Maurice Perceval was killed in action at Yola, Cameroons, during the latter part of 1914, at the age of 34 years.
He was educated at Reading, and began his professional career in 1902 by practical underground work at the Crown Reef Gold Mine, in the meanwhile pursuing a course of private study. He then undertook prospecting for coal in Swaziland, and in 1904 and 1905 was working as a contractor on his own account in the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. From 1905 to 1909 he was again in Swaziland, developing and investigating deposits, and whilst there he reported also on a tin concession. Then followed three months recruiting native labour under Government licence, and four months during which he was in charge of survey and prospecting work for the South African Tin Mines at Waterberg, Transvaal.
In 1910 Mr. Perceval went to Northern Nigeria to prospect and acquire tin properties, and he also reported on silver-lead deposits in the Muri Province. For three months in 1912 he was employed as manager of the company for which this work was done. For a year following he was manager of the Nigerian Consolidated Tin Fields, Ltd., and in 1914 was appointed assistant engineer to the Sha Falls (Nigeria) Tin Fields, Ltd.
On the outbreak of the War he joined the Expeditionary Force fitted out in Nigeria to meet the enemy movements in Togoland and the Cameroons. Mr. Perceval’s death was reported to the Council simultaneously with his formal election to Associateship of the Institution.
Vol. 24, Trans I.M.M., 1914-15, pp.512-13
