What is a W. A. S. Inspection (Eng)? (1939 REGISTER)

[Zaphod99]

Yes, he's my one!  How did you find him?

Zaph

The only person I can find with this job description in the 1939 register is Ernest A. Thompson born 30th April 1908, single, living in Steadman Terrace, Bradford.
Occupation W.A.S inspection (Eng).

[Calleva]

Wondering if the job was a reserved occupation maybe ‘Water and Sewerage’ with ‘Eng’ for Engineer?

However I couldn’t see that exact description in online sources with lists of reserved occupations during WW2.

[JenB]

Yes, he's my one!  How did you find him?

I searched the occupation on Ancestry. He was the only hit I got.

[Zaphod99]

Jen, how did you search for the occupation?  I must be exceptionally thick today.

It does seem odd that you only got the one hit. Was he really the only man in the country who did that job?

Apart from that, I quite like the water & sewerage option, if this was Call My Bluff.

Zaph

[Calleva]

https://www.debenham-ops.org.uk/ReservedOccupations.pdf

Link to a list of reserved occupations which includes ‘Drainage and Sanitary Service’ ‘all occupations other than labourers’ which may fit with ‘W’ for Water and ‘S’ for sanitation?

Corroboration with the occupation of the Mr Thompson found by JenB would be great.

(A digression, there are some occupations on the list which is from not that long ago which makes me realise just how much our world has changed since then.)

[JenB]

Jen, how did you search for the occupation?  I must be exceptionally thick today.

It does seem odd that you only got the one hit. Was he really the only man in the country who did that job?

I put the occupation you quoted into the ‘occupation’ box on the Ancestry 1939 Register search, and ticked ‘Exact’. I only got the one hit.

I suppose there might have been others with the same occupation but it might have been differently entered on the register

[Zaphod99]

I can't believe that I had never noticed the OCCUPATION field for searching. Thank you.

Zaph

[PatLac]

Welding and Smelting Inspection (Engineer)?

[Nick_Ips]

Welding and Smelting Inspection (Engineer)?

Welding and smelting are very different activities.  Although (critical/structural) welds might be inspected, I can't think what 'inspection' would take place for smelting - it would be the resulting castings which might be inspected for quality, and that would probaby be a "casting inspector".

I'd lean towards the possibility of "Water and Sanitary Inspect(or) (Engineering)".

'Sanitary Inspector' was a formal and statutory occupation, roughly equating to the modern environmental health officer.

When Local Authorities were responsible for the supply of clean water and the provision of sewerage this may have come under the domain of the 'Chief Sanitary Inspector'.  The functions of this department would have included both the infrastructure (engineering) and quality/'wholesomeness'.  The latter is what evolved into Environmental Health.

So I think it is plausible someone would describe themselves as a "Water and Sanitary Inspector (Engineering)"... but I have absolutely no proof of this, other than past experience working in a drainage department where such words regularly cropped up in the historic records.