Walter Michael Anthony MacGrath died at University College Hospital, London, on March 2nd, 1988.
He studied at the Royal School of Mines where he specialised in metallurgy from 1902-6, and in the latter year he began professional work as surveyor at a gold mine in Siberia. He then went to Australia as assistant surveyor with the Great Boulder Perseverance Gold Mining Co., and subsequently entered the service of the Lightning Creek Company in British Columbia. In December, 1911, he returned to Siberia as local manager for the Altai Gold Mining Co. He spent a few months with another gold mining company in Russia and then became assistant engineer to W.J. Selkirk reporting on manganese and copper. In 1914, he was engaged on reporting work in Siberia for the International Russian Corporation, and later in that year was appointed chief engineer to the corporation.
He was granted leave in 1916 to join H.M. Forces and served with a Tunnelling Company in France, and later joined the C.-in-C.’s staff in Russia. For his military service he was awarded the Military Cross and the Croix de Guerre (with Palin).
In 1919, he rejoined the International Russian Corporation where he remained for the next three years. He took part in negotiations with the Yugoslav Government for large iron ore concessions, reported on numerous mineral deposits in the Balkans, operated antimony mines, and developed a copper property. On leaving the service of the Corporation in 1922, he reported on manganese properties for the Caucasian Manganese Syndicate, and became representative of the Georgian Manganese Co. in 1925. Three years later he left Europe to examine alluvial gold deposits in New Guinea, and subsequently was appointed engineer to the British Metal Corporation, a position which he occupied until the time of his death.
Mr. MacGwrath was elected a Student of the Institution in 1906, and was transferred to Associateship in 1911, and to Membership in 1929.
Vol. 48, Trans IMM 1938-39, p.837
