DEDICATION

As the only one of their grandchildren to enter an engineering field, I dedicate this thesis to the memory
of my grandfathers:

John Holcroft (1916-1991). A pattern maker by trade, he completed his apprenticeship

at a foundry in Wigan, Lancashire in the UK, and then worked in ship building in Glas-
gow, Scotland and aircraft assembly in a factory near Preston. He joined the Royal Air
Force during WWII1, and afterwards returned to pattern making until emigrating to
Australia in the early 1950’s with his family. There he worked briefly for the South
Australian railways and an aviation company before joining the Weapons Research
Establishment and working on the development of plastics moulding. He was also a
keen hobby carpenter and by the time he died had made almost every piece of furniture
in my grandparents house, as well as many beautiful carvings.
Frederick John Milbank (1915-1996). Originally employed with F. H. Faulding & Co,
he later worked as a representative for Cambridge Instruments in Australia with Aus-
tral Engineering. With the 2/8th Field Ambulance Division in the AIF2 during WWII,
he was also a POW3 in north Africa and northern Italy for a while. On his return to
civilian life he provided scientific instruments and associated technical support to
South Australian communities for over 40 years, both with Austral Engineering and
through his own business. He had an enduring enthusiasm and admiration for scientific
and engineering achievement that I will always remember.

I hope I have made them both very proud.

1 World War II
2
Australian Imperial Forces
3 Prisoner Of War