Basil Oliver Jenkins died at Coblenz on February 7th, 1919, aged 38 years.
He was educated at Malvern College, on the Modern side from 1893 to 1897, and on leaving school was apprenticed to Messrs. Scholifield, Goodman & Sons, merchants, of Birmingham, where he received a commercial and business training. In 1902, he became secretary and business manager to Messrs. Saundersons, Ltd., engineers and ironfounders, of Bedford, where he obtained experience in mechanical engineering. In 1904, he relinquished that position to enter as an assaying an mining student at Henderson’s School of Mining, Truro, where he went through his course with great distinction, and obtained prizes and certificates in mining generally and in assaying, practical metallurgy and surveying.
At the conclusion of that course, in 1906, he went to Mexico, where he was engaged for four years with the Blaisdell Coscotitlan Syndicate at Pachuca, as surveyor, assayer, chief chemist and superintendent of the precipitation and bullion department. For 18 months following that period, he was with the Cia. Santa Gertrudis S.A., also at Pachuca, as underground boss, which included shaft construction, and sampler, and for a further 18 months he was assistant to the general manager and superintendent of the chemical factory of the Mexican Steel and Chemical Co.
In 1918 he returned home to go through a special course in Petroleum at the Birmingham University, and from there entered into an engagement with Messrs. Arthur L. Pearse & Co., consulting metallurgists.
He joined H.M. Forces soon after the outbreak of War and was gazetted 1st Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (attached to the R.N.A.S.) in December, 1914. In May, 1915, he was sent to the United States to inspect aeroplanes for the British Government, and later went to Washington in the British War Mission to the U.S.A. He returned to England in 1917 and was made Lieut.-Commander in the R.N.V.R. Early in 1918 the Order of C.B.E. was conferred upon him, and he was gazetted Lieut.-Colonel in the Royal Air Force. He was again sent to the United States in May, 1918, in connection with, the Air Service, returning in December, 1918.
Mr. Jenkins was admitted to Studentship of the Institution in 1907, and was transferred to Associateship in 1914.
Vol. 29, Trans IMM 1919-20, pp.429-30.
