Wilfred Powlett Dent
Wilfred Polett Dent (c1894-1946)
1946 Obituary [1]
Colonel WILFRED POWLETT DENT, R.I.A.S.C., was educated at Barnard Castle School, Co. Durham, and served his apprenticeship with Messrs. Teasdale Brothers, Ltd., Bank Top Ironworks, Darlington, from 1909 to 1914. He was then placed in charge of the drawing office, but in September 1914 he enlisted in the Infantry and served in France and Belgium. Later he received a commission and was transferred to the Army Service Corps as workshops officer.
From 1920 to 1924 he commanded the Motor Transport School of Instruction. After taking the officers' workshop course he proceeded to India where he was later promoted to the rank of captain in the I.A.S.C., and appointed workshops officer at Quetta. Four years later he became works manager of the heavy repair shop at the same station. He was promoted to the rank of major in 1935, and from the end of that year until 1938 he served in the operations on the North-West Frontier and was mentioned in dispatches.
He was called to G.H.Q., New Delhi, in 1939, and was appointed chief ordnance mechanical engineer. In 1942 he was promoted to the rank of colonel. Colonel Dent, whose death occurred on 21st February 1946, at the age of 52, was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1930 and was transferred to Membership in 1936. He also took part in the reorganization and formation, in its present form, of the Association of Indian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.