Charles George Du Cane
Charles George Du Cane (1879-1941)
1941 Obituary [1]
CHARLES GEORGE DU CANE, O.B.E., B.A., was born in 1879 and educated at Winchester and Cambridge University where he graduated in the Mechanical Sciences Tripos in 1900. He served his apprenticeship with Sir John Wolfe Barry and Partners from 1902 until 1905, in which year he was appointed, by that firm, resident engineer on the Middlesbrough Docks Extensions. From 1906 to 1910 he was assistant engineer for the same firm and was engaged on specifications and contracts for the Kowloon—Canton Railway.
In the following year he became chief engineer for Western Canada to Messrs. Norton, Griffiths and Company, Ltd., and from 1912 to 1914 he was a partner in the firm of Messrs. Du Cane, Dutcher and Company, consulting engineers, of Vancouver. Shortly after the outbreak of war in 1914 he returned to England and obtained a commission in the Royal Engineers. In March 1915, he went to Russia on behalf of a British Group formed to construct the Murmansk Railway. Four months later he went to France where he was on active service until 1919, having been awarded the O.B.E. (military) in the previous year.
He was demobilised with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. In 1920 he was employed by Messrs. A. J. Barry and Partners on the construction of the Kent Portland Cement Works, and on steelwork for Olympia Extension and other works. He remained with that firm until 1922, when he became a partner with Sir John Wolfe Barry and Partners and was also appointed joint consulting engineer to the Tees Commissioners. He held both positions until his death, which occurred on 4th March 1941.
During that period the work under construction included a new fish dock at Grimsby and the equipment of slipways and machinery and lock gates. He was also a consultant for locomotives, rolling stock, and bridge work for the Bengal—Nagpur Railway. In addition he was one of the consultants for Bombay Port Trust and for Aden Port Trust.
Mr. Du Cane was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1908 and was transferred to Membership in 1931; he was also a Member of Council of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
1941 Obituary [2]