William Macleish Durant was killed in action in France on September 14th, 1916. He was 28 years of age, and held the rank of Lieutenant in the Tunnelling Section of the New Zealand (Expeditionary Force) Engineers. He met his death while taking part in a raid on the enemy’s lines at Arras, and was at first reported missing; but enquiries elicited the fact that he had been killed and buried in an adjoining village.
Mr. Durant commenced the study of mining at Adelaide School of Mines and then went to New Zealand, where he obtained a post in the office of the Consolidated Gold Fields of New Zealand at Reefton. He remained there for two years, and employed his leisure by continuing his mining education at the Reefton School of Mines.
He worked to such good purpose that at the end of 1906 he won a New Zealand Government Scholarship, which gave him a three years’ course at Otago University School of Mines. He obtained the Associateship in 1909, and also gained the Mine Surveyor’s Certificate. He did the practical work prescribed for his course at the New Zealand State Collieries and at the Barewood Gold Mine, Central Otago. On the completion of his training he received an appointment as surveyor to a group of mines controlled by the Consolidated Gold Fields of New Zealand, which he held for three years, from 1909 to
1912. In June, 1912, in order to qualify himself for more responsible work, he resigned his post and worked underground as leader of a contract party engaged in stoping and driving.
In 1914 he went to Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, where he worked under Messrs. Bewick, Moreing & Co., until he joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces and came to Europe. Mr. Durant was admitted to Studentship of the Institution in 1909, and was transferred to Associateship in 1914.
Vol. 26, Trans IMM 1916-17, p.263
