Arthur Headfort Persse FitzPatrick died on 29th February, 1960, at the age of 74.
After a year’s private course at Owen’s College, Manchester University, between 1902 and 1903, Mr. FitzPatrick was apprenticed for four years to Sandycroft Foundry Co., Ltd., of Chester. In January, 1909, he joined Cordoba Copper Co., Ltd., and worked in Spain for three years as assistant millman and metallurgist. On his return to England in 1912 he spent a few months in Sandycroft’s drawing office before leaving for Venezuela to take up employment as construction engineer for South American Copper Syndicate, Ltd., at Aroa, where he was engaged on erecting a copper-smelting plant.
On completion of the work in 1914 Mr. FitzPatrick joined Compafila Espafiola dc aceites de Esquitos, but his employment in Barcelona was interrupted by the 1914-18 war. He held a commission with the Cheshire Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery, most of his service being overseas with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. He was demobilized with the rank of major.
From 1920 to 1921 Mr. FitzPatrick worked in Bolivia as an engineer with Duncan, Fox and Co., and in 1922 was appointed chief engineer, Ouro Preto Gold Mines of Brazil, Ltd. After four years with that company he joined Caribbean Petroleum Co. as assistant resident engineer in Venezuela, and remained there until 1931.
In the following year he went to India, beginning an association with Messrs. John Taylor and Sons which lasted almost twenty years. He held the position of chief engineer, Champion Reef gold mine, from 1932 until his retirement from the Kolar Gold Field in 1951. During 1945 and 1946 Mr. FitzPatrick was a member of council of the K.G.F. Mining and Metallurgical Society and vice-chairman of the engineering section.
On his return to the United Kingdom in 1951 he was employed by Messrs. Rooper and Chalmers, consulting engineers, on the inspection of mining machinery. He was joint author with Mr. J.W.P. Chalmers of a paper entitled ‘Deep winding on the Kolar Gold Field’, contributed to the Conference on Wire Ropes in Mines held in 1950 by the Institution.
Mr. FitzPatrick joined the Institution as a Student in 1911, and was elected an Associate Member in 1916.
Vol. 70, Trans IMM 1960-61, pp.519-520
