1921-22: George William Watson

1921-22: George William Watson

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Biography 1932 Obituary:
Watson was the designer of the Watson drawbar dynamometer, which was first demonstrated at the Shrewsbury tractor trials in 1921 and has since been supplied to agricultural and technical institutions throughout the world.

He was born in 1876, and after studying at the Yorkshire College, Leeds, joined the staff of Messrs. Serpollet in 1897.

Subsequently he became engaged on design work for Messrs. Thornycroft of Basingstoke, and he was also for some years on the staff of the Commercial Motor.

In 1912 he commenced practice as a consulting engineer.

During the War, Mr. Watson held the post of consulting engineer to the Ministry of Munitions and chief of design (engines and transmission gear) to the Mechanical Warfare Department. His work in the latter capacity was chiefly concerned with the design of tanks. He went to France with each new design and studied the performance of the machines under working conditions.

In 1918 Mr. Watson was sent to the United States as the representative of the Carter Deputation of the British War Mission. Latterly he was one of the two civilian associate members of the sub-committee of the interdepartmental committee to co-ordinate the supply of mechanical transport to the three fighting services.

He was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1903 and was transferred to Membership in 1912. He was a Past-President of the Institution of Automobile Engineers.

His death occurred on 21st January 1932.