Henry Houghton Keal
1953 Obituary [1]
HENRY HOUGHTON KEAL. who was born in 1880, received his education at the Kings School and Technical Institute in Grantham. In 1896 he began an apprenticeship in the same town with R. Hornsby and Sons, Ltd., and subsequently joined the outdoor staff as an erector.
He was selected by the firm in 1908 to introduce Hornsby oil engines, Gwynne pumps, and other machinery into Mesopotamia.
On the outbreak of war in 1914 he was interned by the Turkish authorities, but on his release a year later he returned to Great Britain and joined H.M. Forces. He saw service with the Royal Army Service Corps in France, after which he was workshop officer at Bombay and eventually was in charge of agricultural machinery for the war department in Mesopotamia.
On being demobilized with the rank of captain in 1919 he was engaged for the next two years as superintendent engineer to the Mesopotamia Persia Corporation, Ltd., Baghdad, and from 1923 to 1929 he acted as sales engineer to Massey and Company, Ltd., Madras.
He then returned to Great Britain and, after a short appointment as engineer representative to Petters, Ltd., Yeovil, went into business on his own account, specializing in engineers' supplies until 1936, when he was appointed manager with a seat on the board of William Garner and Sons (1937), Ltd., London, millstone manufacturers.
His final appointment, which he held from 1946, was that of managing director of Bedke, Ltd.
Mr. Keal had been an Associate Member of the Institution since 1921.
His death occurred on 1st January 1952.