Morris Vivian Thomas died in New Caledonia on July 25th, 1926, at the age of 42.
For the first five years of his professional career he was mine secretary of the Prince of Wales mine, owned by the Calstock Tin &; Copper Co., Ltd., and in addition to his clerical duties he worked underground and assisted in the mine survey and in assaying. After a brief spell with the British Mining & Metal Co., Ltd., he was engaged as secretary and general assistant to the manager of the St. Dennis Mining Co., and two years later, in 1906, he became assistant surveyor and assayer and general assistant to the manager at the South Phoenix mine of the Cornish Consolidated Tin Mines, Ltd.
In November, 1908, he left Cornwall for the Transvaal to join the staff of the Nourse Mines, Ltd., as sampler and surveyor. In 1911, he was appointed head surveyor to the Durban Roodepoort Deep, Ltd., mine.
In 1915 he returned to England and obtained a commission in the 9th Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (Pioneer Battalion), in which he served in Belgium and France. He was demobilised in January, 1919, with the rank of Captain.
In February, 1919, he was appointed assistant manager of the Tiebaghi mine in New Caledonia, owned by the Chrome Co., Ltd., and on the death of the chief engineer, Mr. T.R. Archbold, in 1922, he succeeded to that position, which he occupied to the date of his death.
Mr. Thomas was elected an Associate of the Institution in 1911.
Vol. 37, Trans IMM 1927-28, p.581
