Rupert James Finch
Rupert James Finch (1885-1950)
1951 Obituary [1]
"RUPERT JAMES FINCH, who was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1912, received his education at the Battersea Polytechnic and King's College, London. After serving his time in the Nine Elms works of the London and South Western Railway from 1902 to 1907, he continued in the service of the company and was employed in the drawing office and erecting shop for a further three years. He was then engaged by Messrs. Carruthers and Elliot as an inspector and tester of engineering materials for a brief period before joining, in 1910, the inspecting staff of Messrs. Rendel and Robertson (later Messrs. Rendel, Palmer and Tritton), Westminster, consulting engineers, with whom he remained for most of his future career. For the first five years of his association with the firm he was closely concerned with the inspection of railway rolling stock for India, but in 1915 he joined the Royal Naval Air Service and was engaged on similar duties in connexion with material for aircraft. Subsequently he was granted a commission as lieutenant in the R.A.F. with the duties of instructor in aero-engines, in addition, to the maintenance of aerodrome plant. He returned to Westminster in 1919 and carried on with his previous work, receiving the appointment of resident engineer four years later. In 1945 he was appointed as technical officer in tank design attached to the Ministry of Supply. Mr. Finch's death occurred in September 1950 in his sixty-fifth year."