OBITUARY

SIR GILMOUR JENKINS

Shipping direction in war and peace

Sir Gilmour Jenkins, K.C.B., K.B.E., M.C., Permanent Secretary of the Minis-try of Transport from 1947untii his retirement ii- 1959 died on September 9. He was 87.

Shipping -was his- main official interest. He. 'as also devoted&to ;music and :having been; on- the Committee of ManAgement- of the' . Royal Acadermy of'Music from 1956 he -became. Chairman -:of the Academjy in 1967, and from 1974 was a Vice-President. He was an Hon F.R.A.M.

Thomas Gilmour Jenkins was born on July 18, 1894, and was educated at Rutlish School and London University. When war broke out in 19L4 he joined the Royal Garrison Artillery, and distinguished service earned him the M.C: and'bar.-

In 1919'-he -entered'. the Boaid of Trade where by 1937 he- was a Printipal- Assistant Secretary, having been British Government delegate to the .-maritime. sessions of -the

International Labour Organiz.ation,at Geneva in 1935-36, an

-ffice he :.held again at a similar conference vat Copen.hagen in 1945. .

* After the' outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 the Ministry of Shipping was formed and he.-was appointed Second Secretary- of the new department. When'. ihe Ministry of Shipping twas amalgamated with the Ministry of -Transport in 1941 to form the Ministry of War Transport he automatically , became- the -'Deputy Secretary of the new

department on. its, shipping ..side.

( In view of the pooling of shipping, not only of Britain but also -of the Allies, this was --an- important post involving

iporXt of munitions and food * and, in cooperation with the Admiralty, the inovement of troops by sea. His unobtrus\ive' but firm administration *quickly marked him - out for -further -promotion.

-When the war in Europe ended he was seconded as Secretary of the Control Commission for Germany and Austria,-.nd when the administration of the Commission became the responsibility of the Foreign Office, he was appointed Joint Permanent Under Secretary of State., in that department. But soon,'-.on the retirement of Lord Hurcomb in 1947 Jenkins was recalled to the Ministry of Transport to succeed him as Permanent Secretary. From 1953 to 1959 the department included civil aviation, and Jenkins was responsible for compiling the history of the combined ministries.

Many honours came his way at home and abroad, by virtue-of his work for allied-shipping. He was appointed CB in 1941, KBE in 1944 and promoted KCB in 1948.

His sympathetic personality and long experience earned him the respect and friendship of the leaders of the shipping industry, and after his retirement he joined the

boards of among; others, the Royal Mail and the Pacific Steam Navigation shipping lines. He was presidenit of the Institute of Marine Engineers in 1953-54 and of the Institute of Transport in 1954-55.

Iff 1960 he presided over the International Conference on Safety of Life at Sea, and in 1962 over an international conference on the prevention of oil pollution...