Wallenstein Ryan Lewis was killed in action early in 1918, whilst serving with the A.T. section of the R.E. in France, aged 36 years.
He started his professional career in January, 1898, with six months’ training in the office of his father, the late Mr. H. Ryan Lewis, which was followed by fifteen months’ practical workshop experience with the Liquid Fuel Engineering Co., Cowes, Isle of Wight, and three months with the Thames Mining Machinery Co. In February, 1900, he entered on a three years’ engagement with the St. Mary’s Lead Works, Mary Ann Mine, Menheniot, Cornwall, as erecting engineer and superintendent of the concentration plant.
From October, 1902, to March 1904, he was draughting engineer in connection with mining electrification schemes at the Manchester works of the British Westinghouse Co., and immediately on completion of that period he was appointed mine manager of the Wiregill Deep Lead Mining Co., Middleton-in-Teesdale.
In September, 1905, he was appointed head of the technical department in London of the Great Boulder Proprietary Co., and in June, 1909, he went out to the mines at Kalgoorlie. In the following years he was successively with the Lake View Consols and the Lancefield G.M. Co., also in Western Australia.
In December, 1910, he went to South Russia as assistant engineer on pipe-line construction for the Maikop Mutual Oil Transport Co. After a brief interlude of six months in 1912, when he went to Nigeria to report for the Amo (Nigeria) Tin Mines, Ltd., he returned to Russia to work for the Kyshtim Corporation as assistant to Mr. R. Gilman Brown until February, 1914, when he became general assistant in the metallurgical department of the Russo-Asiatic Corporation at Ridder mine.
On the outbreak of war he joined H.M. Forces, R.E., and was gazetted Captain.
Mr. Lewis was admitted to Studentship of the Institution in 1909, and was transferred to Associateship in 1915.
Vol. 31, Trans IMM 1921-3, pp.580-81
