William Dunn was fatally injured in a road accident on 13th March, 1961. He was 75 years of age.
A Scotsman, Mr. Dunn received his technical education at Coatbridge Technical and Mining College from 1902 to 1906. He spent the following year in West Africa on the construction of mining and treatment plant at Attasi Goldfields, Ltd., and on his return to Scotland in 1907 worked for nine months as assistant on the construction of coke ovens at Bedlay collieries, Coatbridge. From 1908 to 1909 he was again working in West Africa, this time as assistant mechanic at Tarkwa and Abosso gold mines.
Mr. Dunn went to Central America towards the end of 1909. After two years as chief mechanical engineer to Santa Francisca Gold Estates, Ltd., Nicaragua, he was promoted to the position of mines superintendent. He remained in Nicaragua for a further seven years until 1920 as chief mechanical engineer to Leonesa Gold Mines, Ltd., and was manager there for a short time before leaving for Venezuela to join South American Copper Co. in 1921, where he was construction engineer until 1923. He then held the post of chief mechanical and electrical engineer for South American Copper Syndicate for two years, and between 1926 and 1927 was assistant engineer to North Venezuela Petroleum Co. He worked in Bolivia on new milling and treatment plants for Fabulosa tin mines and completed a cement factory for Foundation Co., La Paz, but in 1928 left for Portugal to take up the appointment of construction engineer, and later mill manager, at Lagares tin mines.
In 1930 Mr. Dunn joined New Consolidated Gold Fields of South Africa, Ltd., and worked on their shale oil property and at their branch office in Estonia for ten years. During the early months of the war he had a difficult journey back to the United Kingdom, but reached Scotland where he took up residence. From 1949 onwards he was periodically employed by New Consolidated Gold Fields on inspection work in the north of England and Scotland.
Mr. Dunn was elected to Associate Membership of the Institution in 1932.
Vol. 72, Trans IMM 1962-63, pp.215
