Hugh Ripley Kerr died on 1st June, 1965, at the age of 74.
Mr. Kerr received his technical training at the City and Guilds Technical College and the Royal School of Mines. He was awarded the Associateship of the School in 1912, and then undertook a two-year postgraduate course with Champion Reef Gold Mining Co., Mysore, India.
At the outbreak of the First World War Mr. Kerr returned to the United Kingdom and was commissioned as a second lieutenant with the Third Norfolk Regiment Special Reserve. Shortly after his arrival in France in 1915 he was promoted lieutenant and seconded to the Royal Engineers. Mr. Kerr served with distinction during the war; he was twice mentioned in despatches and was awarded the Military Cross in 1916. He was demobilized with the rank of major in November, 1919.
Mr. Kerr joined Burma Corporation, Ltd., as assistant surveyor and mine engineer after the war, and in 1920 was appointed Inspector of Mines with the Federated Malay States Government, with whom he worked until May, 1927. He then returned to the United Kingdom as assistant to the general manager of British Non-Ferrous Mining Corporation, Ltd. Mr. Kerr was with the Corporation until 1937 and during his period of employment visited and reported on various properties throughout the world.
In 1937 he was appointed chief engineer to London Tin Corporation, Ltd., and from 1945 to 1947 worked as technical adviser (metallurgy) to the Foreign Office. In September, 1947, he was appointed consulting engineer to Basinghall Mining Syndicate and, in 1959, joined Greenside Mines, Ltd., in a similar capacity, remaining with the company until 1961. In 1958 he had been made a director of Mineral Discovery, Ltd.
Mr. Kerr was elected to Student Membership in 1911, was transferred to Associate Membership in 1918 and to Membership in 1934.
Vol. 74, Trans IMM 1964-65, p.952
