The Times/1937/Obituary/Sir Alfred Chalmers

The death occurred at Latymer Court, Hammersmith, on Thursday of Sir Alfred John George Chalmers in his ninety-second year. He was for many years professional adviser to the Marine Department of the Board of Trade.

Sir Alfred first went to sea in 1859, when only 13½ years old, in one of the famous ships then trading between Blackwall and the East Indies and Australia. In 1863, he became third officer of one of these vessels and in the following year he was shipwrecked on the north-west coast of Australia. After this adventure he became second mate and, later, first mate, of a vessel engaged in surveying the west coast of Australia.

In 1866 Chalmers went into steam, and was employed in a vessel engaged in the carrying of emigrants between Copenhagen and New York. In that year he was shipwrecked for the second time, when his vessel came to grief in the Gulf of Bothnia. For a time he served with the Diamond Line of Steamers, when was then maintained between London and South Africa. Reverting to sail, he became chief mate of a large iron clipper of the Calcutta trade. On his return to steamships he served, first as chief officer, and then as master of steam ships in the coasting and home trades, an in the Baltic, Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Easter services.

With a varied experience of the sea behind him, Captain Chalmers joined the Marine Department of the Board of Trade in 1877, and was stationed, in turn, at various ports throughout the country, From being principal district officer for South Wales at Cardiff, he was transferred in 1896 to Whitehall, Captain Chalmers served on 15 Departmental Committees, including those appointed in connexion with tonnage laws and workmen's compensation. He was the chief British delegate at the conferences held in many countries to secure uniformity in the equipment of ships regard safety of life at sea and other matters, and in 1910 he was one of five British delegates to the International Conference on Aerial Navigation held in Paris. He was knighted on January 1, 1911. Lady Chalmers died in 1927. He leaves a son, Mr. A. A. A. Chalmers, who is a principal surveyor of Lloyd's Register of Shipping and an unmarried daughter.