Moon, Allan Ramsay (1898 - 1951)

Summary

Allan Ramsay Moon BA BCE MIStructE MInstW AMIEAust, better known as Ramsay Moon, was a pioneer in the development and application of electric arc welding in Australia, which at that time, was leading the world in welding. He moved to England in 1931 and published his book "The Design of Welded Steel Structures" Pitman, 1939, that furthered the acceptance and worldwide adoption of standardised practices of electric arc welding. Through his roles with the Admiralty and the Ministry of Supply during the Second World War, electric welding became widespread across the United Kingdom. After the War, he was the first Director of Research at the British Welding Research Association (BWRA), at Cambridge, which later evolved into The Welding Institute (TWI).

Details

In 1929, working with the E.M.F. Electric Co. Pty. Ltd. he wrote a key paper that brought together for the first time the theory, practice, technology, research, design and standards of "Electric Arc Welding", first published in 'The Commonwealth Engineer', then later republished separately.

He is recognised and memorialised in the "Ramsay Moon Conference Centre" at Abington Hall, Cambridge, United Kingdom, and in the bronze "A Ramsay Moon Medal" awarded by the Australian Welding Institute for best paper published each year.

Chronology

1923

Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA), University of Melbourne

1923

Education - Bachelor of Civil Engineering (BCE), University of Melbourne

c. 1924 - 1929

Career position - Engineer, Robert Bryce & Co. Ltd, agent for Quasi-Arc Co. Ltd.

1929 - 1931

Career position - Technical Director, EMF Electric Co. Pty. Ltd.

1931

Life event - Moved to England

1933 - 1939

Career position - Structural engineer, Murex Welding Processes Ltd.

1934

Award - Warren Memorial Prize 1930, Institution of Engineers Australia

c. 1934

Career event - Member (MInstW), Institute of Welding, England

1937

Career event - Secretary, Institute of Welding

c. 1938

Career event - Member (MIStructE), Institution of Structural Engineers, London

c. 1939 - c. 1945

Career position - Officer-in-charge, Advisory Service in Welding, Ministry of Supply, UK.

c. 1940

Career event - Advisor for establishing, Welding Training School, Portobello, near Edinburgh Scotland

c. 1940 - c. 1945

Career position - Secretary, Admiralty Shipbuilding Committee, London, UK.

1946 - c. 1947

Career position - Foundation Director, Research Station, British Welding Research Association, Abington, near Cambridge, England

1947 - c. 1948

Career position - Welding Consultant, Canadian Institute of Steel Construction

c. 1948

Career position - Investigating Welding, United States of America

1951

Career position - Consultant, Department of National Development, Australia

Related entries

Published resources

Journal Articles

• 'Award of Prizes [Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal 1933; Warren Memorial Prize -second; Edward Noyes Prize 1931]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 5 (1933), 430. The Second Award of the Warren Memorial Prize to Mr Allan Ramsay Moon, Associate Member, of Melbourne Division, for his paper -'Control of Quality in Electric Welding'. Details
• Institution of Engineers Australia, 'Fourteenth Annual Report [1933]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 6 (1934), 121-126. 'Prizes awarded during the 1933-34 session: Warren Memorial Prize [1933] to Mr A R Moon, Associate Member, Melbourne Division', p.122. Details
• Witt, E. H., 'The Ramsay Moon Medal', Australian Welding Journal (1973), 27-29. Details