Harold Whittingham died suddenly at his home in Toronto on October 23rd, 1946, at the age of 62.
After working as assistant estate agent in Sussex for two years, he began his mining career in Canada in May, 1907, as miner, timekeeper and surveyor’s assistant at the Nipissing mine, Cobalt, Ontario, and a year later became underground surveyor in full charge. He left Cobalt in September, 1909, to attend the Michigan College of Mines, graduating in 1912 as B.Sc. and Engineer of Mines. He then joined Mr. Geo. H. Garrey, consulting geologist, Philadelphia, as assistant on geological examinations in Mexico for the American Smelting and Refining Co., and in November, 1913, went to Sardinia as manager of the Gennamari mine.
On the outbreak of war in 1914 Mr. Whittingham joined the Royal Garrison Artillery, rising to the rank of major in 1916, when he was in command of the 71st Heavy Battery. He served continuously with the B.E.F. during the first three years of war, in France and Flanders, gaining a ‘mention’, and at the end of 1917 was wounded and taken prisoner.
Mr. Whittingham returned to his position at Gennamari mines in March, 1919, but left a year later and worked privately on the South Wales coalfield, in connection with coal tar derivatives. From April to November, 1921, he was engaged on civil and mechanical engineering work in Leicestershire, but left England again early in 1922 on obtaining the position of manager of the Keeley silver mines, Silver Centre, Ontario, and two years later became manager of the Huronian Belt Co. Since that time he had been associated with Ventures, Ltd., from its inception, as secretary-treasurer, and was president of Falconbridge Nickel Mines, Ltd., Sherritt-Gordon Mines, Ltd., Michipicoten Iron Mines, Ltd., and Opemiska Copper Mines, Ltd.; he was vice-president and director of many other mining companies.
He was elected to Associateship of the Institution in 1919, and was transferred to Membership in 1924, and was also a member of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Vol. 56, Trans IMM 1946-7, pp.626-7
