of this year. In addition, Mr. Pollock was the author of a number of books on the design and construction of small vessels."
1948 Obituary [2]
"WALTER POLLOCK, who was well known as an authority on the construction of coasting vessels and small craft, was the managing director and chairman of Messrs. James Pollock, Sons and Company, Ltd., of London and Faversham, Kent, for thirty years.
He was born in 1873 and served an apprenticeship under his father, Mr. James Pollock, consulting engineer, from 1889 to 1894. A year later he became designer and superintendent engineer to Mr. J. Constant. During his five years' association with the latter, Mr. Pollock was responsible for the design of the hulls and engines of no less than 260 vessels of all descriptions.
In 1900 he went into partnership with his father and founded the firm of which he became chairman in 1910. Five years later he established the shipyard at Faversham in order to build small vessels at that time urgently required for war purposes, and later was responsible for the design of the first naval landing craft. Mr. Pollock had been a Member of the Institution since 1904. He was also a Member of the Institution of Naval Architects and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights. He was the author of a number of books on small craft, the most recent of which, "Small Vessels", was published in 1946. His death occurred at Tunbridge Wells on 22nd August 1947."