21 Facts About Allan Quartermaine

Allan Quartermaine started his career in the Hertfordshire county surveyor's office and served in the Royal Engineers during the First World War, constructing railways in the Middle East and being awarded the Military Cross.

Allan Stephen Quartermaine was born in London on 9 November 1888 and, after attending Highgate School, was awarded a first class honours Bachelor of Science degree in engineering at University College London, where he was a Chadwick Scholar and later a Fellow.

Allan Quartermaine started his engineering career in the office of the Hertfordshire county surveyor in 1908.

Allan Quartermaine served as a commissioned officer in the Royal Engineers during the First World War and worked to develop railway facilities for the troops in Egypt and Palestine.

Allan Quartermaine was promoted to acting major on 24 May 1919, a rank he relinquished on 15 June 1919.

Allan Quartermaine was appointed the GWR's chief assistant engineer at Gloucester in 1920.

Allan Quartermaine worked on a large number of tunnels, bridges and viaducts for the railway and was promoted to deputy chief engineer in 1929.

Allan Quartermaine resigned from the Supplementary Reserve on 1 January 1926, transferring immediately to the Regular Army Reserve of Officers while retaining his rank and association with the Royal Engineers.

Allan Quartermaine reached the age limit for recall to the British Army on 9 November 1938 and as of that date ceased to be a member of the reserves.

Allan Quartermaine became chief engineer of the GWR by 1940 and in June that year was appointed the government's Director-General of Aircraft Production Factories.

Allan Quartermaine returned to the GWR in January 1941 as it had been tasked with carrying out extensive railway construction works for military purposes.

Allan Quartermaine served in the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps, an unpaid, volunteer unit which provided technical expertise to the British Army.

Allan Quartermaine was appointed Colonel in this corps on 29 October 1943 and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the same year.

Allan Quartermaine was close to James Milne, general manager of the GWR.

Allan Quartermaine who was by then the company's civil engineer and the assistant manager Keith Grand both then refused positions with the BTC.

Allan Quartermaine having been offered a seat on the executive by Sir Cyril Hurcomb.

Allan Quartermaine retired from the railway in 1951 and in May that year was elected president of the Institution of Civil Engineers for the November 1951 to November 1952 session.

In 1955 Allan Quartermaine finally consented to join the BTC, being co-opted as a railway modernisation expert.

Allan Quartermaine was awarded a knighthood on 2 January 1956, which was conferred by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on 10 July 1956.

Allan Quartermaine served as president of the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers in 1959.

Allan Quartermaine retired from the Royal Fine Arts Commission on 18 November 1960 and died on 17 October 1978.