George Frederick Ellis was killed in action whilst serving as 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers (Tunnelling Section), his death, at the age of 41 years, being reported from General Head-Quarters on April 3rd, 1915.
In 1892 he took a course of assaying at King’s College, London, and in the following year went to
South Australia as assayer on a large hydraulic sluicing property, also acting for some time as assistant surveyor.
In 1894 he moved to Western Australia, where he was engaged variously for some years as follows: until February, 1896, in surveying, prospecting, and working underground on different mines; as mine foreman for six months, and subsequently until November, 1897, as mine manager of the Lady Forrest Mine at Cue. Following on this engagement and up to December, 1899, he was mill manager of the Peak Hill Mine; and from that date until November, 1901, was manager for the Hannan’s Treasure Trust Co., Ltd., which company also had interests in South Australia.
From June, 1902, to April, 1903, Mr. Ellis was geologist to a prospecting expedition through East Africa and Uganda; from October, 1903, to May, 1904, he was assistant and acting manager to the Bokitsi Mines, Ltd.; from that date to January, 1905, manager of the Attasi Mines, Ltd.; and from that date to February, 1906, assistant, and for six months acting manager, of the Broomassie Mine. These last three engagements were all in West Africa. In 1906 he was engaged in reporting on mining properties in France, and the following year in reporting on and developing various mining and dredging concessions in Siberia and the Caucasus.
From 1908 to 1910 he was manager of the Beni Felkai Mines and Railway, also reporting on iron mines in Algeria, and in 1911 was in India reporting on mines for Messrs. Lake & Currie. Since then he had visited other parts of the world on professional business, including an inspection of an oil property in Abyssinia.
Soon after the outbreak of war in August, 1914, he joined the Army Service Corps as a motor driver in the Cavalry Division, and saw much service in that capacity, including the retreat from Mons. In March, 1915, he received his commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers (Tunnelling Section), but unfortunately was killed in action shortly afterwards.
Mr. Ellis was elected an Associate of the Institution in 1911.
Vol. 24, Trans IMM 1914-15, pp.504-5
