SPECIALIST RESEARCH

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28800, 22 January 1959, Page 7

SPECIALIST RESEARCH

Appointments At University Two new specialists have been appointed to the staff of the Canterbury University Industrial Development Department. Commander H. J. A. Lynch was engaged to undertake the investigation on electric blanket fires (reported today) and he has now joined the staff as a research engineer. Commander Lynch served in the Royal Navy from 1923 to 1957. After initial training he first served at sea in the battleship H.M.S, Rodney from 1929 to 1933 and then had alternating posts in research ashore and electrical engineering duties at sea.

During the war, Commander Lynch served in various naval research establishments and ’St the: Admiralty on the development of new gunnery material. He was promoted to commander in 1950 while serving on the Far East station in H.M.S. Kenya, a Colony-class cruiser. In this ship he had 15 months on patrol off the west coast of Korea at the outbreak of the Korean war. Commander Lynch’s last three years in the Royal , Navy were as personnel officer for the electrical branch of the Admiralty. This period, brought the introduction of much new gunnery and radar equipment and new guided missiles. Commander Lynch was responsible for initiating and organising the special new training required for the electrical branch. This included the regrouping of naval personnel to handle highly-technical equipment with increased use of electronics and automation.

Immediately on his retirement in 1957, Commander Lynch sailed for New Zealand and settled in Christchurch. The other new staff member is Mr B. G. Coleman, who took his engineering degree in metallurgy at Otago University three years ago and has since been working for firms in Dunedin. In addition to his metallurgical work for the department, Mr Coleman will carry out research and development for a group of foundries in Christchurch.