Captain John Bury (28 July 1915 – 17 October 2006) was a

master mariner A master mariner is a licensed mariner who holds the highest grade of licensed seafarer qualification; namely, a master's license. A master mariner is therefore allowed to serve as the captain (nautical), master of a merchant ship for which natio ...

and Elder Brother of Trinity House. He was involved in the adoption of a standardised

buoy A buoy (; ) is a buoyancy, floating device that can have many purposes. It can be anchored (stationary) or allowed to drift with ocean currents. History The ultimate origin of buoys is unknown, but by 1295 a seaman's manual referred to navig ...

age system internationally. Bury was born in

Moose Jaw Moose Jaw is the List of cities in Saskatchewan, fourth largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. Lying on the Moose Jaw River in the south-central part of the province, it is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina, Saskatchewan, Re ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

. His parents were Welsh immigrants who had taken up farming on the Canadian

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

, but later returned to Wales. Bury took up a maritime career in 1931, becoming an

apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in ...

on the Anchor Line. He joined the New Zealand Shipping Company in 1940 and served in the Merchant navy in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He was promoted within the company to command its ships, before being elected to Trinity House. Mutually inconsistent buoyage systems had proliferated in the 19th and early 20th centuries, leading to many accidents at sea. As chairman of the IALA Buoyage Committee, Bury oversaw the introduction in the 1970s of a standardised maritime buoyage systems, involving cardinal marks painted yellow and black with topmarks and lights to indicate to mariners the direction of maritime dangers, and lateral marks painted red or green to indicate whether the mark was to be passed on the

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

starboard Port and starboard are Glossary of nautical terms (M-Z), nautical terms for watercraft and spacecraft, referring respectively to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the Bow (watercraft), bow (front). Vessels with bil ...

. The new standardised system was ratified in 1980, and the buoyage system remains in international use.

External source

Obituary
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'', 8 December 2006 1915 births 2006 deaths Canadian sailors People from Moose Jaw Members of Trinity House {{UK-activist-stub