Henry Hugh Whitelock Boyes died on 20th Iuly, 1959, at Hove, Sussex, after an operation. He was 71 years of age.
Mr. Boyes was born in Scotland and was apprenticed for four years from 1906 to 1910 to J. and G.H. Geddes of Edinburgh, a firm of consulting and mining engineers. During this period he studied surveying and general engineering at Edinburgh University and the Heriot-Watt Technical College, and then gained practical experience at Ormiston Colliery Co., Midlothian, obtaining a 1st Class Colliery Managers’ Certificate in 1912. After a short period in London with Mr. G.T. Holloway studying assaying, Mr. Boyes left for Nigeria in February, 1913, beginning professional work in that country which was to continue for over forty years.
He was surveyor at West African Mines, Ltd., for a few months, but left in August, 1914, to join H.M. Forces. He served with distinction in yeomanry and infantry in Gallipoli and France and in 1918 was promoted to the rank of major, commanding 178 Tunnelling Coy., R.E. He was awarded the M.C.
On returning to Northern Nigeria in 1919 Mr. Boyes resumed tin mining as assistant manager, Ropp Tin, and in 1925 joined Kwapa Tin Mines, Ltd., as manager. He became consulting engineer and manager of various areas for the Keffi Consolidated Group, and in 1927 set up as a partner in the firm of Foley and Boyes (later Foley, Boyes, Butler and Peek), Mining and Consulting Engineers, at Jos, managing a great many tin properties in Nigeria.
After the dissolution of the partnership, Mr. Boyes continued his association with the tin mining industry in Nigeria as chairman of A.O. Nigeria, Ltd., the management company for Amalgamated Tin Mines of Nigeria, Ltd., and became a director of the latter company in 1946.
Early in the 1939-45 war Mr. Boyes was commissioned as Lieut-Colonel in the Royal West African Frontier Force, and did invaluable work in training the ‘Engineer Cadre’ which was the nucleus of the Engineers Field Companies which, as components of the West African Division, later took part in the Abyssinia and Burma campaigns. Subsequently Mr. Boyes resumed active management, jointly with Mr. F.H. Cothay, of Amalgamated Tin Mines of Nigeria, Ltd.
Mr. Boyes joined the Institution as a Student in 1913, and was elected to Associate Membership in 1920 and to Membership in 1930. He was Overseas Member of Council for West Africa from 1944 to 1947, and from 1951 until his death served continuously on the Council, for the last three years as a Vice-President of the Institution.
Mr. A.L. Butler writes: I was very lucky to have worked with Mr. Boyes (Hughie as he was always known to his friends) for many years during our time in Nigeria both as partners in a consulting firm and as joint general managers of Associated Tin Mines of Nigeria. He was a wonderful partner to work with, full of energy, and always put his heart and soul into whatever he was doing. His many kind actions were known only to a few of his friends. His death will be a great loss to many.
Vol. 69, Trans I.M.M. 1959-60, pp. 135-136
