Arnold Albert Musto (4 October 1883 – 29 May 1977) was a British civil engineer who designed the

Sukkur Barrage Sukkur Barrage (, ) is a Barrage (dam), barrage on the River Indus near the city of Sukkur in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The barrage was built during the British Raj from 1923 to 1932 and was named Lloyd Barrage. It is considered to be the l ...

, now in

Sindh Province Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind or Scinde) is a province of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest provin ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

Early life and family

Sir Arnold Musto was born in Stepney, London, the son of James Joseph Musto (1844–1908) an Alderman on the

Stepney Borough Council The Metropolitan Borough of Stepney was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London created in 1900. In 1965, it became part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Formation and boundaries The borough was formed from thirteen civil parishes ...

, and a member of an extended family of engineers operating in the East End of London in the second half of the 19th century. He was educated at the Coopers’ Company's School, London, 1894–1899 and

Birkbeck College, University of London Birkbeck, University of London (formally Birkbeck College, University of London), is a public research university located in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. Established in 1823 as the London Mechanics' ...

, 1900–1904. In 1922, at St Thomas’ Cathedral, Bombay, he married Margaret McCausland. They had a son and four daughters. Margaret died in 1965.

Engineering career

Musto's first engineering experience, while articled to James Brown, was constructing the

Rotherhithe Tunnel The Rotherhithe Tunnel, designated the A101, is a road tunnel under the River Thames in East London, connecting Limehouse in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets north of the river to Rotherhithe in the London Borough of Southwark south of the ...

, in 1905–1906. Soon after, he qualified for the Indian Public Works Department (later called the Indian Service of Engineers) and was appointed mechanical and agricultural engineer to the Bombay Government. He commenced as an assistant engineer in October 1907 and became an executive engineer in October 1915. He joined the Indian Army Reserve of Officers and served in Mesopotamia in the latter half of World War I. In 1918, he became Executive Engineer for the Sukkur Barrage Project District and, in this capacity, designed and submitted the complete project for the Barrage and its associated canals. He became a Member of the

Institution of Civil Engineers The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is an independent professional association for civil engineers and a Charitable organization, charitable body in the United Kingdom. Based in London, ICE has over 92,000 members, of whom three-quarters ar ...

in 1922 and, in 1923, he was made a Companion of the

Order of the Indian Empire The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria on 1 January 1878. The Order includes members of three classes: #Knight Grand Commander (:Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire, ...

(CIE). He became a nominated member of the

Bombay Legislative Council Bombay Legislative Council was the legislature of the Bombay Province and later the upper house of the bicameral legislature of Bombay Province in British India and the Indian state of Bombay. History The Indian Councils Act 1861 set up the B ...

in 1923. In 1923 he also became the Superintending Engineer for the construction of the Sukkur Barrage and the headworks of the seven canal systems. The Barrage was completed under the overall direction of Sir Charlton Harrison as Chief Engineer of Sindh, and opened in 1932. He received a knighthood in recognition of his work in the King's Birthday Honours 1932.

Later life

Musto retired from India in 1934 and took up residence in Long Bar Hall to the South of Bishop's Stortford, on the Essex Hertfordshire Border, where he made extensive changes. Interviews with his daughter in 2007 revealed during a re-visit to Long Bar Hall, revealed he forthright personality and even it is alleged had the influence to phone the Station Master at Sawbridgeworth Station to hold the express train to London. In 1939, he was chair of a Planning and Housing Commission sent to Trinidad. He returned to England, in 1940, and was appointed Regional Transport Commissioner for the Midland Region. In 1946 he was appointed Regional Transport Commissioner for the South Western Region. He retired in 1953, at the age of 70. His obituary in ''The Times'' said he was “a likeable man and got on well with those about him” both in India and as a Regional Transport Commissioner in England.''The Times'' (London, England) 31 May 1977, p 17.

References

1883 births 1977 deaths English civil engineers People from Stepney British people in colonial India {{Designer-stub

Early life and family

Engineering career

Later life

Further reading

References