James Douglas Aitken died in London on 28th October, 1955, at the age of 60.
Born in Scotland, Mr. Aitken entered the Royal School of Mines in 1913 for his professional training, but left on the outbreak of war in 1914 to join H.M. Forces. He was commissioned in the 14th Bn. Middlesex Regt., and served in Gallipoli in 1915 attached to the 1st Bn. Munster Fusiliers, and was wounded. He was transferred a few months later to the Machine Gun Corps and fought in France in 1916 and 1917-18. He was demobilized in 1919 with the rank of captain. Mr. Aitken resumed his training at the Royal School of Mines and obtained a first-class Associateship of the School in July 1922.
He went to Grootfontein as a prospector for the South West Africa Co., Ltd., for two years, and during 1924 worked as assistant to Messrs. Lake and Currie on a mining law case. In 1925 he took up the appointment of assistant mining engineer to Pahang Consolidated Tin Mining Co., Ltd., but left Malaya after a few months for Nigeria where he managed Filani (Nigeria) Tin Mining Co., Ltd., from 1925 to 1931. He then joined Messrs. John Taylor and Sons and spent 24 years in India, first as assistant underground agent in charge of a section of Mysore mine. Six years later he was appointed representative in Hyderabad State for Messrs. John Taylor, and retained that position until his return to England early in 1955. He was also superintendent of Hyderabad Gold Development, Raichur, and during the period 1942-45 his services were lent to the Hyderabad Government on State Controls.
Mr. Aitken was elected to Studentship of the Institution in 1920, and was transferred to Associate Membership in 1926 and to Membership in 1943.
Vol. 65, Trans IMM 1955-6, p.465
