Thomas Major
| Tom Major passed away in Cardiff in November 2004. Many members of the office staff and ships officers attended the funeral. |
Our Technical Director, MR. T.W.MAJOR retires at the end of February 1982 after serving forty one years with the Company. Mr. Major commenced service
with Reardon Smith in April 1938 as Fourth Engineer on the m.v. "VICTORIA
CITY", rising to Chief Engineer by the end of the Second World War. In
January 1946, he left to take up employment with Grayson, Rollo and Clover Docks Limited, Liverpool, as Ship Manager, with whom he stayed for two years.
He then gained further experience as a Lloyd's Surveyor and was
based in London. Mr. Major then rejoined Reardon Smith as a Superintendent in January 1949, progressing to Assistant Chief Superintendent in 1963.
In 1967 he became Chief Superintendent and was made a Director on 12th January
of that year.
During the early part of his career ashore as Superintendent, Mr. Major
was seconded for three years to States Marine Corporation of New York,
for whom this Company were Agents and was based in Glasgow during this
period. Mr. Major is the son of the late Mr. T.F. Major who was at sea
with the Company from 1917 to March 1921, when he joined the shore staff as
Engineer Superintendent.
He retired in March 1958, also after 41 years service.
In charge of the Technical Department at Head Office, Mr. Major has been
responsible for the conception and implementation of the Planned Maintenance
System, which is used throughout the fleet. This important and cost saving
system has now been marketed and adopted by others and Mr. Major has given
many lectures on the subject. His other interests have been in budgetary
and financial control of the running of the fleet. The Planned Maintenance
System has been instrumental in ncreasing efficiency and organisation
aboard the ship, as well as reducing costs.
Printed in Reardon Smith Newsletter February 1982.